How to Enjoy Washington Square Park in September

By Anthony Paradiso

With Fall on the horizon, there’s no better place to spend your afternoons than at Washington Square Park. The 9.75 acre site is more than just a beautiful park that you can walk through admiring the statues, monuments and people milling about. It’s a place that the Washington Square Park Conservancy is making accessible for everybody.

Throughout the summer the Washington Square Park Conservancy has been hosting a teaching artist residency. According to washingtonsqpark.org, for the second year, “each month a different artist transforms the northwest corner of Washington Square Park into their studio, inviting park-goers to explore various artistic practices under the shade of the park’s trees.” The classes are designed to be accessible to all ages and skill levels and are held every Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

These classes teach a variety of subjects under the umbrella of art including drawing, sculpting, watercolor painting, printmaking, and bookmaking, among others. In September (the last month for this program), Esther K. Smith of Purgatory Pie Press will teach bookmaking. The styles of bookmaking that will be explored range from “simple cut and fold pages to stitched binding.”

Learning art isn’t the only free program you can sign up for. In Garibaldi Plaza, Yoga is held every Wednesday from 8:30-9:30 a.m. and “Body Art,” a physical therapy based training that explores “joyful movement,” is held on Thursdays from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Participants are asked to bring their own mats (or a towel in the case of Body Art) and a bottle of water for these relaxing exercise routines. Another free exercise program is “Dances for a Variable Population” which are dance classes for adults of all ages that teach “strong and creative movement” and they are held every Tuesday from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Have any kids who would like to learn arts and crafts? Take them to “Art in the Park” which is held every Wednesday from 3-5 p.m. in the large playground. These are sessions that give kids of all ages and abilities the opportunity to put their creativity to work on arts and crafts projects.

Next up is a special program and that’s “Salsa Social.” Meet new friends, learn how to salsa dance from the instructors at Mi Salsa Dura Baile and have a good time. It’s open to dancers of all ages and skill levels! Sessions are held every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. and each one begins with a free class from 6:00-6:30 p.m. followed by open dancing for the rest of the session.

If you’re more inclined towards learning a new game, the conservancy hosts “Double Dutch” and “Pétanque” lessons. At Double Dutch sessions, participants will learn the ins and outs of “street-style” and “competitive jump-rope” every Thursday from 6-7 p.m. In addition, Pétanque experts will be at the Pétanque court every Wednesday from 12-4 p.m. to teach new players. On the first Friday of the month, Sept. 6, Hex & Co., the board game café chain, is hosting “Game and Gab” from 3:30-5:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for people to play classic board games like Sorry and newer games like Hive, Quoridor and Skull at the Northwest corner of the park.

All in all, by going to the park during the week, one can learn various types of art, yoga, dancing, jump-rope, board games and Pétanque. It’s a well-balanced diet of exercise and games that get you up and moving—and they are all FREE. Be sure to check the conservancy website and social media accounts for updated information on their free programs and events.

Last but not least, it’s important to mention two upcoming events that will be held inside Washington Square Park this September. The first is a Pet Adoption Event, sponsored by the Animal Care Centers of NYC, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and City Council Member Carlina Rivera. The event will be held on the south side of Washington Square Park on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 12-4 p.m. I urge our readers to attend or spread the word if they or someone they know can support a new pet. My family and I welcomed Queenie the labrador/husky into our lives in 2021 and she is now a healthy three-year-old dog.

The second is “Portraits of the Moon” a performance put on by the Museum of Chinese in America. According to the conservancy website, this event is described as “a dance project that intricately explores and celebrates the rich symbolism of the moon in Chinese culture. Through innovative weaving of movements, texts, and sound, it offers a heartfelt tribute to Chinese heritage and immigrant experiences.” It will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 3-4 p.m.

These are just some of the programs and events that will be happening in September.

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Go to Happenings-Washington Square Park (washingtonsqpark.org) to learn more.