cultural fests / street fairs / food events / markets / shopping events (free admission, unless noted otherwise):
► sat 10am-6pm (various dates thru 10/12): dragon fest chinese food + culture street fair: panda day edition: astor place. free admission (pay-as-you-go). >>
► sat 12-5pm: africa day celebration: the plaza at the africa center (east harlem). >>
► sat 1-6pm (rain date: sun): film camera swap meet: brooklyn film camera (east williamsburg). >>
► sat thru mon (sat 12-10pm, sun + mon 12-8pm): danceafrica bazaar: along ashland pl, lafayette ave, and st. felix st surounding the brooklyn academy of music (fort greene). >>
► sun 10am-5pm: world of wellness bazaar at grand bazaar nyc: indoors and outdoors at 100 w 77th st at columbus ave (uws). >>
► sun 12-5pm (opening parade 11am-12pm): the annual loisaida festival: avenue c / loisaida avenue between e 5th + e 12th streets. >>
► sun 12-5pm: passport to taiwan festival: union square north. >>
friday
sponsored: thru sun: get insider access to the city’s best secrets this weekend with new york adventure club! go on a secret eats ‘around the world’ food crawl in astoria; explore the secrets of tribeca’s lofts, artists + alleyways; trace alexander hamilton’s steps downtown; go farther afield to a behind-the-scenes tour of a 1920s mansion with an underground speakeasy; and much more this weekend and beyond… adventure awaits! >>
thru sun: 30th annual lower east side festival of the arts: theater for the new city throws its annual festival this holiday weekend, filling two indoor theaters with over 200 performing arts groups, poets, puppeteers, and filmmakers from 6pm to midnight each night. then on saturday, the fun spills outside as east 10th street closes to traffic for a daylong block party with vendors and performances from 10am to 5pm. free admission. >>
thru mon: fleet week at the intrepid museum: the intrepid museum’s annual fleet week celebration features a free screening of top gun on the flight deck (fri 7pm), musical performances, activities and demos from the military, a memorial day ceremony and jet flyover, and more. all activities on the pier are free, activities inside the museum are included with regular admission. >>
thru 6/1: opera essentia: ‘the queen’s heart’: opera essentia presents a one-hour distillation of handel’s 1720 opera, radamisto, outdoors at green oasis community garden in alphabet city (thru 5/25) and marcus garvey park amphitheatre in east harlem (5/30), and indoors at brooklyn public library – central library (6/1). free admission. >>
fri 7pm (+ sun 6pm): punk island benefits: pre-game for june’s punk island music festival at a pair of benefit concerts held on the roof at our wicked lady (friday) and wonderville (sunday) in bushwick. various prices. >>
fri 7pm-midnight: jazz + gin: a speakeasy soirée: hot jazz, dancing, and cocktails await at prohibition productions’ speakeasy soirée, held in a former 1920s brooklyn speakeasy—now an art nouveau salon. the night features live swing music by the eyal viner hot five, dj sets by dj andrius, burlesque by medianoche, and more, plus a free swing dance lesson (at 8:30pm). the urbane arts club (ditmas park), $20 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $30). >>
fri 7:30pm: ¡vaya! latin music series: son del monte: 12-piece cuban charanga ensemble son del monte returns to lincoln center’s david rubenstein atrium (uws) for an evening of music and dancing. free admission. >>
fri 8pm: legendary wind band composers at carnegie hall: wind ensembles from western illinois university and commonwealth university of pa – mansfield perform works by bernstein, copland, respighi, stravinsky, and others at carnegie hall (midtown west). $10-17 with promo ‘apr49401’ (reg. $29-60). >>
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 erik scott (whoa that’s sick), sam morrison (seth meyers), lucas stone (don’t tell comedy), reid pope (the new yorker), sara bergmark (last laugh comedy), and aldo compana (@aldo.campana). free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>
fri 10pm: alttv: a ’90s alternative music video party: dance to ’90s alternative, britpop, and grunge as djs chase coppins projects/ds music videos from oasis, hole, the replacements, sonic youth, pulp, weezer, pavement, nin, pixies, and many more at bar freda (ridgewood). free admission. >>
sponsored
On Friday, May 30, Villa Albertine marks the return of Films on the Green with a free outdoor screening of Coco Before Chanel in Central Park.
Join us on Cedar Hill for an evening where we step into the world of fashion. Cinema meets couture with the understated elegance of Coco Before Chanel, a film that traces the early rise of a visionary who redefined style. Starring Amelie’s Academy Award nominee Audrey Tautou, the film is a tribute to design and the timeless allure of French style on screen.
Free and open to the public. Registration is recommended but not required.
Film begins at sunset. Film in French with English subtitles.
saturday
sat thru 10/12: free kayaking at piers 26 and 96: free public kayaking season returns to hudson river park’s piers 26 (tribeca) and 96 (hell’s kitchen). sessions last 20 minutes, and life vests are provided.
sat thru 9/7: beaches open for the season: back to the beach: nyc’s 14 miles of public shoreline are officially open for the season. >>
sat thru 9/1 (weekends + holidays 1-7pm): coney island history project opens for the season: the coney island history project opens for the season with two new exhibits. charles denson: coney island streets: 1965–1975 and amanda deutch: brooklyn wilds combine street photography, cyanotypes, native plants, and poetry to explore the natural and urban sides of coney island that are not well known. also on view: historic artifacts, photographs, maps, ephemera and films of coney island’s past. located next to the west 12th street entrance to deno’s wonder wheel park. free admission. >>
sat thru the season: public barbecuing areas: got a q about where to ‘cue? here’s where nyc parks says you can legally sizzle your way through summer. >>
sponsored: sat 8pm: flop house comedy club east village grand opening: nyc’s friendliest comedy club is partnering with emmy squared pizza to bring amazing comedy to the east village! tonight’s grand opening lineup includes che durena, liz miele, elle orlando, jamie wolf, and chris reiter. food and drinks will be available for purchase. 83 1st ave (east village), save 33% off with promo code ‘skint’ >>
sat 9:30pm: drunk planet earth: mst3k meets animal planet meets drinking game at brian morabito and stephen buckley’s participatory drunk planet earth show. the show revolves around watching animal planet iii, drinking, and the audience trying to stump the hosts with animal trivia. caveat (les), free admission. >>
sat 10pm: picture this! live animated comedy: animators, cartoonists and other artists create on-the-fly drawings of live comedy routines, often with unexpected results. featuring comedy by edson montenegro, dina hashem, shalewa sharpe, josh gondelman, and usama siddiquee, with animation by jason chatfield, bryan brinkman, dan pinto, ray alma, and will santino. hosted by samantha ruddy. union hall (park slope), $12 adv, $15 day-of. >>
sat 10pm: danceafrica: as part of the danceafrica festival, brooklyn academy of music throws a free, late night dance party with dj yb spinning afrobeat, funk, soul, rock, jazz, and hip-hop at the adam e. max gathering space (bamcafé). >>
sunday
sun 12am-12am: that show with chris gethard: a 24 hour comedy marathon benefiting mental health in schools: comedy for a cause: chris gethard and dozens of comedians meet up at ucb (east village) to perform and raise money for wellness together, a non-profit organization that places mental health counselors in schools. shows are broken up into four blocks: 12am-6am, 6:30pm-12pm, 12:30pm-6pm, and 6:30pm-12am. $10 adv, $15 day of. >>
sun 6:15pm: noosphere arts: ‘we are nature: a microcosmic dance’: noosphere arts’ annual summer series returns to the rooftop gardens of the kingsland wildflowers sanctuary (greenpoint) with an evening of live music, dance, and performance celebrating the invisible rhythms that shape our universe. this year’s theme is inspired by the centenary of quantum physics and the un’s international year of science and technology. $10-25. >>
sun 7pm: decades cover show: 1990s: go back in time on the rooftop at our wicked lady (bushwick), where cover bands take on the 90s: deathblow and gluehead as the smashing pumpkins, sailor boyfriend as beck, and irrervery performing 90’s girl power pop anthems. $14.12. >>
sponsored: sun 8:30pm: experience world-class music at carnegie hall for just $9*: this memorial day weekend, celebrate the next generation of musical excellence as four remarkable ensembles from across the country make their carnegie hall debut: around the sound community band, longmont concert band, tara winds, and boston arts academy choir. program highlights include: julie giroux’s just flyin’, leonard bernstein’s three dance episodes from ‘on the town,’ morton gould’s american salute, and contemporary wind band works by steven bryant, nicole piunno, and dwayne milburn. the evening is rounded out by moving spirituals. tickets are a steal at just $9* (up to a $110 value!) with promo code ‘tsk49401’ (*facility or service fee may be applied to online and phone orders.) >>
monday
mon thru 6/15: 20at20: off-broadway for just $20: snag a $20 walk-up ticket to 10 participating off-broadway shows. to get the deal, look for the 20at20 line at the theater or mention the 20at20 promotion at the box office 20 minutes before curtain time. cash only (a $2.50 venue fee may also apply at some venues). >>
mon 11am: brooklyn memorial day parade and memorial service: stepping off from 3rd ave and 78th street in bay ridge, brooklyn’s 158th memorial day parade makes its way to john paul jones park for a memorial service featuring bag pipes, a flag raising, wreath laying by veteran service organizations, a 21-gun salute by the veteran corps of artillery, and the playing of taps. >>
mon 2-4pm: memorial day concert at green-wood: music director paul corn, conductor brian p. worsdale, and high-school musicians of the iso at third street symphonic band return for green-wood cemetery’s 25th outdoor memorial day concert. the program features works that honor those who served in the armed forces, while also spotlighting music by some of green-wood’s own ‘permanent residents’: leonard bernstein, fred ebb, james weldon johnson, and others. free admission (donations welcome). >>
mon 4-10:30pm: soul summit: the soul summit house music party returns to the ruins at knockdown center (maspeth) for their first party of the summer. rain or shine. free with rsvp. >>
mon 7pm (monthly): movie musical mondays: a monthly series of iconic musicals hits the big screen at village east by angelika, continuing the season with stanley donen and gene kelly’s on the town (1949), starring kelly, frank sinatra, jules munshin, betty garrett, ann miller, and vera-ellen. $19. >>
tuesday
tues thru 9/16: reading room at bryant park: bryant park’s summer ‘reading room’ series of free outdoor literary events returns: books on broadway – a backstage look at books starring on broadway (select tuesdays @ 12:30pm, 5/27 + other dates tbd); author – authors offer advice and discuss their latest books (wednesdays @ 12:30pm 5/28-8/20); poetry – poetry by established and emerging poets (tuesdays @ 6pm, 6/3-9/16); reel talks – talks on movies, the culture of cinema, and filmmaking (mondays @ 12:30pm, 6/9-8/11); non-fiction – lectures and conversations with historians, authors, and thinkers (wednesdays @ 7pm 7/9-9/3); writers workshops – workshops geared to improve your writing skills (thursdays @ 6:30pm 7/10-8/14); and more. free admission. >>
tues 10am: movies at the united palace with lin-manuel miranda and leslie odom, jr.: tickets become available this morning: the movies at the united palace (washington heights) series celebrates the 10-year anniversary of hamilton on broadway with a series of films starring the original cast. next up: one night in miami (2020), followed by a discussion with lin-manuel miranda and leslie odom, jr. free tickets to the june 2nd event will be released starting at 10am this morning. >>
tues 7pm (monthly): we love a theme: a storytelling show: a lineup of performers tell funny, heartwarming, and cringe-inducing tales at tonight’s ‘graduation, friends forever’ edition of bailey swilley’s monthly storytelling show. featuring dave kalema, brian lorio, alison leiby, and sharon spell. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free ($5 suggested donation). >>
tues 7pm: cinema smootaphilia: vampyros lesbos: ensemble erotic (ann courtney on vocals, dave smoota smith on casio and beats, jerome jordan on guitar, and jeremy kay on bass) perform a live, original soundtrack to jesús franco’s 1971 erotic horror classic, vampyros lesbos, starring sylvia kristel. tv eye (ridgewood), $15. >>
tues 7:30pm (monthly): something old, something new, something blue: good things come in threes at the something old, something new, something blue stand-up show, where comedians are required to include an old joke, a new joke, and a dirty joke in their sets. hosted by caitlin reese (hbo), and featuring tony sykowski (time out ny), jaron young (the kelly clarkson show), gastor almonte (comedy central), and samantha santos (nbc). q.e.d. (astoria), $15. >>
tues 8pm: live band karaoke at arlene’s grocery: choose from a wide assortment of rock and pop songs and sing with your very own live band backing you up at arlene’s grocery (les). $10. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 50+ ongoing events and attractions: rooftop cinema club, summer on the hudson, the met fifth ave’s new roof garden commission, brooklyn cyclones baseball season, bargemusic, and more. >>
stay safe and healthy
– the skint