Mother's Day events in New York City

Throughout May

Giraffes at the Bronx Zoo

Baby Time at the Bronx Zoo
Mon–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat, Sun 10am–5:30pm. Bronx Zoo, Bronx River Pkwy at Fordham, Bronx (718-367-1010, bronxzoo.org). Travel: Metro-North Harlem Line local to Fordham Rd, then take the Bx9 bus to the zoo. $15, seniors $12, children ages 3–12 $11, children under 3 free.
The zoo celebrates motherhood in its own way by presenting two new animal offspring. At the Lion Island habitat, the first lion cub born at the zoo in more than 30 years is the pride and joy of mom Sukari and dad M’wasi. Over in the Carter Giraffe House is Margaret Abigail, a lively and playful baby giraffe who clocked in at six feet and 125lbs when she was born in February. All ages.

The Dinner Party
Wed–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat, Sun 11am–6pm. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy at Washington Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org). Subway: 2, 3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum. Suggested donation $10, seniors and students $6, children under 12 free.
Feminist artist Judy Chicago’s famous installation—featuring place settings for Kali, Sacajawea, Georgia O’Keeffe and other women from history and legend—is on permanent view in the Brooklyn Museum’s Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. Ages 6 and up.

Hanami: Celebrating the Cherry Blossom
Tue–Fri 8am–6pm; Sat, Sun 10am–6pm. Through May 10. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Ave at Eastern Pkwy, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-623-7200, bbg.org). Subway: B, Q, Franklin Ave S to Prospect Park; 2, 3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum. $8, seniors and students $4.
What mom doesn’t appreciate flowers on Mother’s Day? Japanese cherry blossoms are in full bloom at BBG this month, where hanami the Japanese tradition of enjoying the bloom's flowering season, is celebrated each spring. All ages.

Kooza
Tue–Thu at 8pm; Fri, Sat at 4, 8pm; Sun at 1, 5pm. Through May 24. Randall’s Island Park, East River (cirquedusoleil.com). Travel: 4, 5, 6 to 125th St, then take the M35 bus to Randall’s Island. $60–$135.
Telling the story of the Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world, Cirque du Soleil’s newest spectacle sees the company returning to its clown roots with a show full of daring acrobatics and hilarious slapstick. And you thought mothers had to perform a juggling act! Ages 2 and up.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
Wed, Sat at 2, 8pm; Thu, Fri at 8pm; Sun at 1, 6:30pm. New Amsterdam Theatre, 214 W 42nd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (212-307-4747, disney.go.com/theatre). Subway: A, C, E to 42nd St–Port Authority. $30–$120.
Yes, this long-running Broadway musical actually honors a nanny, but anything that gets the whole family clapping and singing is a definite must on Mother’s Day. Disney’s stage production hews closer to P.L. Travers’s original, darker novel than the studio's own 1964 screen version did, but lively stage effects, rousing songs and Matthew Bourne’s upbeat choreography keep things supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Ages 3 and up.

Wild Thing
Fri at 7pm; Sat at 3, 7pm; Sun at 1, 5pm. Through May 17. Children's Aid Society‘s Philip Coltoff Center, 219 Sullivan St between Bleecker and W 4th Sts (212-868-4444, childrensaidsociety.orgs). Subway: A, C, E, B, D, F, V to W 4th St. Advance tickets $18; at the door $20.
In honor of mothers everywhere, let father take the fall for once. In this play inspired by Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, stay-at-home dad Max refuses to grow up until a group of monsters, mistaking him for an unruly child, take him away to the land of the Wild Things. Ages 4 and up.

Find Mother’s Day events on…

Saturday May 2 | Sunday May 3 | Saturday May 9 | Sunday May 10 | Throughout May

Related articles:

• Mother's Day meal deals
• Easy-to-make Mother’s Day presents
• New York City Moms slide show