Hike-toberfest 2024

Support the Park! Hike-then-sip at VCPA’s Annual Hike-toberfest! Hike in the park followed by a classic Oktoberfest celebration, complete with local beer, German food, live music, lawn games, and more. Tickets on Sale! For more information, visit our Hike-toberfest page.

Event Series Monday Morning Clean Ups

Monday Morning Clean Ups

Nice weekends bring lots of visitors to the park. Lots of visitors make a mess! Volunteers are needed to help park staff tidy up. Help Van Cortlandt Park staff clean up after weekend picnicking. We provide gloves and materials to help keep this park in tip-top shape. You provide can-do spirit and sturdy shoes for...

Event Series Summer Garden Tune-Up Tuesdays

Garden Tune-Up Tuesdays

Turnip to volunteer! At the VCPA Educational Garden & Compost Site, we are open and enjoying our rebuilt space while maintaining our plants and produce. Volunteers will learn how to care for the garden, maintain compost bins, weed, water, and harvest produce. No gardening experience needed. 18 and older. Groups of 5+ must register as...

Event Series Wetland Wednesdays

Wetland Wednesdays

Each Wednesday, we’ll focus on different tasks depending on the season—such as phragmites cutting, water chestnut removal, and other vital restoration activities. Our efforts help maintain the health and biodiversity of Van Cortlandt Park's wetlands, ensuring the sustainability of this important ecosystem. For the October dates, our primary task will be cutting back invasive phragmites...

Event Series Youth Run Farm Stand

Youth Run Farm Stand

We are very excited to bring our Youth Run Farmstand featuring fresh local produce and local goodies at affordable prices back! Wednesdays 2-7pm from July 10 to October 30 Gale Place and Orloff Avenue We accept WIC, FMNP Checks, EBT, Snap, Fresh Connect Checks, Cash and Credit/Debit.

Memorial Grove Maintenance for Veterans Day

Join us in honoring our veterans by maintaining Memorial Grove in Van Cortlandt Park this October. We’re hosting two volunteer events to ensure the grove is beautifully prepared for our upcoming Veterans Day celebration. This is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community, enjoy the outdoors, and connect with fellow volunteers. Event Details:...

Event Series Forest Fridays

Forest Fridays

🌳 What: Forest Restoration in the Northwest Forest 📅 When: Fridays ⏰ Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 📍 Where: Van Cortlandt Park - Garden & Compost Site Description: We will be focusing on removing invasive species like porcelain berry, bittersweet, mile-a-minute, Norway Maple and more. These activities are crucial in preserving the health and...

Event Series Birding with NYC Audubon

Birding with NYC Bird Alliance

Explore Van Cortlandt Park's ecologically diverse grounds and celebrate a long tradition of birding in the park. We will look for various species of resident and migratory birds and discuss a wide range of avian topics. Each walk will be led by a NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) guide. Advance registration is required. You...

City of Forest Week Planting Event

Join us for an important planting event in the Northeast Forest as we work to preserve the health and biodiversity of our forest. Activities Include: Invasive Species Removal: Help us remove invasive plants threatening our native ecosystem. Native Species Planting: Get new trees and shrubs in the ground as part of City of Forest Week....

Event Series Super Seedlings

Super Seedlings

Super Seedlings is a FREE, drop-in gardening program for kids ages 2-7 and their caregivers. Each session will have a fun seasonal theme to explore, nature crafts, garden produce to harvest, soil digging, and more! Come once, twice, or every week for some playing and planting! We hope to see you there! 📅 Dates: CANCELED: Saturday, September...

Garden Cover Crop Community Workshop with NYRP

Learn how to prepare garden beds for the winter with cover crop! Join New York Restoration Project’s Urban Agriculture Team to learn all about the process and benefits of covering your garden with cover crops in preparation for Winter. What are cover crops? Cover crops are close-growing plants sown to cover bare ground in between plantings...

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