Led by Ringmaster Memo Vazquez, Circus Vazquez presents an awe-inspiring, death-defying, hilarious and affordable circus experience for New Jersey and New York area audiences. See the bravado and daring speed of Columbia’s X-Metal Riders inside the Globe of Death while Duo Vanegas defy gravity on the Wheel of Wonder. Be amazed by the acrobatic display of America’s own Super Tumblers and the mastery of Mexico’s Jan & Carolina on the Rolla Bolla balance board. The Medini Xtreme Skaters, a brother & sister act from Italy, will mesmerize with their incredible roller skating maneuvers as Ukraine’s Bingo Group, whose members escaped the war in their home country to join the show, will make you want to move with their energetic and inspired aerial, hand balancing and dance performances. Italy’s famed clown, Fumagalli,weaves his unique side-splitting comedy throughout the show. Laying down the beat behind each act are the talented musicians of the live Circus Vazquez Band.

Dates & Locations:

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. on Saturdays; 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. on Sundays.

GARDEN STATE PLAZA MALL : September 9 – 26
One Garden State Plaza, Paramus NJ 07652

WOODBRIDGE MALL : September 30 – October 10
250 Woodbridge Center Drive, Woodbridge Township NJ 07095

WALT WHITMAN MALL : October 14 – 24
160 Walt Whitman Rd., Huntington Station, NY 11746

BRONX TERMINAL MARKET : October 28 – November 14
610 Exterior Street, Bronx NY 10451

CITI FIELD : November 18 – December 12
41 Seaver Way, Queens NY 11368

Price: Tickets start at $25 per person

To purchase tickets please visit https://www.circusvazquez.com/

Photos courtesy of Circus Vazquez

I was not compensated for this post. I received complimentary tickets. All opinion is my own.

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 15, 13 and 9.

The post Don’t Miss: Circus Vazquez is Coming to the Tri-State Area appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

I’m happy that our infection rate in NYC is down and things are slowly starting to open up. I’m going to post all the information as I see it.

Zoo and Gardens

The Queens Zoo is open and we were there last weekend. Things are very different now – facecoverings and timed tickets are the way to go. Check out my post and video to see what the changes are.

https://www.themamamaven.com/visiting-the-queens-zoo-in-nyc-during-the-pandemic/

Queens Botanical Gardens

Masks will be available for purchase at Garden entrances.

Hand sanitizer dispensers are available at multiple stations throughout the Garden. Feel free to inquire with Staff to help locate the nearest dispenser.

Restrooms are accessible by the ramp next to the Visitor & Administration Building. Please follow on-site instructions on how to enter restrooms.
They are limiting the use of paper materials.

entrances may be temporarily closed when and if the Garden is at capacity. Should you arrive at such a time, you must wait on the socially distanced line or return at a later time. The Visitor & Administration Building (Gift Shop and Gallery) will be temporarily closed until further notice. Indoor facilities are closed to the public.
For a Visitor Map, click here.
They are closed on Mondays.

https://queensbotanical.org/

Museums:

American Museum of Natural History – is open to members right now and as of 9/9

Open to Members! Reopening 9/9 to the public.

• All tickets—including Member tickets and complimentary and pre-paid passes—must be reserved online.
• All tickets are for timed entry, from 10 am to 4 pm, to limit attendance.
• All visitors aged 2 and up must wear a facial covering throughout the visit.
• See Plan Your Visit to find out what’s on view.

The Met open as of August 29!

Timed entrance tickets now available. Complimentary bicycle valet service will launch on opening day. Facecoverings will be required. More info:

https://www.metmuseum.org/

Gyms

24 Hour Fitness opens on September 2

Masks

We made sure we have plenty of masks at home. If you need more masks, here are some we like.

Buy here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QmLZwP

I also like these masks for kids from Target –

Get here: https://rstyle.me/+1tLi4pRpTKSPKkP0iPL0FQ

Or a collapsible hat with a face shield. Buy on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3gApPCg

The post Family Guide to NYC Reopenings appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Hess Toy Trucks was a major sponsor and there were several blow up trucks around the grounds. There were also many sponsor booths, such as Lavazza Coffee, Visit Orlando, and Oreo Thins (yum — we tried them). Celebrity Shaun T (of Insanity and Cize) hosted and got the crowd very exited.

The American Authors, Natalie La Rosa, Jacob Whitesides, Bea Miller and more performed. We had a great time.

Tips for Enjoying Arthur Ashe Kids Day

1. Arrive early! The gates opened around 10 AM. The Stadium Show starts at 1PM, so you want to go early to take advantage of all the fun activities before the lines get too long.
2. Parking is a nightmare and you will have to park far away and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and then take a bus over. Try to take public transportation if possible (The Hall of Science is closer than any of the parking lots at the park, so try to park near there and make your way BEHIND the Hall of Science/Terrace on the Park Area) to the US. Open.
3. There are a lot of great, free experiences, but you might have to wait your turn.
4. Bring hats and umbrella to shade from the sun for the stadium show. It’s really hot and sunny out so have some way to give kids relief.
5. You may want to bring one of the water bottles or small mister fans – it’s really hot. There are some big fans that mist water.

Thank you to the US Open for supplying review tickets to the Stadium show.

The post Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the US Open appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

A woman walks onto a stage; she sits on a couch in a ridiculous pose that’s supposed to be seductive, readjusts herself into an even more ridiculous pose and waits, garnering uproarious laughter from the audience. This is how The Cottage begins and thus the tone is set for the rest of the play. This past weekend I saw it at Queens Theater and for about two hours I sat entranced and amused by the hysterical play.

I can’t decide if The Cottage is supposed to be a farce or a parody. The setting is in the 1920’s in the English countryside and so the characters all speak with British accents that are most likely intentionally horrible. The group of six is led by Michelle Federer, the star of the show, who is also the most talented one, with impeccable comic delivery and hysterical facial expressions. She plays a woman who is having an affair with her husband’s brother and decides one morning to send a telegram to her husband and sister-in-law to tell them about it. What happens afterwards is very surprising for both her and the audience and there are more surprises in store, which I won’t give away. What I will say is that all six actors are perfect for their roles and use body language and facial expressions in a manner that will get you to at least smile, if not laugh out loud.

The well-written play by playwright/actor/comedienne Sandy Rustin is peppered with jokes throughout. While it’s not supposed to be a realistic play and the characters are more like caricatures than real people, the issues they are dealing with – true love, faithfulness and destiny – are very real and easy to identify with. At times the play seems like a long and funny Saturday Night Live sketch, at others, more like a Broadway play (the scenic design and costumes are very impressive). Regardless of what it is, it’s good entertainment and pure pleasure to watch. It’s playing this weekend only so be sure to go see it!

When: 11/14/14 – 2pm & 8pm
11/15/14 – 2pm & 8pm
11/16/14 – 3pm

Where: 14 United Nations Avenue South
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens

Price: $25-$42

To purchase tickets click here or call at box office (718) 760-0064

Photos by Mark Levine

I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets to the show.

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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for thirteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 7, 5 and 2) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.

The post Love, Lust & Laughter: Don’t Miss ‘The Cottage” at Queens Theatre appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Activities range from a magical illuminated pumpkin walk to costume parades with stilt walkers and giant puppets to musical theater, Broadway show performances, magic, crafts, treat stations and more! Families can also check out our animal exhibits of bats, owls and other winged icons of Halloween. Guests can also embark on a trip back in time with a ride through the Dinosaur Safari before it goes extinct!

This year don’t miss the premiere of the mesmerizing Jack O ‘Lantern Illumination – Creatures of the Night. Be amazed by more than 1,000 hand-carved and beautifully lit Jack ‘O Lanterns, meticulously sculpted into various animal shapes, ranging from bats, to reptiles, marine creatures, mammals, nocturnal birds, and bugs.

Sand Sculpt USA is back for in-person carving of fabulous 3-D pumpkins. View their artistry as they sculpt animal mothers and babies, a fantastic Komodo Dragon and other lizard species and a Dracula lion.

There will be a spectacular grand finale during Halloween weekend consisting of a 3 day carve with 3 sculptors utilizing a 600 lb. pumpkin!

Boo at the Zoo offers families a safe, fun-filled way to celebrate the beloved Halloween holiday. It is THE go-to event for everything spectacularly spooky and family-friendly. It will bring a guaranteed day of fun for the whole family so be sure to make a trip to the Bronx Zoo and embrace the Halloween season!

Visit www.bronxzoo.com/boo for specific details and times for all of the wonderful Boo at the Zoo activities.

What: Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo

When: Weekends starting Saturday, October 4-Sunday, November 2; includes Columbus Day and Halloween

Where: Bronx Zoo

2300 Southern Boulevard

Bronx, NY 10460

718.741.8294

Don’t miss Boo at the Zoo celebrations at Prospect Park Zoo (October 25-26) and Queens Zoo (October 31-November 2) as well. Check out ProspectParkZoo.com and QueensZoo.com for more details.

So, what are your kids going to be for Halloween? Last year we rocked the superhero genre.

The post Don’t Miss: Boo at the Zoo! At the Bronx Zoo, Prospect Park, and Queens Zoos appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

Recently my husband and son had an unforgettable night at Citi Field – they got to watch the Padres vs. Mets game, sleep in sleeping bags on the soft grass in the outfield, eat great ballpark food and enjoy some father-son bonding time.

They arrived at Citi Field in the afternoon and set up their sleeping bags. They picked up a free Mets-inspired pillow from Bedgear. My husband loved using it and thought it was really comfortable.

Some fans were setting up their tents:

There was some downtime until dinner. It was fun to play ball on the beautifully manicured grass.

Dinner was awesome! It was hosted by Metropolitan Hospitality and you could get all the pizza, hot dogs, salad, ice cream, soft drinks and juice you wanted!

After dinner there was some time to play.

The absolute highlights of the event were sitting in the dugout, making a call to the bullpen and, of course, meeting Mr. & Mrs. Mets.

When the game started everyone got settled into their sleeping bags and tents to watch the game on the Citi Vision board.

Although the Mets lost to the Padres 6-0 my son still had fun and was able to stay up until 10pm, about halfway through the game.

After the game ended there was a screening of Angels in the Outfield. Later in the night, after everyone was asleep it started to drizzle so my husband scooped up our son and took him indoors to wait until it clears. What to do in the meantime? How about some delicious snacks sponsored by Dunkin Donuts? I typically don’t let me son eat in the middle of the night, especially dessert, but it was a special occasion.

Very early in the morning everyone woke up and since my husband was exhausted and ready to sleep in his own bed he quickly grabbed some bagels from the buffet (also sponsored by Dunkin Donuts) and headed home, where he and my son got to snooze in the comfort of their beds for a couple more hours. It was an unforgettable night and a really unique experience for both father and son. My son said it was the best night in his life and the first time he’s had a best night in his life!

Nancy Horn, our editor, is a Mets Mom and we often post news and info about the Mets.

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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for thirteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 7, 5 and 1) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.

The post Cool NYC Kids Activity: Citi Field’s 2nd Annual Sleepover appeared first on The Mama Maven Blog.

We attended a recent performance of the Big Apple Circus and was blown away. The show, which seems smaller and a little more scaled down than the performances we’ve seen in the past, absolutely entertained my whole family. The two hour show offered fun family acts that my family really enjoyed. The Big Apple Circus advertises that you’re never 50 feet from the center ring, and they definitely delivered that.

Here are some of our favorite parts:

The Ringmaster: The Ringmaster is John Kennedy Kane and he’s a big personality.

2. Clowning around: Rob Torres is the clown and he appeared several times between acts. While we did miss Grandma the clown, Mr. Torres was pretty funny.

3. Ladder:  Canadian Daniel Cyr does a ladder routine – which was so cool. This was one of my favorite acts. It looks like it would be simple, but he does such amazing things with it. I’ll honestly never look at a ladder the same way.

4. The Animals! Jenny Vidbel is the equestrian trainer — she showed Arabian horses, ponies, and a mixed group of dogs (which were all rescue dogs). My husband liked her because she smiled (and obviously treated her animals well). My kids loved that two of the dogs were riding on a pony’s back. She smiled and the animals seemed very happy. We are very picky with what circuses and animal parks and zoos that we patronize, because we don’t want to see any animal harmed. The Big Apple Circus has always treated their animals with respect and use rescue dogs in their acts. A win/win for us (and animal rights). 

5. Trapeze with the Mongolian Angels. You will hold your breath during this, but these ladies are amazing.

6. The High Wire: We also liked the Duo Guerrero (which is Werner Guerrero and Aura Cardinali), a married couple who are both descendants of internationally renowned circus families. We loved their high wire act, which had another element – Aura sings while doing the act. Look for the part with the chair on the high wire. We did hold our breath through most of their act and they definitely delivered.

7. Dosov Troupe. We loved their acrobatics and their energy. 

There are snacks available for purchase — we were allowed to take some snacks in, but did end up purchasing some. The prices were around $4 for a hot dog, $4 for a big pretzel, $4 for a drink. There was also popcorn, candy, and juice boxes for purchase. The staff was friendly and happy to be working there. The tent was comfortable (there must have been air conditioning). We didn’t use the bathrooms when we were there, there were porta potties. You could park your stroller right inside the entrance and then it was a very quick walk to to the big top.

Parking:
I suggest parking on the street at Union Turnpike and 194th street, otherwise you’ll have to try to park inside of Cunningham Park and walk through the park to get to the circus. As a warning, I got hit with a severe seasonal allergy reaction inside of Cunningham Park (pollen alert).

Thank you to the Non-Profit Big Apple Circus for providing press tickets. As always, all opinions are my own. Pictures courtesy of Big Apple Circus. 

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