Central Park, Oct 10–16: armoured combat behind the Met, Indigenous Day of Remembrance, and Open House New York

        Saturday is the day to be out — 70° and partly sunny, with pilates on the Great Lawn, model yachts, a market and armoured combat behind the Met. Sunday turns to 93% rain but still carries NYC Indigenous Day of Remembrance at Merchants’ Gate. And Friday, Open House New York opens at Grand Army Plaza.

Weather this week

Saturday 70° and partly sunny, dry. Sunday 64° with periods of rain at 93%. Columbus Day Monday 69° and a 49% chance. Tuesday is the warmest at 73°, Wednesday 66° and mostly sunny, Thursday 63°, Friday 64° and showery. Nights in the low 50s — autumn proper.

Sat Oct 10 — the full day

  Pilates in the Park on the Great Lawn, 10 AM–12 PM. The lawn is back in use after the Global Citizen build, and this is the first public class on it.
  Santa’s Knights and Gladiators on the lawn behind the Met, noon–4 PM — armoured combat in Central Park, exactly as advertised and genuinely a spectacle.
  Model Yacht Racing at Kerbs Boathouse, 9 AM–3 PM, on Conservatory Water.
  UnityMarketsNY at Farmers’ Gate, 9 AM–7 PM.
  Connect Outdoors with the Appalachian Mountain Club at the East 72nd Street Playground, 11 AM–2 PM — free, and built for meeting people.
  Birding Basics at Belvedere Castle at 10; Iconic Views tour at 2.

The Big Apple Triathlon still holds Cherry Hill and the drives, so the south end carries equipment and crowds. East Meadow closed; 38 private ceremony bookings.

Sun Oct 11 — Indigenous Day of Remembrance, and rain

NYC Indigenous Day of Remembrance at Merchants’ Gate, 1–4 PM — on the weekend the city still officially calls Columbus Day, which makes the siting at the park’s busiest southwest entrance deliberate.

93% rain, so dress for it. Also on: International Folkdancers at King Jagiello Plaza 11 AM–6 PM, Skate Circle at Dead Road 2–7 PM, the Northeast Young Judaea Kickoff at The Pool 11 AM–2 PM, and Birding Basics at Belvedere at 10.

Mon Oct 12 – Thu Oct 15 — a very quiet midweek

Columbus Day brings only the Skate Circle at Dead Road, 2–7 PM. Tuesday has nothing at all and is the week’s warmest day at 73°. Wednesday and Thursday carry a large private event at Cedar Hill that holds ground until 8 PM both days — worth knowing if you walk the east side, but nothing public.

The indoor options carry the midweek: New Dendrology at the Arsenal Gallery, weekdays 9 AM–5 PM, free, and the 44th Annual Wreath Interpretations Open Call is running at the Arsenal all week — the submission window for the winter wreath show, which is a nice thing to know exists.

Fri Oct 16 — Open House New York opens

Open House New York Weekend opens at Grand Army Plaza, 10 AM–6 PM. The city’s annual architecture weekend, and the park is one of its sites — worth planning the weekend around if buildings and landscapes are your thing. 64° with a 43% chance of showers.

Steady all week

  Bethesda Terrace and Fountain closed all day, every day — permits now run to November 9.
  Bird Watching with Birding Bob — five mornings from Loeb Boathouse. Fall migration is nearly done.
  Columbus Circle Food Market at Merchants’ Gate, 9:30 AM–9 PM.
  157 field permits — 82 at North Meadow, 46 at Heckscher, 18 on the tennis courts. North Meadow has overtaken Heckscher as the park’s busiest venue for the first time.

Quick recap

  Saturday is the day: pilates on the Great Lawn at 10, armoured combat behind the Met at noon.
  Indigenous Day of Remembrance Sunday, 1–4 PM at Merchants’ Gate.
  Sunday is a 93% washout otherwise.
  Tuesday: 73° and nothing booked — the warmest, emptiest day.
  Open House New York opens Friday at Grand Army Plaza.
  Bethesda Terrace now closed through November 9.

Enjoy the autumn,
Central Park Guide