Tree steward and Chelsea Garden Club member Paul Bodden (in white shorts, arm extended) discusses the health of a pin oak, on Ninth Ave. & W. 17th St. This year’s Tree Pit Tour starts at 9 a.m. on Aug. 16, at the very place Bodden stands.
THE CHELSEA GARDEN CLUB TREE PIT TOUR
Some time ago, members of the Chelsea Garden Club stepped up to beautify and tend those bicycle lane tree pits on Eighth and Ninth Aves, between 17th and 30th Sts. With a few pits still in need of volunteer TLC, the Garden Club would love you to join their ranks — or at least take a walk with them. So put on some comfortable shoes and hoof it over to Ninth Ave. and W. 17th St. at 9 a.m. on Sat., Aug. 16. From there, the group will proceed (slowly) up Ninth. Along the way, you’ll meet the club’s newest gardeners, celebrate the flowers and curse the weeds, theft and vandalism. By the time 30th St. is in sight, a no-pressure poll will determine if a trip down Eighth Ave. is in the cards. If not, the tree pits on Eighth will get some love this fall, when Chelsea Garden Club rolls out another perennial: Blub Planting Day.
For more info, read their blog (chelseagardenclub.blogspot.com), email them at cgc.nyc@gmail.com or look them up on Facebook, at Chelsea Garden Club (don’t confuse them with the Michigan one).
Aug. 25 in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen: a staged reading of “Sanctuary Park,” the new work from Brooklyn-based playwright Ben Holbrook (seen her, left, at the Aug. 11 installment of “Plays in the Park”).
PLAYS IN THE PARK: NEW THEATER WITH THE IRISH ARTS CENTER
The West 45/46 Block Association goes from toning the body to nurturing the soul for its latest outdoor community center happening. In July, their “Healthy Hell’s Kitchenights” series offered fitness and wellness programs in Mathews-Palmer Park. This Aug. 25 event — presented in partnership with the Irish Arts Center and the Fundamental Theater Project — beckons you back to Mathews-Palmer, for a staged reading of Brooklyn-based filmmaker and playwright Ben Holbrook’s “Sanctuary Park.” The new dramatic comedy finds good friends Stoney and Greg in their late teens, dealing with city life as they try to define themselves. Hiding out in an urban oasis of green might help. The sudden appearance of a depressed priest might not. Coming soon: the Block Association’s annual Outdoor Fall Film Screening. Voting is already underway, so contact them with your suggestion (the Hell’s Kitchen setting of previous winner “West Side Story” gives it an early edge).
Free and wheelchair accessible (bring your own blankets, chairs and snacks). Mon., Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. At Mathews-Palmer Park (enter on 45th or 46th St., btw. Ninth & Tenth Aves.). Email west45thstreet@gmail.com and visit facebook.com/westfortyfifthstreet.blockassociation. Also visit fundamentaltheaterproject.com, irishartscenter.org and benholbrook.com.
In 2013, fans of good food and good music enjoy generous servings of both. This year’s Blues BBQ Festival happens at Pier 84, 2-9 p.m. on Aug. 23.
THE 15th ANNUAL BLUES BBQ FESTIVAL AT HUDSON RIVER PARK
Something magic happens when a blues riff, pork and wood chips share the same cool summer breeze. The Yankee version of that combo doesn’t get much better than what’s on the plate at Hudson River Park’s annual Blues BBQ Festival. This year, edition #15 pairs the outdoor grill talents of Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, Delaney Barbecue and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que with artists including Big Sam’s Funk Nation, John Németh, Samantha Fish, Shemekia Copeland and Slide Brothers. The event also serves as the launch pad for Hudson River Park 550 — a weeklong fundraising initiative to support Friends of Hudson River Park, who maintain and beautify all 550 acres without a dime of government funding.
Free music (BBQ at good prices, with cash from your own wallet). From 2–9 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 23. At Pier 84 in Hudson River Park (W. 44 St. & Hudson River — located between Circle Line Cruises 42nd St. and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum). Visit hudsonriverpark.org. Twitter & Instagram: @HudsonRiverPark. Like Friends of Hudson River Park on Facebook, at facebook.com/HudsonRiverPark.
The SAGEWorks Boot Camp is available to those over 40, looking to sharpen their job search skills.
SAGEWorks BOOT CAMP: A JOB TRAINING COURSE
Are you age 40 or older, highly motivated, and seeking employment? If so, SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) wants you as a new recruit in its SAGEWorks Boot Camp. This two-week-long intensive training course will provide essential skills necessary to pursue and secure a job. Filling out a simple online application is the first step. If chosen for this free program, you will be contacted by email. Applicants who are not selected for the Boot Camp can still access the other SAGEWorks services, such a one-to-one job coaching and workshops. Potential candidates must complete the registration form, at https://bit.ly/SWBootCamp.
SAGEWorks Boot Camp is based at The SAGE Center (305 Seventh Ave., btw. 28th & 29th Sts.). The two-week program happens from Mon.–Fri., 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. The first Boot Camp begins on Sept. 8. Future two-week sessions are currently scheduled for Oct. 27, Jan. 12, March 2, April 27 and June 8. For more info, call 212-741-2247 or visit sageusa.org. Social media: facebook.com/sageusa, twitter.com/sageusa and youtube.com/sageusa.
