April is here and I’m giddy with excitement! In New York, April is synonymous with spring – a time when we shed our outerwear and under layers for sun dresses and light jackets. It’s a time when we venture outside for morning brunch and afternoon drinks, soaking up those glorious rays of sun. It’s a time for transformation of the barren winter landscape into a wall of color as the new blooms and foliage appear. It’s a metaphor for hope, faith, action and renewal.
Here’s what’s on in New York in April, the most glorious of months:
AWNY is hosting the following events – come along and join us:
Sat Apr 20, 10:30 am: AWNY Mums & Dads Easter Egg Hunt
Join us for a fun Easter egg hunt at the River Run playground, Riverside Park on the Upper West Side, hosted by the Australian Mums & Dads in New York Group. The children will have so much fun hunting for eggs and filling their baskets with colorful eggs with candy & surprises. RSVP and what to bring with you is here.
Tues Apr 23: AWNY Book Club
AWNY has started a book club. Come along to the first meeting on April 23rd at The Liberty NYC. The first series is themed “America through Fiction” and the first book is Americanah by award-winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This event is open to all women: members and non-members welcome. RSVP essential.
Plus there are plenty of events around town to dive into:
Hudson Yards
Visit the newly opened Hudson Yards, New York’s newest nabe to work, dine and play on Manhattan’s West Side, enveloped by the northern end of The High Line. Highlights include:
- The Vessel (TKA) an extraordinary spiral staircase centerpiece of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs, offering a breathtaking perspective of the city, elevated about the public square. Admission is free but you must hold a ticket, which you can book ahead of time. Although I’ve been inadvertently referring to it as “The Beehive”, there is in fact a naming competition to assign a permanent moniker to this stunning landmark.
- The Shed, opening April 5, is an arts center commissioning original works of art, from artists in fields ranging from hip hop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. The complex includes the innovative Bloomberg Building.
- Support Australian businesses with stores in Hudson Yards with women’s apparel, shoes and bags at Scanlan Theodore, coffee by Bluestone Lane, and artisanal ice-cream by Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
Mar 24 – Apr 7: Macy’s Annual Flower Show
Explore the heavenly blooms in the 2019 annual Macy’s Flower Show, Journey to Paradios, which welcomes Spring via a space odyssey to a colourful floral paradise that is out of this world.
Mon Apr 8: Aldous Harding plays Rough Trade NYC
The captivating and intense New Zealand singer-songwriter, Aldous Harding returns to New York, playing at Brooklyn’s Rough Trade. Immerse yourself in her new song and video, “The Barrel”, in anticipation of her upcoming 4AD release, Designer, on April 26.
Tues Apr 9: I-94 Day Party
Celebrate being in the US (and for not being kicked due to NOT knowing your I-94 date) with this event brought to you by The Australian Consulate-General of New York, Cammisa Markel and America Josh at The Hairy Lemon in the East Village. If you don’t know what the I-94 is, then you should definitely attend! If you need any more incentive, there will be Coopers, meat pies and a raffle. RSVP here.
Sun Apr 21, 10am – 4pm: Annual Easter Bonnet Parade
Join the fun, color and creativity for this annual Easter Sunday event. The parade marches north on Fifth Avenue, from 49th Street to 57th Street. The best place to watch is from the area around St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Better yet, bring your bonnet and join the parade.
SOLD OUT: Tues Apr 23 and Wed Apr 24: Julia Jacklin
Australian singer/songwriter Julia Jacklin is playing in NYC over two nights. But – can you believe that in the time it took to prepare this post, the remaining tickets at Rough Trade were snapped up. Your only options for tickets now are to beg, steal or borrow. Be sure to immerse yourself in her second full-length album, the uber-melodic and emotionally luminous Crushing (it’s perfect for a road trip to Virginia, where there are still tickets left).
Thurs Apr 25: Anzac Day 2019
Anzac Day is the day of remembrance for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who fought and died for their country, and is marked annually on the anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War. Check out the guide AWNY has put together detailing events and specials offers for Anzac Day in and around New York.
Thurs Apr 25, 7 – 11pm: It’s Your Shout – Ads Up Fundraising Gala
Ads Up is hosting It’s Your Shout – an inaugural fundraising gala for Manus and Nauru refugees starting a new life in the US. Australians will gather together under one gorgeous roof – Donna Karan’s Urban Zen – to eat, drink, and dance the night away with Australian restaurateurs showcasing authentic food, desserts, and wines. Your support will enable Ads-Up to create an education fund designed to improve job opportunities through vocational training for young refugees who were denied an appropriate education while detained on Manus Island and Nauru. Tickets available here.
April 27 – 28: Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
The annual cherry blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens celebrates Japanese culture with beautiful blooms. This is the largest esplanade of cherries outside of Japan. The cherry trees haven’t started blooming yet but you can check the full map to keep tabs on what is blooming when.
Featured image by Leon Havenga, http://www.freeimages.com
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 