Events
The following events are hosted by St. Vartan Park Conservancy and/or other parties in the St. Vartan Park community.
A group cleans up East 36th Street near St. Vartan Park on April 13, 2024, as part of the fourth annual St. Vartan Park Earth Celebration
NEIGHBORHOOD GREENING AND CLEANING
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Starts 8:30 a.m.
Meet at St. Vartan Park Garden:
First Avenue between 35th and 36th Streets
Did you miss the April 13 St. Vartan Park Earth Celebration neighborhood cleanup or want to return for more?
You can participate in an It's My Park Day! at the park on Saturday, May 18.
Sign up here.
MOVIES UNDER THE STARS
Friday, May 24, 2024
St. Vartan Park Playground
Starts 7 p.m.
The Little Mermaid
Saturday, June 1, 2024
St. Vartan Park Athletic Field
Starts 8:30 p.m.
Prejudice and Pride: Swedish Film Queer
Retrospection
At the St. Vartan Park Earth Celebration on April 13, 2024, several special guests stopped by the park garden stewarded by St. Vartan Park Conservancy.
United States Congressman Jerry Nadler bestowed St. Vartan Park Conservancy and Manhattan East Community Asssociatio president Kevin O’Keefe with a U.S. Congressional proclamation after Congressman Nadler (middle top with O'Keefe and Conservancy and MECA officer Michael-Ann Rowe) read O'Keefe into the Congressional Record earlier in the week for O'Keefe's "tremendous accomplishments" and for leading "a major advocacy campaign to reopen an East Midtown garden and lawn after decades of closure."
Representative Nadler, event co-host New York City Council Member Keith Powers and fellow elected officials Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, New York Assembly Member Harvey Epstein an New York Assembly Member Alex Bores met with children who wrote letters at the event for Climate Families NYC that Powers delivered to New York City Mayor Eric Adams in support of greener and healthier schools.
Celebrated illustrator Brendan Wenzel (lower left and lower right) signed copies and read his new book Solar Bear.
New NYC Parks Manhattan Borough Commissioner Tricia Shimamura (upper right) and other officials delivered remarks to celebrate the environment, parks and community.
On December 21, 2023, in the St. Vartan Park garden, St. Vartan Park Conservancy hosted a free community holiday celebration with carolers, sing-alongs, hot chocolate and cookies. Pop artist Bernie Weil, a Murray Hill resident — pictured (second from left) with the Conservancy’s Kevin O’Keefe (left) and Michael-Ann Rowe (right) with State Assembly Member Alex. Bores — handmade a bird house for the Conservancy to put in the garden.
A ‘Movies Under the Stars’ free screening of the 2022 Marvel Comics film ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’ presented on the St. Vartan Park athletic field on September 30, 2023 (seen here from East 35th Street outside the field), included a popcorn machine (red top) with attendant for free popcorn for all
On August 30, 2023, Police Commissioner's Day of Play hosted by NYPD’s 17th Precinct wrapped the summer's tenth and last St. Vartan Park day of sports, games and other fun offerings. 17th Precinct Officer Sefer Tafaruci and St. Vartan Park Conservancy’s Kevin O’Keefe (with football) take a final summer time out with some of the participants.
Police Commissioner’s Day of Play participants play at St. Vartan Park on June 28, 2023
A free screening of ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ was presented by NYC Parks and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and sponsored by New York City Council Member Keith Powers on July 20, 2023
The free third annual St. Vartan Park Earth Day Celebration on April 22, 2023, featured activities hosted by St. Vartan Park Conservancy in the St. Vartan Park garden. Participants enjoyed a read-along, discussion and question-and-answer session with the author of the hot new Simon & Schuster children's picture book The Day The River Caught Fire, about how Earth Day came to be. In partnership with Books of Wonder, the Conservancy provided free copies of The Day the River Caught Fire for attendees. Author Barry Wittenstein personalized the books for the recipients. Among the special guests in the garden during the celebration were Manhattan Borough President Mark D. Levine, New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and New York State Assembly Member Alex Bores (above with Rowe and St. Vartan Park Conservancy founder Kevin O'Keefe), New York State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein (speaking), New York City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers (with Alliance for Kips Bay’s andra McKee) and NYC Parks’ Manhattan Borough Commissioner Anthony Perez (with the author).
On September 9, 2022, the day after the school year started for New York City public schools, children in St. Vartan Park benefit from a visit form the NYC Parks Play Mobile vehicle, which shows up with games and sports activities and instructors
On August 4, 2022, on the St. Vartan Park athletic field, NYC Parks offered a water-themed event that included the department’s first "water run race,” an assortment of other water games and free activities including jumbo chess
On June 25, 2022 on the St. Vartan Park field, NYC Parks and the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media unit hosted the second of two 2022 ‘Movies Under the Stars’ free movie nights
On April 30, 2022, on the week following Earth Day, many local community organizations came together to host an event focused on improving the environment
On May 11, 1999, New York City Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew meets with children from nearby P.S. 116 as part of a reading event
“[New York City] Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew was in action at St. Vartan Park on First Ave. yesterday. It was a celebration of his literacy campaign, Love to Read, which was launched in 1997 . . .The youngsters looked as though they could have have come from the United Nations, straight up the avenue. White, black, Latin, Asian and whatever other categories might apply, the kids were thrilled when the chancellor arrived.”
Guests including New York City Mayor Ed Koch (right) attend ‘A Romantic Evening at Tivoli Gardens’ at St. Vartan Park on May 20, 1987 | New York Times
“There were about 1,300 guests . . . The scene of the event — a black-tie party entitled ‘A Romantic Evening at Tivoli Gardens’ — was St. Vartan Park [for] the Horizon, a 44-story condominium under construction a pebble’s toss from St. Vartan Park . . . There was a merry-go-round. There were also three huge tents. The circus tent featured a dozen acts, including jugglers, clowns, unicylists, fire-eaters, magicians, tightrope walkers, dogs and a pony. The 50’s tent spotlighted doo-wop groups; String Fever, a swingy 11-woman, 1-man orchestra; giant puppets, and ‘living’ statues. In the main tent the Steven Scott Production Orchestra went through five different styles of music — costumes, sets and lighting included. And in that tent, the food — lots and lots of it — was served buffet style. If it was edible, it was there.”
Part of an annual ‘One World Festival,’ dance numbers are reformed on a stage in the park on September 16, 1974 (left,) and September 12, 1976 (right) | (New York) Daily News (left) and The New York Times (right)
“The place to be this weekend is the park and streets adjacent to St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral . . . site of the second annual One World Festival . . . the festival celebrates the multinational character of New York.”
A community engagement event with 17th Precinct officers including community relations officer Ted Christensen (left) unfolds at St. Vartan Park on May 9, 1974 | (New York) Daily News
“Neighborhood mothers thought it was a good idea, and so did cops at the 17th Precinct. So, at [the park], an outdoor luncheon was held to begin a ‘know your sector cop’ program. ”
“. . . in keeping with Parks Week, there will be a program of balloons, music and whatever, called ‘Faces of the World’s Children’ in [the park], 35th Street and First Avenue, starting at 2 P.M. today. It’s a preview of a number of UNICEF park programs coming this summer.”
In September1954 in the park, James Hearn (left) and Vera Normoyla dance together at an event sponsored by the 15th Precinct Coordinating Council
“Vacation days ended for the kids on the Middle East Side with the last of the twice-weekly Summer Dances sponsored by the Coordinating Council of the 15th Precinct.”
