Central Park, Oct 12–18: 76° Wednesday, two loop events stacked Thursday, and then autumn finally arrives

Friday’s email ran through the 16th, so the midweek will be familiar — the weekend is new.

        Friday’s email ran through the 16th, so the midweek will be familiar — the weekend is new.

This is the week summer lets go. Wednesday hits 76°, which will be the last warm day of the year, and by Saturday night it is 40° — a twenty-degree drop in three days. In between, Thursday stacks two separate loop events, and the weekend brings Open House New York and a breast cancer walk at Cedar Hill.

Weather this week

Columbus Day is 71°, Tuesday 71° and sunny, Wednesday 76° and the warmest day left this year. Thursday eases to 67°, Friday brings rain at 61%, and then the floor drops: 56° Saturday, 54° Sunday, and 40° Saturday night. Pack the week accordingly — shirtsleeves Wednesday, a coat by Saturday.

Mon Oct 12 — Columbus Day, almost nothing booked

71° with a 22% chance of a shower. Central Park Skate Circle at Dead Road North, 2–7 PM, is the only thing on the board. Drives clear.

Tue Oct 13 — 71°, nothing at all

Not one scheduled event in the park, mostly sunny. The quietest day of the week.

Wed Oct 14 — 76°, and East Drive is held

The warmest day remaining this year — and an all-day permit holds Cedar Hill, the Hans Christian Andersen Statue and East Drive from midnight to 8 PM.

The feed titles it only “Party,” which undersells twenty hours of East Drive. Plan the east side out of the day, or go clockwise on West Drive.

Thu Oct 15 — two loop events, one morning

The Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Walk stages at Bandshell Plaza and runs the Lower Loop, 8:30–11 AM. On top of that, the East Drive permit runs a second day, again midnight to 8 PM.

So Thursday morning the southern loop and the east side are both committed. If you need road miles, Thursday is the day to skip — or use the bridle path and the Reservoir. 67° and mostly sunny, which makes it a frustrating one to lose.

Fri Oct 16 — Open House New York opens, in the rain

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. 68° with showers likely at 61%, so check before you plan a day of it.

Sat Oct 17 — the cold arrives, and the Conservatory Garden is turning

56° and much cooler. Open House New York continues at Grand Army Plaza 10 AM–6 PM.

  Conservatory Garden Tour at 11 AM — behind the scenes with the staff, and mid-October is when that garden is at its best.
  CPC Yoga on East Meadow, 11 AM–12 PM.
  Model Yacht Racing at Kerbs, 9 AM–3 PM; UnityMarketsNY at Farmers’ Gate, 9–7.
  That Guitar Man from Central Park at Hernshead, noon–6 PM.

East Meadow closed, 25 private bookings, and 40° overnight after.

Sun Oct 18 — a breast cancer walk at Cedar Hill, and the Ramble

The WICT New York Chapter’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk takes Cedar Hill, 8 AM–12 PM. Four hours, and the permit covers the hill rather than the drives — so expect crowds on the east side paths but no road closure.

Central Park Woodland Walk: The Ramble meets at Belvedere Castle at 10 AM — the Ramble in late October, on a sunny 54° morning, is the single best walk the park offers all year.

Also: International Folkdancers at King Jagiello Plaza 11 AM–6 PM, and the Iconic Views tour at 2 PM.

Steady all week

  NYC Parks’ 44th Annual Wreath Interpretations Open Call runs at the Arsenal all seven days — the submission window for the winter wreath show.
  Bethesda Terrace and Fountain — closed all day, every day. The permits now run to November 11.
  New Dendrology at the Arsenal Gallery, weekdays 9–5, free.
  Bird Watching with Birding Bob — five mornings from Strawberry Fields. Migration is nearly done.
  East Meadow closed both weekend days; East 106th Street lawn out Monday–Thursday.
  114 field permits — 83 at North Meadow, 18 on the tennis courts, 8 at Heckscher. Still none on the Great Lawn.

Quick recap

  Wednesday is 76° — the last warm day of the year. Saturday night is 40°.
  East Drive held midnight–8 PM Wednesday AND Thursday under a permit titled only “Party.”
  Thursday also has the Pink Pony Walk on the Lower Loop, 8:30–11 AM. Two loop events, one morning.
  Tuesday has nothing booked at 71° — the pick of the week.
  Open House New York, Friday and Saturday at Grand Army Plaza.
  Sunday: the Ramble woodland walk at 10 AM — the best walk of the year, and a Making Strides walk at Cedar Hill.

Have a good week in the park,
Central Park Guide