Central Park, Oct 5–11: seven sunny days, four nights of film at Cherry Hill, and the triathlon takes the drives Thursday to Sunday

Friday’s email ran through the 9th, so the midweek will be familiar — the triathlon weekend is the new part.

        Friday’s email ran through the 9th, so the midweek will be familiar — the triathlon weekend is the new part.

Seven consecutive sunny days, 64–74°, with a 0% rain chance Monday through Thursday. The park has not had a week like this since August. The Conservancy screens films at Cherry Hill four nights running, and from Thursday the Big Apple Triathlon holds every drive in the park straight through Sunday.

Weather this week

Sunny every day: 71°, 64°, 68°, 74°, 72°, 71°, 68°. Rain chances are 0% Monday to Thursday and 1–4% after that. Nights fall to 49–57°, so the evening films need a blanket and the morning rides need sleeves.

Mon Oct 5 — nothing booked, 71° and sunny

Not one scheduled event in the park. Clear drives, clear sky, 71°. If you can take a long ride, run or walk today, nothing this week will beat it.

Tue Oct 6 – Fri Oct 9 — the Conservancy Film Festival, four nights at Cherry Hill

The Central Park Conservancy Film Festival screens on Cherry Hill at 7 PM:

  Tue — Carl Sagan: We are Made of Star Stuff
  Wed — Time and Water
  Thu — Blink
  Fri — LION

Four clear nights in a row for an outdoor series is close to unheard of in October. The permit holds Cherry Hill and Frisbee Hill from 9 AM, so the lawn is set up long before dusk. Dress for the 50s.

The Conservancy’s Women’s Committee Game Event fills the Chess and Checkers House Tuesday and Thursday, 6 AM–7 PM, and New Dendrology is at the Arsenal Gallery weekdays 9–5, free.

Thu Oct 8 – Sun Oct 11 — the Big Apple Triathlon takes the drives

The Big Apple Triathlon holds all-day permits for four straight days — Cherry Hill, Wagner Cove, Bandshell Plaza, and Center, West and East Drive, the 72nd Street Cross Drive and the Lower Loop.

Treat the loop as unavailable from Thursday through Sunday. These are 24-hour holds rather than a timed race window, so unlike a Sunday morning race there is no reliable early gap. Monday to Wednesday is where your miles are this week.

Note that the triathlon and the film festival both hold Cherry Hill on Thursday and Friday — expect the lawn and the Lower Loop approaches to be busy from morning until late.

Sat Oct 10 — pilates on the Great Lawn, and a full Saturday

71° and sunny. Pilates in the Park on the Great Lawn, 10 AM–12 PM — worth noting the Great Lawn is open and usable again after the festival build.

  Model Yacht Racing at Kerbs Boathouse, 9 AM–3 PM.
  UnityMarketsNY at Farmers’ Gate, 9 AM–7 PM.
  Birding Basics at Belvedere Castle at 10.
  Connect Outdoors with the AMC at the East 72nd Street Playground, 11 AM–2 PM.
  Santa’s Knights and Gladiators on the lawn behind the Met, noon–4 PM — armoured combat, as odd as it sounds.
  Iconic Views tour at 2 PM.

East Meadow closed, and 34 private ceremony bookings land Saturday.

Sun Oct 11 — folkdancers, skaters, and the triathlon’s last day

68° and mostly sunny. The International Folkdancers hold King Jagiello Plaza 11 AM–6 PM, Skate Circle runs at Dead Road 2–7 PM, the Northeast Young Judaea Kickoff takes The Pool 11 AM–2 PM, Birding Basics meets at Belvedere at 10, and the Iconic Views tour goes at 2.

The triathlon permit runs through the day, so the drives stay committed.

Steady all week

  Bethesda Terrace and Fountain — closed all day, every day. The permits now run to November 4.
  Bird Watching with Birding Bob — five mornings from Strawberry Fields. Migration is tailing off; these are the last good weeks.
  East Meadow closed both weekend days; East 106th Street lawn out Monday–Thursday; Columbus Circle Food Market Thursday through Sunday.
  194 field permits — 86 at Heckscher, 77 at North Meadow, 20 on the tennis courts. Still no league play on the Great Lawn, though it is taking bookings again.

Quick recap

  Seven sunny days, 64–74°, 0% rain Monday to Thursday.
  Monday has no events at all — the best day of the week by a margin.
  Conservancy Film Festival, 7 PM Tuesday to Friday at Cherry Hill. Carl Sagan opens it.
  Big Apple Triathlon holds every drive Thursday through Sunday on 24-hour permits.
  Pilates on the Great Lawn Saturday 10 AM — the lawn is usable again.
  Bethesda Terrace now closed through November 4.

Have a good week in the park,
Central Park Guide