Date: November 24, 2009
Contact: Mindi Rambo, 212-668-2208
Music Festival Returns to Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
(Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, 28 East 20th, Manhattan)
American Landmark Festivals will present the Sonora Trio playing “Oeuvres Nouveaux” (New Works) by six American composers at Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 28. Other concerts in the series will take place January 30, February 27 and March 27.
Help Shape the Future of the African Burial Ground
African Burial Ground National Monument will be holding a series of open houses November 30 to December 3 as part of its General Management Planning process, which will help to guide this National Park Service site through its next 20 years. Members of the public will be invited to share their thoughts on-line, in writing or via videotaped comment. Visit www.nps.gov/afbg and click on General Management Plan to get the details of each open house.
Celebrate Kwanzaa at African Burial Ground
(African Burial Ground National Monument, Ted Weiss Federal Building, 290 Broadway, Manhattan)
On December 29, African Burial Ground National Monument will hold a Kwanzaa Celebration from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kwanzaa, based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), honors African heritage and is celebrated from December 26–January 1.
Holiday Concert to Feature Historic Pipe Organ at St. Paul’s Church
(St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon)
Dr. Jan Piet Knijff will perform a concert of classical music, including some traditional carols and holiday favorites at 2 p.m. December 20 on the historic 1833 pipe organ in St. Paul’s Church in Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Usher in the Holidays Traditionally
(St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon)
Children of all ages are invited to a Family Holiday Program at St. Paul’s Church from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 22, 23, 26, 29, and 31. The program will feature historic games, activities, music and demonstrations that reflect how Colonial- and Revolutionary War-era families would have entertained themselves during the holidays. This special holiday offering by St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site is designed for children on vacation from school, as well as adults.
Rangers of the Concrete Canyons
Not all National Park Service Rangers work in parks with soaring trees, unusual geological features or vistas uninterrupted by man-made structures. Some work amid the concrete canyons of New York City, which has 10 National Park Service units that make up the National Parks of New York Harbor. These urban rangers care for treasured cultural sites ranging from a 17th-century burial ground to a wide array of military fortifications to historic homes to a national icon and World Heritage Site. In addition to their primary duties, they also help to identify and educate the public about some of the endangered species that can be seen near these sites, such as the peregrine falcon that now nests amid skyscrapers instead of high cliffs.
