If you missed Saturday’s screening of The Wizard of Oz at the New York Film Festival, you can make up for it tonight—and without spending a dime.  In celebration of the movie-musical’s 70th anniversary, The Wizard of Oz will be shown this evening on Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield.

We wish this were happening on a weekend afternoon (is anyone in the Parks Department reading?) instead of pushing into well-past-bedtime territory. But hey, every kid deserves a bend in the rules once in a while, right?  Plus, there’s a live pre-show that parents are sure to love: Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough and ?uestlove of the Roots will sing songs from the film.

Remember to pack a picnic, but be sure to leave the bottles of Witch’s Brew at home—glass is prohibited at this event. And don’t forget your Lollipop Guild–approved suckers—they’ll never taste sweeter than on this fall evening.

Where were you when that storm hit the city on Tuesday night? Hopefully inside. (Sadly, I was out on Governors Island watching the B52s. Don’t get many grownups-only nights out, and that one was cut short!) Although there was damage throughout the five boroughs, some neighborhoods were hit harder than others. While downtown looked relatively intact to my eyes, I was shocked by the number of downed trees I spied on my cab ride home to East Harlem.

Perhaps hardest hit was Central Park. Over 100 trees fell and hundreds more were damaged. I took the adjacent photo just a few hours after the tempest, but you can find more impressive–make that depressing–shots of the devastation and ongoing cleanup on Central Park Conservancy’s flickr photo stream. It’s going to take a while for the green space to recover. According to the Conservancy, the Tennis Courts, North Meadow ball fields, Conservatory Garden, East 110th Street Playground and the West 100th Street Playground are all closed, so keep that in mind if you hit the park this weekend. I’m sure there are some very disappointed brides (August is a hot month for weddings in the Conservatory Garden).

How did your neighborhood fair during the storm?

Looking for a way to spice up your Central Park adventures? Then listen up—literally. The Park’s Conservancy has just debuted its “Seeing Central Park Audio Guide,” which features personal anecdotes by famous New Yorkers such as Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kevin Bacon. Here’s how it works: When you get to the park, grab an Audio Guide map at the Conservancy Visitor Center, or plan your route online before you go. Once you come upon a stop, dial the Audio Guide number followed by the designated extension and a short-but-sweet story will unfold. As is the case with the similar Tree Museum public art installation on the Grand Concourse, you may want to bring a cell with speaker phone so everyone can listen.

Though the star-factor may be lost on younger kids, the tales, which are a combination of facts and feelings, aim to please. Perhaps they’ll inspire children to share their Central Park memories too. If you want to test out the tour before you schlep, check out the video below. How can you say no to Whoopi?

Kids love weird noises—especially when they come out of nowhere. On Monday, June 8, the pedestrian tunnel outside of the Central Park Zoo is set to transform into a “sonic collage” created by composer John Morton. Each half hour, kids can listen to 20 minutes full of remixed chimes from the nearby Delacorte Clock, recordings from around the city (think pigeons, fountains, musicians and jackhammers) as well as a poem read by Bowery Poetry Club founder Bob Holman called “Centrally Park.” You can listen to a sneak, er, sound byte on Time Out New York. The cool cacophony continues through September 10.