An evening of picnicking, music, and performance art at Untermyer Gardens
Looking to escape the city, but not quite up for a rock scramble at Breakneck Ridge or the crowds in Cold Spring? Take the Metro North to Yonkers and make your way to Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, where you can stroll around beautiful parks filled with Roman columns, sphinxes, waterfalls, a walled garden with towers straight out of a fairy tale, and more!
I got to spend an evening at Untermyer after hours for the second annual Great Forgotten Garden Party produced by Atlas Obscura. I walked through the woods and gardens with a picnic in hand, stood at the top of a waterfall at the Temple of Love, and traipsed down steps to various vista points overlooking the Palisades. I was surrounded by performers holding massive snakes and dancers wearing yards of tulle and crowns, holding torches to light the way. There was always something wondrous to discover.
This marked the second year that Deputy Director of Events Larissa Hayden and Director of Events Megan Roberts have invited people to the Untermyer Gardens Conservancy — a non-profit that is partnered with the City of Yonkers to restore Samuel Untermyer’s gardens. Attendees departed from the Metro North station at Grand Central, and then onto yellow school buses — all while decked out in 18th century clothing with picnic baskets and blankets in tow. Guests had the option of ordering a picnic ahead of time from The Awkward Scone, and tapestries were strewn about the gardens so anyone could stop and lounge on lush green grass between the unbelievable performances.
As a brilliant sunset splashed colors across the cloud streaked sky, music swelled and filled the gardens. Everyone came together to dance at the open-air amphitheater till the end of the event.
It was a delightful evening — and it was all thanks to Megan Roberts, who stumbled across Untermyer while exploring the area and immediately knew she wanted to show it to people from all over. Luckily, the organization was receptive to the idea and the Great Forgotten Garden Party was born!
Post event, Larissa reflected that “At Atlas Obscura, our mission is to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share. We seek out secret histories, unusual access, and opportunities for our community to explore strange and overlooked places hidden all around us.” The Great Forgotten Garden Party delivered this mission in full.
On their favorite moments of the event this year, Larissa and Megan exclaimed, “Where to start! It’s awe-inspiring to see artists perform in a space that aesthetically matches their work. We think the opportunity to see those site-specific performances, like Marissa Nadler in the Garden of Love or serpentwithfeet on stage in the Walled Garden, truly takes the event to the next level.”
Curious to discover the world’s hidden wonders for yourself? Learn about all the new experiences you can have during your own travels on Atlas Obscura’s website, Facebook, and Instagram.
Scroll through the gallery below for a look at the event!
