March 11-27th

The year is 1944:  Allied forces liberate Rome; British and U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy; and on an airfield in Alabama, four brave young men join the first black military aviators in United States history.   From training to combat, experience the anguish, fears and triumphs of a brotherhood who fought for freedom abroad-and at home.  FLY is a theatrical action- adventure which beautifully employs dance and video projection to illuminate the tremendous courage and resilience of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The New Victory Theater  209 West 42nd Street    http://NewVictory.org

March 17-20th

4 days, 400 brands and countless ways to celebrate design.  The Architectural Digest Design Show is the essential showcase for luxury design, all in one place.  The world’s leading brands along with today’s top talent come together in a carefully curated presentation of design, offering inspired vignettes, design seminars, culinary demos and special appearances.

Pier 94  55th Street and the Westside Highway    http://addesignshow.com

Tips for hearing authentic Irish music in New York from Steve Holloway, a New York musician who has traveled the world playing for Riverdance.

On St. Patrick’s Day (and often weeks before and after) New York City’s Irish pubs are filled with music and Guinness loving revelers.  Some are upscale, some are dives, but all have a uniquely Irish flavor.  Music schedules are often subject to change, so be sure to call first for the latest line-up.

THE DEAD RABBIT

The winner of several prestigious awards including “World’s Best Bar”  (Tales of the cocktail “Spirited Awards”) The Dead Rabbit is home of the best ongoing Irish music sessions in New York, each Sunday evening from 6pm-10pm.

The Dead Rabbit   30 Water Street    (646) 422-7906

PADDY REILLY’S MUSIC BAR

Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar (named after the famous Irish crooner who was once part- owner) has been a NYC mainstay for music and Guinness since 1986.  Live music is offered 6 nights a week.

Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar   519 2nd Ave.   (212) 686-1210

THE PIG ‘N WHISTLE

The Pig ‘n Whistle on 46th (near Times Square) as well as it’s sister pubs are known for good traditional Irish food and regular Irish music sessions.

Pig ‘n Whistle  144 West 46th Street  (917) 639-3864

922 Third Ave. (212) 688-4646

951 2nd Ave. (212) 832-2021

WOODSIDE, QUEENS

Woodside Queens, once one of the largest Irish settlements in New York, has several Irish pubs along Roosevelt Avenue, many featuring live music.  A few notable ones are:

Saints and Sinners

59-21 Roosevelt Avenue,   Woodside, NY    (718) 396-3268

Maguire’s Public House

54-20 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, NY  (718) 429-9426

Donovan’s Pub

57-24 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside, NY  (718) 429-9339

March 6, 13, 19 and 20th

Adults and children will have the opportunity to learn the art of making pysanky – Ukrainian Easter eggs.  Dyes, beeswax and a stylus are used to decorate the eggs with traditional Ukrainian designs.  Fill your Easter basket with beautiful pysanky, rather than just plain colored eggs!  Fee $15 per session.

The Ukrainian Museum   222 East 6th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Aves.)      http://ukrainianmuseum.org

March 4 – 5th

Wine Riot is your all access pass to hundreds of new wines.  With two parts education and one part revolution, Wine Riot has reinvented “wine tasting” for the thirsty and curious. Grab a glass and hit the floor, with over 250 wines from across the globe. Travel the world of wine all under one roof and tackle things you’ve never tried before.

69th Street Armory, 68 Lexington Ave.    Tickets and more info@ http://secondglass.com

March 8th  6 – 8 pm

Fifth Annual NY Drinks NY Grand Tasting.  Taste more than 150 wines from the Finger Lakes, Long Island and beyond, plus sample cheeses, charcuterie and other hors d’oeuvres from across the state.  New York ranks third in wine production nationwide and the wine industry contributes $4.8 billion annually to the states economy.

The Altman Building   135 West 18th Street   Tickets  and more info go to http://www.nydrinksny.com

Not far from the Freedom Tower and  the financial district’s skyscrapers is a compelling monument to a million Irish men, women and children who died of hunger during the Great Potato Famine of 1845-52, and another million forced by starvation to emigrate to the US.  The Irish Hunger Memorial addresses the enormity of hunger and displacement in today’s world.

Created by Brian Tolle for Battery Park City Conservancy in 2002, this multi-layered design is an early 19th century stone cottage from County Mayo, Ireland.  The home sits on a raised field at the end of a pathway of thirty-two stones, each marked with the name of the Irish county that donated it.  Visitors enter through a dark corridor while voiceovers recount the horrors of Irish Hunger.  Wall engravings address the destitution of famine victims through excerpts from poems, letters and, ironically enough, recipes.  From the interior a path winds up and out to a quarter-acre plot of barren land planted with grasses, shrubs and flowers native to the Emerald Isle.  At the top of the hilly path the grassy overlook faces the Statue of Liberty.

Irish Hunger Memorial  290 Vesey Street

Opens March 7th

“One of the most fascinating shows right now” – The Washington Post

“Sharp and ab-crunchingly funny!” – British Vogue

This new play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit  is part theater entertainment, part social experiment.  It has never been rehearsed.  It’s performed by different actors every night who have never seen the script. They are handed a sealed bundle of pages and have only been told what is absolutely necessary.  Some of the actors scheduled to perform are Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Short and Cynthia Nixon.

Westside Theater   407 West 43rd Street    http://whiterabbitredrabbit.com

Experience the heart of the immigrant saga through the music of Irish America, then tour the restored home of the Moore family, Irish Catholic immigrants who left their home in the Five Points to start a new life in Kleindeutschland.  Explore how this family dealt with being “outsiders”.

Tenement Museum,  97 Orchard Street  ticket info @http://tenement.org

March 27th

Each year on Easter, celebrants don festive finery and show off their very best bonnets along Fifth Avenue during the Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival. Immortalized by Irving Berlin ( with some help from Judy Garland and Fred Astaire ), the pageant is a New York City tradition that stretches back to the 1870’s.  Starting at 10am and continuing until 4pm, the parade marches north on Fifth Avenue, from 49th Street to 57th Street.  The best place to watch is around St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but don’t just watch- grab a bonnet and join in!!!

March 10, 17 and 30th

An Open Rehearsal is a fascinating opportunity to watch the New York Philharmonic at work and see how a piece of music is shaped and polished by the conductor and the musicians.  Open rehearsals begin at 9:45 am in the David Geffen Hall and end at approximately 12:30 pm., tickets are $20 each.

David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center     http://nyphil.org