thru mon: valentine’s-themed events this weekend:
► fri thru 3/8 (opening reception fri 7-10pm): have a heart art show: zepster gallery (east williamsburg). proceeds benefit st. jude children’s research hospital. >>
► fri 6-10pm: the occasionalists present: be mine? / nevermind: love songs + heartbreak hits live band karaoke. littlefield (gowanus), $20 proceeds benefit ps 107. >>
► fri 10:30pm: be my baby: a motown soul party: with dj little sally. littlefield (gowanus), save 50% on tickets with promo code ‘ronnie50’ >>
► sat 11am-4pm: gifts for your sweetheart: a black artists market: boyfriend co-op café + bar (bed-stuy/bushwick) >>
► sat 11am-6pm: japanese valentine makers market: japan village 2nd floor ‘loft’ (industry city). >>
► sat 2-4pm: romance book swap, harry belafonte 115th street library (harlem). free admission. >>
► sat 2-6pm: allergy season’s 5th annual queer valentine’s market extravaganza: ginger’s bar (park slope), free admission. >>
► sun 10am-4pm: valentine’s bazaar at grand bazaar nyc: 100 w 77th st at columbus ave (uws). >>
► sun 7pm: sad prom: with pulp, the cure, new order, and suede cover bands. tv eye (ridgewood), $15+. >>
► mon 7:30pm: authors across romance panel: black love: greenlight bookstore (fort greene), free admission. >>
friday
thru 5/23 (mon-sat 11am-6pm): ‘ruglife’: a traveling contemporary art exhibition reimagines the rug as a platform for social, political, and cultural commentary, using unconventional materials and techniques to tackle topics like environmentalism, identity, and conflict. curated by ginger gregg duggan and judith hoos fox (c2–curatorsquared), the show features work by 14 international artists, including ai weiwei, andrea zittel, nicholas galanin, and slavs + tatars. pratt manhattan gallery (chelsea), free admission. >>
thru 2/26: tenement stories: from immigrants to bohemians: film forum and the tenement museum present a festival of over 50 films from the silent era to the 21st century, spotlighting life in the tenement buildings and neighborhoods of nyc. selections include a tree grows in brooklyn, dead end, hester street, mean streets, once upon a time in america, take out, the kid, the landlord, the window, italianamerican, west side story, and many more. running thru 2/26, the festival also features guest introductions before select screenings, and live piano accompaniment during 14 silent films. bonus: ticket-buyers can get buy-one-get-one-free tickets to the tenement museum. film forum (south village), $17. >>
thru 2/13: free admission to anne frank: the exhibition: as a thank you for the response anne frank: the exhibition received over the last year, the exhibition is reopening its doors and offering free admission on select dates thru 2/13. first come, first served. no tickets required. >>
thru mon: 54th dance on camera festival: the world’s longest-running dance film festival returns to symphony space (uws) for four days of feature-length documentaries and narrative films, shorts, filmmaker panels, special events, and media and art installations. this year’s program features 33 films from 12 countries. $17 general, $14 seniors/students. >>
sponsored: thru sun: bridget mcguire: ballet flats for dinner: bridget mcguire’s autobiographical show mixes stand-up and storytelling, telling the story of mcguire’s life growing up with intrusive thoughts with harm, a form of ocd. from thinking she was pregnant at age 11, to wondering if she killed her friend’s boyfriend at 25, to finally getting help at 38, ballet flats for dinner will have you laughing the entire time and perhaps you’ll walk away wondering, ‘do i have ocd too?’ (don’t worry, you probably don’t). soho playhouse, save $10 on tickets with promo code ‘ballet15’ >>
fri 11am-1am: $1 fro yo: celebrate national frozen yogurt day with $1 fro yo at van leeuwen’s flavor lab (greenpoint) all day. >>
fri 5:30pm: book launch: lipstick by eileen g’sell: author eileen g’sell discusses her new book on the cultural history of lipstick and what it reveals about beauty, identity, gender, and transformation. tracing lipstick’s power from flapper girls to gaga, grace jones to chappell roan, lipstick looks at self-adornment as a source of play, pleasure, and disruption. she’s joined in conversation by sophie lewis (enemy feminisms) and zahra hankir (eyeliner: a cultural history). housing works bookstore cafe (soho), free admission. >>
fri 6pm: john sayles: crucible: oscar-nominated filmmaker and author john sayles discusses crucible, his new historical novel about henry ford, with cuny film history and comparative literature professor jerry carlson. nypl’s stavros niarchos foundation library (midtown), free admission. >>
fri 6pm: first novel friday at the center for fiction: join the center for fiction for an evening celebrating a selection of notable debut novels. the night begins with a happy hour reception in the lounge (cash bar), followed by author readings, discussion, and signings in the auditorium. tonight’s featured authors include madeleine dunnigan (jean), bsrat mezghebe (i hope you find what you’re looking for), daniel poppick (the copywriter), and moderator cleyvis natera (the grand paloma resort). the center for fiction (fort greene), $5+ admission. >>
fri 6-11:30pm: raymour vs. flanigan: a one-night, artist-run, site-specific exhibition staged inside tj byrnes, a lower manhattan restaurant and bar. the show features handmade rugs and photographs presented as speculative artifacts from a vanished western consumer society. free admission. >>
fri 6:30pm (monthly): lower east stories: p+t knitwear bookstore + café (les) presents a storytelling salon where each month brings a fresh theme and fresh tales. tonight’s theme: ‘adore.’ hosted by matt storrs. $10 admission. >>
fri 7pm (monthly): immigrant jam comedy: german-born, nyc-raised comedian and actor lucie pohl (overwatch) celebrates all things cross-cultural, international, and delightfully different at the immigrant jam stand-up show, featuring immigrant and first generation comedians. tonight’s lineup reps germany, iran, romania, south korea, venezuela, and more with performers youngmi mayer (the daily show), dan rosen (the new yorker), angelo colina (don’t tell comedy), laura bolivar, and more. a portion of the proceeds will go to new women new yorkers. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25). >>
fri 7:30pm: the parlor reading series: the parlor, an interdisciplinary, community-based reading series, hosts its winter installment at brooklyn artery (flatbush/ditmas park). books and drinks will be available for purchase. free ($15 suggested donation). >>
fri 8pm (monthly): a drinking game nyc: legally blonde: a drinking game nyc comedy troupe lovingly (and drunkenly) reenacts an 80s/90s/00s movie and turns the whole thing into a drinking game. join them tonight as they stumble through twilight (2008) at the bell house (gowanus). $25.05. >>
fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: this women-produced and-hosted comedy show conjures up big laughs in the back room of halyards (gowanus). tonight’s performers include adrienne hunter, devontre coleman, paige smith-hogan, raj suresh, prince arora, and laura rankin. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>
fri 10pm: silo three year anniversary: bushwick nightclub silo celebrates its third anniversary with a free party featuring sounds by bruno furlan, charles meyer, cruz cruz, jaiwoo, and slaycey. bonus: complimentary champagne toast at midnight. >>
saturday
sat thru 3/29: grumpy bert’s 11th annual lunar new year red envelope show: pearl river mart gallery (soho) hosts the 11th annual red envelope show, a group exhibition curated by grumpy bert featuring original works created on traditional lunar new year red envelopes by over 100 artists and illustrators. opening reception saturday, 2/7 5-7pm. free admission. >>
sat thru 2/15: orangey, hollywood’s favorite feline: metrograph celebrates the legacy of orangey, the marmalade tabby of breakfast at tiffany’s fame, with a five-film retrospective. metrograph (les), $18. >>
sat 12-9pm: strong rope brewery red hook’s 10th annual caskiversary: celebrate a decade of beer with strong rope at their annual cask party in red hook. sip from 15 different casks from strong rope, brooklyn brewery, endless life brewing, finback, kcbc, other half, rockaway brewing, and more. live music by the dirty cowboys from 2-6pm, plus food available for purchase. pricing: 5 5-ounce pours are $22, 5 10-ounce pours are $32. free admission. >>
sat 1pm (+ 2/28 10am): brooklyn’s black trailblazers: cemetery trolley tour: visit the memorials of artist jean-michel basquiat, civil rights activists grace nail johnson and james weldon johnson, mathematician charles l. reason (the first black college professor in the united states), and others on this guided tour of green-wood cemetery examining the life and accomplishments of prominent black brooklynites. $15. >>
sat 5-10pm (monthly): first saturdays at brooklyn museum: ‘imitate no one’: this month’s edition of first saturdays at brooklyn museum celebrates black history month with an evening of live music, magic, art-making, poetry, and more. free admission includes museum general admission (rsvp required; if rsvps are full, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door as capacity allows). >>
sat 7pm (monthly): tom d’s big new york show: comedian and licensed nyc tour guide tom delgado takes you through different aspects of nyc each month, with history, comedy, trivia with prizes, and special guests. tonight’s show features author stacy horn (the killing fields of east new york), and comedian ethan simmons-patterson. save $5 with promo code ‘tomdnyc’ >>
sat 7pm: ucblk: a variety show spotlighting black performers: join hosts justin catchens, dominique kaplowitz, and shem pennant for a night of improv, sketch, stand-up, and more—featuring a dynamic lineup of black performers. ucb (east village), $15. >>
sat 7pm: close friends comedy show: comedians share material they usually save for their besties. hosted by temi adeoye and chine ikoro, tonight’s lineup features marcella denby, ena da, saidah, and holmes. brooklyn comedy collective (williamsburg), $10 adv, $15 day of. >>
sat 7:30pm (monthly): feel the news with marcela onyango: in this monthly variety comedy show, ‘radical lefty’ comedian marcela onyango breaks down the latest headlines—helping you decide whether to be mad, glad, or just deeply confused. each show supports direct action efforts, raising funds for mutual aid projects. tonight’s guests include james mwaura, dara jemmott, stephon bishop, ell diablo, and dj glitch witch. friends and lovers (crown heights), $10. >>
sat 7:30pm doors: goo goo comedy: savannah desormeaux brings a brand-new stand-up show to café balearica’s downstairs club space, featuring joey dardano (wild ’n out), gracie canaan (under cover comic), glennis laroe (netflix is a joke), zae jordan (adult swim), and amelia ritthaler (girls rewatch podcast). bonus: stick around afterward for free admission to the dj after-party. café balearica (williamsburg), $2 with promo code ‘skooskoo’ (reg. $3). >>
sat 8pm (+ 3/28, 5/16): new york repertory orchestra 2025-26 season: the all-volunteer, community-based orchestra is back with a new season of concerts, continuing tonight with a program that includes works by debussy and prokofiev featuring soprano sarah cambidge, baritone kyle oliver, and tenor kyle van schoonhoven. the church of st. mary the virgin (theater district), free admission ($15 suggested donation). >>
sat 8pm: string orchestra of brooklyn (sob): founding sob conductor eli spindel leads the orchestra through a program of sci-fi and horror film scores by ennio morricone (the thing), hildur guðnadóttir (tár), toru takemitsu (three film scores), and bernard herrmann (fahrenheit 451) at the church of st. luke and st. matthew (clinton hill). $15 general, $10 seniors/students in advance, $20 door. >>
sat 8:30pm: heated rivalry, but gayer: two teams of nyc’s ‘gayest, queerest, most lgbtq+’ improvisers go head-to-head in their hottest sports ‘costumes’ to see who comes out on top. eris mainstage (williamsburg), $12 adv, $17 day of. >>
sat 11pm: underworld: a night like this: fresh off the cure’s grammy win, the night church hosts its annual party celebrating the band’s music, with tunes spun by djs sean templar, matt v-christ, and erik aengel. tv eye (ridgewood), free admission before midnight, $5 after. >>
sat 11pm: support women djs two-year anniversary: support women djs, a community-focused platform for gender equity in the dance music industry, celebrates its second anniversary with a femme-powered night at the sultan room (bushwick). $20.09. >>
sunday
sun: super bowl sunday: the big game takes over the city, with bars and restaurants everywhere turning up the volume for football fans, commercial critics, and bad bunny’s halftime show. just follow the cheers!
sun 11am-5pm: third man records indie label fair: third man records hits brooklyn with a curated record fair, featuring vinyl from sacred bones, figure + ground, matador, dear life records, familiar face records, mississippi records, future prophet records, good english, ato records, partisan, and winspear. baby’s all right (williasmburg), free admission. >>
sun 12-6pm: (monthly): pioneer works second sundays: pioneer works’ free monthly open house celebrates creativity across art, music, science, and community. with programming spread across three floors and the garden, this month’s edition features open studios with current artists-in-residence, live music, hands-on workshops, solar gazing with the amateur astronomers association, and more. pioneer works (red hook), free admission (donations welcome). >>
sun 2:30-6pm: requiem for the home computer zine release party: zineclubnyc celebrates the release of its sixth issue with an afternoon of retro nostalgia. flip through the newly riso-printed zine, relive the era of the desktop home computer, meet fellow zine-makers, and learn how to submit work for future issues. wonderville (bushwick), free admission. >>
sun 6pm: school, but just the fun parts – a creativity workshop: it’s screens off, creativity on at this guided workshop aimed at sparking the joy of learning for its own sake. all supplies provided. the tiny cupboard comedy club + board game bar (bushwick), free admission (the venue has a $10 minimum, with snacks and alcoholic + non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase). >>
sun 6pm (monthly): public victories: from running the dishwasher to running a marathon, four performers—and one audience member—share true stories of personal triumphs, big or small, at the public victories storytelling show. featuring laura goehrke, sadie rose, jessie ballard, and mary-alice mcnab. hosted by andrea coleman. young ethel’s (south slope), free admission (donations welcome). >>
monday
mon 6:30pm: scream with me: horror films and the rise of american feminism + rosemary’s baby: eleanor johnson, professor of english and comparative literature at columbia university, discusses her new book and how horror films from the late ’60s and ’70s reflect cultural attitudes about women’s rights, bodily autonomy, and feminism. a screening of rosemary’s baby (1968) follows. twisted spine bookstore + café (williamsburg), $15 admission includes a $15 twisted spine gift card, $30 ticket option includes a copy of the book. >>
mon 7pm: astoria horror club: blade: astoria horror club presents a black history month screening of blade (1998) at heart of gold (astoria). free admission (drinks and food will be available for purchase). >>
mon 8pm (monthly): franklin park reading series: the crown heights bar and beer garden’s winter season continues with an evening of readings from authors amber sparks (happy people don’t live here), lauren francis-sharma (casualties of truth), jaquira diaz (this is the only kingdom), keetje kuipers (lonely women make good lovers), erin crosby eckstine (justine), and sanibel (to have and have more). books will be available for purchase from indie bookseller unnameable books. free admission. >>
mon 8pm: the moth storyslam: the popular community-based open mic storytelling competition, where anyone can share a five-minute tale based on the evening’s theme to an attentive audience, returns to the bell house (gowanus). tonight’s theme: ‘love hurts’. $22.05. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 30+ ongoing events: nyc winter outing reservations (restaurant week, broadway week, nyc must-see week), ice skating, art shows, and more. >>
stay safe and healthy
– the skint
