Events

Visitors enjoying a live jazz concert in the Garden.  
Visitors enjoying a summer jazz concert in the Garden.

The Garden plays host to arts, culture, concerts, and family events each spring, summer, and fall. Birthday parties, neighborhood gatherings, bridal showers, weddings, book clubs, craft clubs, and and film shoots are regularly scheduled in the Garden. See below for upcoming events, information on hosting your event, pictures of past events in the Garden, and a recap of the many events and activities in the Garden in 2025.

EVENTS IN AUGUST

Hot Jazz in a Cool Garden!
Matt Garcia & Friends
Saturday, August 1
3:30-5:00 p.m.
FREE!
Currently at Juilliard and fresh off his debut album for SteepleChase Records, jazz saxophonist Matt Garcia returns with friends to our own outdoor iazz club for this mid-summer musical treat. Get here early, BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair).

Garden Volunteer Day
Sunday, August 16
12:00-2:00 p.m.
Lend a hand cleaning up garden beds and other midsummer projects. Drop by for an hour or two, and bring a friend!

Jazz in the Garden
Nina Bloch & Friends play Ellington, Etc.
Sunday, August 16 (rain date 8/23)
3:30-5:00 p.m.
FREE!
Acclaimed saxophonist and ensemble leader Lena Bloch returns to our outdoor jazz club with pianist Roberta Piket and drummer Billy Mintz for a swingin’ summer set of Ellington, Strayhorn, and more. Get here early, BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair).

Garden Rest & Read with LitClub NYC
Tuesday, August 18
5:30-7:00 p.m.
RSVP Required, Space is limited
Join LitClub NYC for a late summer afternoon of quiet reading, small-group discussion, and connection though a shared love of literature. Ticket includes guided programming and light refreshments.

Snacks in the City: Mini Watercolor Magnet Workshop
Saturday, August 22
2:00-4:00 p.m.
RSVP Required, Space is Limited
Painting a bagel goes best with an actual bagel, so join CraftClub NYC and local illustrator The Papierwinkel for NYC-themed snacks and crafts. Learn watercolor basics, paint your own mini city icon (think pizza slice, pizza rat, yellow cab, pretzel, bagel, or pigeon), then transform your masterpieces into the most adorable set of magnets. No experience needed, just come ready to make new crafts and new friends. All supplies and guidance provided. Complimentary NYC-themed sips and snacks.

Back-to-School Block Party and Backpack Giveaway!
West 88th Street between Columbus and Central Park West
Sunday, August 23
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
FREE!
The Garden is happy to participate once again in the 2nd Annual Back-To-School Block Party and Backpack Giveaway on West 88th Street! This event will bring together local businesses, community organizations, and neighbors to support Upper West Side families as students prepare for the new school year. Community leader, resident, and Garden volunteer Gregory Kirsopp, in collaboration with the NYPD 24th Precinct will be giving away nearly 500 fully-stocked backpacks, along with a full day of free activities for families, including bouncy castles, free children’s haircuts from a local barber, a live DJ, popcorn, icees, and more! Be sure to drop by our Garden table to create paper flowers with artist, arts educator, and Garden volunteer Greg Stevens. Great for kids and adults!

The In-Between Club: Mid-Year Reflection
Wednesday, August 26
6:00-7:30 p.m.
RSVP Required, Space is limited
Dr. Joanne Raptis and The Upper West Insider return to the Garden with The In-Between Club, a therapist-guided journaling and reflection circle for anyone moving through a career transition, layoff, job search, or creative pivot. Ticket includes a one-hour, therapist-guided journaling circle, original prompts, a take-home reflection guide and a supportive, professionally facilitated community space. Bring a notebook and a pen. No journaling experience needed. Sharing optional.

Sketch & Switch: A Speed-Friending Social
Friday, August 28
6:00-8:00 p.m.
RSVP Required, Space is limited
Join the Upper West Insider for a low-key sketchbook social! Meet neighbors, make a new friend, and have a fun little summer evening in the Garden. All supplies included, no drawing experience needed.

Artful Sunday in the Park with Greg
Sunday, August 30
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
FREE!
Drop by for an hour or two with artist, arts educator, and Garden volunteer Greg Stevens for informal garden-themed art-making, from paper flowers to print-making to crayons, markers, and watercolors. materials will be provided. Great for kids and adults!

Stoop Sale with Epilogue Vintage
Sunday, August 30
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Epilogue Vintage returns to the Garden with curated modern vintage rooted in natural fibers. Cash and Venmo are accepted. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Garden.

HOSTING A PARTY OR EVENT
Interested in hosting a party or event in the Garden? The first step is to use the form on the Contact page or email 87thStreetGardenNYC@gmail.com to start the approval process, which can take up to a month, so plan ahead. When you reach out to the Garden, please indicate the type of event, date and time, number of anticipated participants, and contact information for the person submitting the request. No event can be planned or scheduled without full approval. If you have questions about the process, please email us.

For social gatherings (e.g. birthday party, wedding reception, class reunion, anniversary party), the Garden Committee will first review your proposed event, then we will submit an Event Request Form to NYC Parks GreenThumb. The Garden Committee will notify you if your event has been approved. This process can take up to two weeks, so plan ahead. There is no fee for holding your event in the Garden but we gladly accept donations which help us keep the Garden accessible and beautiful for events like yours.

For third-party events where goods or services are proposed to be sold, or revenues are otherwise generated, including but not limited to admission fees and/or ticket sales (e.g. art class, book club, craft club), the Garden Committee will first review your proposed event, then we will submit an Event Request Form to NYC Parks GreenThumb and obtain a Temporary Use Authorization (TUA) from the NYC Parks Revenue Division.  This process can take up to a month, so plan ahead. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of goods or services or ticket sales must go to support the Garden.

​​​​​​​Party & Event Rules:

  • Events must be approved and scheduled in advance by the Garden Committee and NYC Parks as described above
  • Garden must remain open to the public during your event
  • No barbecues or open flames
  • No alcohol
  • No amplified music except by permit
  • No confetti or streamers of any kind
  • No unsupervised children
  • No off-leash pets
  • Full cleanup of all decorations and trash is required​
  • For social events, there is no fee but we accept donations to support the Garden
  • For third-party events, a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of goods or services or ticket sales must go to support the Garden.

PAST EVENTS


Families enjoying a scheduled birthday party in the Garden.


The children’s play area is a great place for a kid-friendly party.


Cait Jones performs in the Garden.


A doggie birthday “pawty” held in the Garden.

.
A bridal shower in the Garden.


A scheduled family event in the Garden.

GARDEN ACTIVITY IN 2025
Here are some highlights from our 2025 season full of Garden activities and events this year!

  • We launched a new website,with nearly 1,600 visitors and 3,500 views to date
  • We introduced a new monthly e-newsletter, with an audience of over 230 people and 62% average open rate
  • We grew our social media on Instagram and Facebook to nearly 700 followers
  • We hosted eight Garden Volunteer Days, and had eight scheduled volunteers throughout the season helping take care of the Garden, collectively contributing 1,100 volunteer hours this year
  • We hosted six monthly jazz concerts attended by 400 people across the season
  • We hosted a neighborhood get-together in collaboration with the West 87th Park Block Association attended by over 75 folks from our community
  • We hosted flower-making craft activities for dozens of youngsters at the Back-to-School Block Party on West 88th Street hosted by Gregory Kirsopp in partnership with the NYPD 24th Precinct
  • We hosted our annual Halloween in the Garden attended by 100s of families
  • We played host to over 20 community and family social events including book clubs, craft clubs, knitting groups, birthday parties, a bird sculpture event, wedding receptions, bridal showers, anniversaries, and more
  • We welcomed three student groups and over 30 individuals, including kindergartners from from Twin Parks Montessori, high school volunteers from Calhoun School, middle school students from the Garden Club at Dwight School, and alumni fellows from the Clean Energy Leadership Institute, who collectively helped plant flowers in the spring, keep the Garden watered all summer, and plant bulbs in the fall
  • We worked with Eagle Scout-to-be Kira Cheng, who along with volunteers from Scout Troop 777 helped level and lay gravel and stepping stones on three paths and side paths, beautifying the Garden and improving overall accessibility
  • We received grant funding to level, replace, and widen the central brick pathway and level the rear terrace, improving Garden accessibility for everybody, including folks with strollers, walkers, or wheelchairs
  • We received numerous donations from individuals across the season to help maintain garden beds, work on improvement projects, and plant bulbs for next spring bloom.

Thank you to everyone who helped in the Garden in so many ways!