Mother’s Day Interactive Brunch
SideBAR; 5/8 at 1 p.m.; 118 E. 15th St., nr. Irving Pl., 212-677-2900
Of course Mom is already an amazing cook, but if she’d like to pick up some extra tips, SideBAR is hosting a cooking class with an instructor from Hot Pot Culinary Events. Guests will learn how to perfect brunch fare, like French toast and omelets, then, when the flames are turned off, unlimited mimosas and Bloody Marys will be served.
Harlem Gospel Choir: Mother’s Day Show
B.B. King’s Blues Club & Grill; 5/8 at 6 p.m.; 237 W. 42nd St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-997-4144
Not a singer? No worries: The world-renowned Harlem Gospel Choir will serenade your moms for you with an inspirational set fitting for a day of celebration.
World Yacht Cruise
World Yacht Marina, Pier 81; 5/8 at 11:30 a.m. (lunch), 6 p.m. (dinner); West Side Hwy. at 41st St.; 212-630-8100
Take to the high seas—okay, the high rivers—with a brunch or dinner cruise. Brunch includes a mimosa (because mom deserves it), and both meals will have live entertainment. Also, free Godiva gift boxes, perfect for the mom with the sweet tooth.
Great Women Walking Tour
Green-Wood Cemetery; 5/7 at 1 p.m.; 500 25th St., at Fifth Ave., Brooklyn; 718-768-7300
Reservations are recommended for this tour, which visits some of the most influential women buried in the cemetery. Among them are pioneering doctors Susan McKinney Steward and Mary Jacobi; abolitionist Abigail Hopper Gibbons; and actresses Laura Keene and Kate Claxton. Remember to wear good walking shoes—the terrain gets hilly at points.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Mother’s Day Special
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!; 9 a.m.—1 a.m.; 234 W. 42nd St., nr. Seventh Ave., 212-398-3133
Take a trip to the Odditorium this Sunday, where mom gets comped, plus she gets that family photo she’s been wanting, also free. It might have an extra family member in the background—say a Human Blockhead or Silent Sword Swallower—but that’ll make it even more special.
Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk
Alley Pond Park Adventure Center; 5/8 at 10 a.m.; Alley Pond Park State Rte. at Cross Island Pkwy., Douglaston, Queens; 718-846-2731
After giving Mom her own bouquet of flora, work off that no-doubt-amazing breakfast you made her with an educational stroll, where she will learn about what’s what in bloom while literally stopping to smell the roses.
Yiddishe Mamas Tour
Museum at Eldridge Street ; 5/8 at 11 a.m.; 12 Eldridge St., nr. Division St.; 212-219-0888
Another tour to get the blood flowing (RSVP required). The museum promises to stuff you with homemade rugalach (yum!), bagels, and coffee, then give you a history lesson, taking you on a Lower East Side jaunt espousing tales of “beloved balabustas, freethinking feminists, and turn-of-the-century working girls.”
Meet the Mothers
Crotona Nature Center; 5/8 at 1 p.m.; Crotona Park East at Charlotte St. Bronx; 718-378-2061
All creatures, even the creepy-crawly ones, come from mommies who love them, or at least pretend to. Here, learn all about how those in the wild care for their young.
Azalea Garden Party
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Park; 5/7–5/8 at noon.; Bronx River Pkwy. at Fordham Rd., Bronx; 718-817-8700
Have some good old-fashioned Victorian fun at the opening weekend celebration of the garden. Kids can make bouquets for mom and wear costumes and props for era-appropriate photos. There will also be croquet and kite flying, and picnic lunches and refreshments will be sold both days.