NYC Events Picks, April 20 to May 9

Green Currency: Plants in the Economy

Opening Wednesday April 20 at the New York Botanical Garden, this exhibition of botanical art provides a visual exploration of the flowers, trees, fruits, and vegetables that play major roles in the global economy. The event, running through July, is co-hosted by the American Society of Botanical Artists and is the garden's first ever juried art exhibition.

Garden tickets: $20, children: $8. For more information visit: www.nybg.org

Easter Parade

A tradition dating back to 1870, New York City’s Easter Parade is perhaps better described as an Easter bonnet festival since there are no floats or bands and the elegant and sometimes unusual bonnets that participants wear are considered the main attraction. The Easter Parade takes place this year on Sunday April 24, along Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th streets from around 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The location corresponds to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was built around the time when the tradition began.

This event is free and has no official website.

Drums and Dance of India

Talavya and Jin Won bring to life the drums and dance of India imbued with their own interpretation at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, at Broadway and 95th Street, on Friday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. The show, “Drums and Dance of India,” utilizes the classical Indian drum known as a tabla and the classical dance style of Kathak.

Tickets: $25, children: $15. For more information visit: www.symphonyspace.org

Orfeo ed Euridice at The Metropolitan Opera

The ancient Greek myth of Orpheus comes to life in this opera written by Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714–1787) and now reimagined in a production by Mark Morris at the Metropolitan Opera premiering Friday, April 29, at 8 p.m. The story follows Orpheus’s trip to the underworld to save his deceased love, Euridice. This production is 1 hour and 30 minutes and features leading countertenor David Daniels.

Tickets: $25-$405. For more information visit: www.metoperafamily.org

James Beard Awards

Called the “Oscars of the food world” by Time Magazine, the James Beard Foundation Awards will honor the best chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, food journalists, and restaurant designers in the industry at its annual ceremony on Monday, May 9, at Avery Fisher Hall. The awards ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. and lasts three hours. A gala reception featuring cuisine from around the world follows immediately after the ceremony.

Tickets: $450, VIP tickets: $1,500-15,000. For more information visit: www.jbfawards.com