Central Park, Oct 3–9: the Conservancy Film Festival runs four nights at Cherry Hill, and the Big Apple Triathlon takes the drives

        The best week of weather in months, and the park has filled it. The Central Park Conservancy Film Festival screens four nights at Cherry Hill, Tuesday through Friday at 7 PM, opening with Carl Sagan. Saturday brings the Terry Fox Run and City of Forest Day in the North Woods. And by Thursday the Big Apple Triathlon has the drives.

Weather this week

Saturday is 71° and sunny, Sunday turns showery at 64° and 54%, and then it is sunny every single day — 70°, 62°, 66°, 71°, 71° — with a 0% rain chance Tuesday through Friday. Nights drop into the 48–56° range, so the film festival will want a blanket.

Sat Oct 3 — the Terry Fox Run, then City of Forest Day

The Terry Fox Run holds Bandshell Plaza and the Lower Loop, 9:15–11 AM. The southern loop is unusable in that window — run or ride before 9 or after 11, or take the bridle path. Earlier still, the Best Buddies Challenge runs the Central Park South sidewalks 7–8 AM.

Then the day opens up, 71° and sunny:

  Wonder in the Woods — the Conservancy’s City of Forest Day, a family morning of discovery in the North Woods from 10 AM at Gottesman Pool at the Davis Center, with a second session at Arsenal Plaza 11 AM–2 PM.
  Community Wellness Walk on the Great Hill Oval, 11 AM–2 PM.
  Kingman Classic Singles Tournament on Bowling Green, 10 AM–4 PM — lawn bowls.
  Model Yacht Racing at Kerbs 9–3; UnityMarketsNY at Farmers’ Gate 9–7; That Guitar Man at Hernshead noon–6.
  Seneca Village Tour at 2 PM from Mariners’ Gate.

East Meadow is closed and 39 private ceremony bookings land Saturday.

Sun Oct 4 — a duathlon at dawn, then showers

The Central Park Solo Duathlon Boat Relay stages at the Loeb Boathouse 7–9 AM. After that, 64° with a 54% chance of showers:

Bagels in the Park at the East 72nd Street Playground 9–11 AM, Yoga at Dalehead Arch 10–11:30, Birding Basics at Belvedere at 10, Vision Boarding at Cherry Hill 1–3 PM, the International Folkdancers at King Jagiello 11–6, and the Seneca Village Tour at 2.

Mon Oct 5 — nothing at all, and 70° of sunshine

Not one scheduled event in the park. If you want it to yourself, this is the day.

Tue Oct 6 – Fri Oct 9 — four nights of film at Cherry Hill

The Central Park Conservancy Film Festival screens at Cherry Hill at 7 PM, four nights running:

  Tuesday — Carl Sagan: We are Made of Star Stuff
  Wednesday — Time and Water
  Thursday — Blink
  Friday — LION

The permit holds Cherry Hill and Frisbee Hill from morning, so expect the lawn to be set up well before the gates matter. Clear skies all four nights and temperatures falling into the 50s — bring something warm.

The Conservancy’s Women’s Committee Game Event fills the Chess and Checkers House Tuesday and Thursday, and New Dendrology is still at the Arsenal Gallery weekdays 9–5, free.

Thu Oct 8 – Fri Oct 9 — the Big Apple Triathlon takes the drives

The Big Apple Triathlon holds all-day permits across Cherry Hill, Wagner Cove, Bandshell Plaza and every drive — Center, West, East, the 72nd Street Cross Drive and the Lower Loop — from Thursday, and it runs through the following weekend.

Cyclists and runners: the loop is committed from Thursday on. Check before you go out each morning; this is a multi-day build with the race itself next weekend.

Steady all week

  Bethesda Terrace and Fountain — closed all day, every day. The permits now run to November 2.
  Bird Watching with Birding Bob — five mornings from Loeb Boathouse. Migration is tailing off but still worth the early start.
  East Meadow closed both weekend days; East 106th Street lawn out Monday–Thursday; Columbus Circle Food Market all week.
  189 field permits — 81 at Heckscher, 77 at North Meadow, 20 on the tennis courts. Still none on the Great Lawn.

Quick recap

  Terry Fox Run Saturday 9:15–11 AM — the Lower Loop is out.
  City of Forest Day Saturday — Wonder in the Woods, North Woods, from 10 AM.
  Conservancy Film Festival, Tuesday to Friday, 7 PM at Cherry Hill. Carl Sagan opens it.
  Monday has no events at all, and 70° of sunshine.
  Big Apple Triathlon takes the drives from Thursday and runs into next weekend.
  Sunny and 0% rain Tuesday through Friday. Cold nights — 48–56°.

Have a good week in the park,
Central Park Guide