Fort Totten Park is the center of Bayside's calendar for the next ten days. Between a free evening yoga class, guided tours of the Castle, an afternoon of sewing in its upstairs hall and a book club meeting on a novel by a writer who grew up in Queens, here is what is on and how to go.

Monday, Nov. 2: free yoga at Fort Totten

Shape Up NYC runs a free yoga class from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. in Building 422, the Parks Department's Northeast Queens headquarters at 422 Weaver Avenue inside Fort Totten Park. Instructor Ambeka Khadse teaches a mid-intensity flow that works from Sun Salutations up to a peak pose, with attention to inversions and breathing. Registration is through NYC Parks, and the class repeats on Monday, Nov. 9.

Sunday, Nov. 8: inside the Castle

The Bayside Historical Society's staff and volunteers lead free guided tours of the Castle and its exhibitions on the second Sunday of every month. This month's are at 1 and 2 p.m., each about 45 minutes. The building was completed in 1887 as the Officers' Mess Hall and Club for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers School of Application, and it is built in the Gothic Revival castellated style. Admission is free, but the society asks for a reservation through its website.

Sunday, Nov. 8: an open sew

The same afternoon, from 1 to 3 p.m., the society opens the Castle's upstairs reception hall to anyone who sews, quilts, embroiders or knits. The room looks out over the open fields and Little Neck Bay. It is not a class: people bring whatever they are working on and work alongside each other, and beginners are welcome to pick up tips. A few sewing machines are available, so bring your own if you have one, and handwork projects are welcome too. The cost is $10, or $8 for society members.

Thursday, Nov. 12: The Changeling

The Bayside Historical Society Book Club, which held its first meeting on Sept. 24, meets at the Castle from 7:30 to 9 p.m. to discuss The Changeling by Victor LaValle, a dark fantasy and horror novel chosen with Halloween in mind. LaValle grew up in Queens, and the story moves through several New York City neighborhoods. The club reads historical fiction and biography, and members pick the next title from a list at each meeting. Registration is on the society's site.

Later this month

The society's November calendar continues with a concert of Croatian music on Sunday, Nov. 15, and an author talk by Vietnam veteran nurse Joan Furey on Thursday, Nov. 19. Its weekday exercise classes run Mondays from noon to 1 p.m.

Getting there

The Bayside Historical Society is at 208 Totten Avenue in Fort Totten Park; call 718-352-1548 or email info@baysidehistorical.org with questions. Book the Castle tour, the open sew and the book club at baysidehistorical.org, and the Monday yoga through NYC Parks.

Sources