An Afternoon Of Cultural Events And Neighborly Fun Announced at Snug Harbor, 6/16

An afternoon of art, live music, and cultural exploration is in store for all at the first ever Big Picnic on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm on the Gazebo Lawn on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden at 1000 Richmond Terrace. Activities include a scavenger hunt exploring the different indoor and outdoor features of the site, face painting, hula hooping, building structures in the Imagination Playground, and a book swap. Entertainment includes Music with Patrick, Wonderspark Puppets, Jambalaya Brass Band, and Bolly Dhamaal Dance.

The Big Picnic is hosted by the Snug Harbor campus partners: Art Lab, the Noble Maritime Collection, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Staten Island Children's Museum, and Staten Island Museum. The afternoon will be a celebration of the rich offerings of each of the organizations as well as an opportunity to play both outdoors and indoors with neighbors and make new friends.

This is a day for guests to pull out their favorite summer salads and sandwiches along with picnic baskets and blankets, lawn chairs, umbrellas, coolers, and games. Guests may purchase food from Snug Harbor's on-site café Harbor Eats and sample a tasting of international foods from select local vendors. The free parking lots are first come first served and street parking is available just outside the park gates. The site is easily accessible by both the S40 and S44 buses. Arriving by bike is welcome and bike racks are provided.

Tickets are $5 for all 1 year of age and up and can be purchased at http://bit.ly/bigpicnic2018. Tickets include access to all cultural sites and points of interest within the Snug Harbor campus. Members will be allowed free access to the institutions of which they are a member, but will need to purchase tickets to participate in Big Picnic activities.

"The Big Picnic showcases a sample of the adventures to be found at Snug Harbor while socializing with friends and neighbors," said the executive directors of the partner organizations at Snug Harbor in a joint statement. "The campus offers a wide range of attractions including art, architecture, gardens, museums, and programs for all ages within a lush and beautiful historical site. We hope that the Big Picnic will encourage visitors to make new discoveries on our campus will keep them comping back again and again."

The Big Picnic is possible through a grant facilitated by NYS Assemblymember Matthew Titone. Additional support is provided by NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, City of New York Parks and Recreation, and the NYS Office of Parks and Recreation. "The cultural institutions based at Snug Harbor are great gems of Staten Island," said Assemblymember Titone. "My purpose in supporting their collaborative efforts is to capitalize on their strengths to increase awareness of the site across the region and to bring their educational and enriching programming to as many New Yorkers as possible. I look forward to joining families, friends, and neighbors there for an amazing afternoon."

In honor of the Big Picnic, Snug Harbor's Heritage Farm Stand, offering seasonal produce grown onsite, will officially open for the 2018 season on Saturday, June 16 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The Farm Stand will be open every Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm through the end of November.

Chapel Road traversing the site will be closed to traffic between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm.