Central Park, Sep 19–25: the Chess-in-the-Park Rapid Open turns 25, and Climate Week brings two concerts

        Saturday is the last dry day of the season’s turn, and the park has put everything on it: a chess tournament in its twenty-fifth year at the Bandshell, lawn bowls on Bowling Green, model yachts, two markets and a guitar man at Hernshead. Sunday it rains all day. Then Climate Week arrives midweek with two concerts and a panel, and the temperature never climbs out of the 60s again.

Weather this week

Saturday holds at 71° and partly sunny with no rain in it; Sunday turns to all-day rain at 89%. The rest of the week runs cool and damp — 63–67° with shower chances every day. Saturday is the day to be outdoors, and the indoor options midweek are worth knowing.

Sat Sep 19 — the fullest day, and the last dry one

The 25th Annual Chess-in-the-Park Rapid Open fills Bandshell Plaza 11 AM–5 PM. Twenty-five years of this tournament, free to watch, and a genuinely absorbing thing to stumble into — rows of boards, clocks going, total concentration in the middle of the park.

The rest of the day:

  Osborn Cup on Bowling Green, 7 AM–6 PM, both weekend days — lawn bowls, a real curiosity.
  Model Yacht Racing at Kerbs Boathouse, 9 AM–3 PM.
  UnityMarketsNY at Farmers’ Gate 9–7, and the Farmstand and Unity Market up at Dana Discovery Center 9 AM–8 PM.
  That Guitar Man from Central Park at Hernshead, noon–6 PM.
  Iconic Views tour at 2 PM; Skate Circle at Dead Road 2–7 PM.
  Tango at the Shakespeare Statue, 6–9 PM.
  The 28th Annual SCTPN Walk for Education and Awareness stages at Dead Road North 9 AM–1 PM, so the west side is busy through midday.

East Meadow is closed, and 40 private ceremony bookings make it the heaviest day of the season.

Sun Sep 20 — rain all day, so plan indoors

An 89% chance of rain from morning to night. The morning belongs to an 18-mile marathon training run on East Drive; the afternoon has real options if you dress for it:

  Pinocchio in the Park at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, 2–3 PM — under a roof, which today is the whole argument.
  Justin Lees Jazz Group at Bandshell Plaza, 1–4 PM.
  Chess & Checkers House Community Play from 1 PM — casual games, beginners welcome, and the Chess & Checkers House has walls.
  International Folkdancers at King Jagiello 11–6, Skate Circle 2–7, and a Society Strong workout social 3:30–6 for the undeterred.

Mon Sep 21 — an empty park

Not one scheduled event. 67° and cloudy. If you like the park quiet, this is the quietest it gets.

Tue Sep 22 — Climate Week: Young the Giant at Rumsey

Music for Action brings Young the Giant, St. Lucia and a DREEEMY DJ set to Rumsey Playfield, 7–10 PM — a Climate Week show raising awareness of climate change and tick-borne disease.

Earlier: Brigadoon on the River at Bandshell Plaza 2–3 PM, and a financial vision-boarding workshop at Dana Discovery Center at 6.

Wed Sep 23 — Of Monsters and Men

Of Monsters and Men play Rumsey 7–10 PM with August Ponthier — the Icelandic band behind “Little Talks.” Kate Farms Yoga takes East Meadow 5–6 PM beforehand.

Thu Sep 24 – Fri Sep 25 — a climate panel, then salsa

Thursday the Building Cross-Sector Ecosystems for Climate Action panel runs at the Arsenal 6–8 PM — indoors, free, and the thinking half of Climate Week.

Friday, Carlos Konig Salsa plays Bandshell Plaza 5–7:30 PM, with the Iconic Views tour at 2.

Steady all week

  Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is closed all day, every day — the permits run to October 13.
  New Dendrology at the Arsenal Gallery, weekdays 9 AM–5 PM, free and indoors. The right call on a wet week.
  Bird Watching with Birding Bob — five mornings from Loeb Boathouse. Fall migration is peaking.
  208 field permits — 103 at Heckscher, 75 at North Meadow, and just 14 on the Great Lawn.

Quick recap

  Chess-in-the-Park Rapid Open, Saturday 11–5 at the Bandshell — 25th year, free to watch.
  Saturday is the last dry day, and everything is on it.
  Sunday rains all day: Pinocchio at the Marionette Theatre and the Chess & Checkers House are your indoor options.
  Climate Week: Young the Giant Tuesday, Of Monsters and Men Wednesday, climate panel Thursday.
  Monday has no events at all.
  Salsa at the Bandshell Friday, 5–7:30 PM.

Enjoy the turn into fall,
Central Park Guide