tuesday

sponsored: tues 7pm: book smart vs street smart: uptown showdown at symphony space: is knowledge power, or is experience everything? watch sharp-witted scholars face off against quick-thinking hustlers in a comedy clash of brains vs. instincts. whether you swear by textbooks or street sense, this comedy debate will school you in laughter! featuring ariel dumas (the late show with stephen colbert), dave hill (parking the moose), sam kebede (lack history), alison leiby (oh god, a show about abortion), kate rigg (elsbeth), and josh sharp (ta-da!), with special guest host negin farsad (fake the nation). skint readers can get a $15 ticket using the code: ‘smart’ >>

🎃 tues 7pm: cj leede’s american rapture: horror writer cj leede (maeve fly) celebrates the paperback release of american rapture at the twisted spine (williamsburg) with a reading and discussion, followed by a screening of 2009 horror/comedy zombieland. $15 admission includes a store gift card, $19.99 ticket option includes a signed copy of the book. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): brooklyn books + booze: hear established and up-and-coming authors of different genres read from their current works every third tuesday of the month at barrow’s intense tasting room (industry city). tonight’s lineup features matthew kressel, c.w. rose, crissa-jean chappell, and paula bomer. hosted by randee dawn. free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): astronomy on tap: ‘trick or treat telescope’ edition: things are looking up at astronomy on tap, a night where astronomy enthusiasts gather at a local bar for talks by professional scientists and educators—plus themed games and other cosmic fun. tonight: jose adorno on his travels to chilean telescopes, and sophie newman on recent james webb telescope discoveries. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission. >>

tues 7pm (monthly): the broad squad: kendra cunningham presents a monthly comedy variety show featuring a female-fronted lineup and tarot readings. tonight’s lineup: katie compa, mel deluca, dan goodman, garry hanon, meghan hanley, joanna ross, francesca van horne, and jenny tian. young ethel’s (south slope), free admission ($10 suggested donation). private tarot readings are $5/card. >>

tues 8pm: live band karaoke at arlene’s grocery: pick your song, grab the mic, and be a star with your very own live band (nakatomi5) backing you up at arlene’s grocery (les). $10 adv, $15 day-of. >>

tues 9pm (monthly): sweet comedy show: ‘sweet-ween’ edition: seth herzog’s long-running comedy show returns with guests janeane garofalo (wet hot american summer), adrian martinez (severance), kyle gordon (‘planet of the bass’) emily wilson (fixed), and more. the stand west (chelsea), save 50% with promo code ‘fright’ >>

tues 9:30pm: hyperfocus: a neurodivergent comedy show: host virginia dickens (the onion, reductress) and a lineup of neurodivergent comedians take deep dives into their super-niche knowledge at the hyperfocus show. featuring carson olshanksky, rebecca robles, max fine, and alexis lambright. caveat (les), $14.64 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25). >>

sponsored

New York City Wine Fest returns to Chelsea Industrial in Manhattan on October 25, pouring more than 100 styles of wine from around the world! It’s a perfect chance to hang with friends and chat with the sommeliers behind your next favorite go-to pours.

Guests can enjoy unlimited samples all night, plus live entertainment, interactive games, and access to food available for purchase from Chavas Empanadas, Downeast Lobster, Mozzarepas, Taste of Poland, and more.

Tickets include unlimited tastings and a souvenir tasting glass.

Special offer for the skint readers:
Save 40% on advance tickets with promo code THESKINT
GET TICKETS NOW!

New York City Wine Fest
Saturday, October 25
Session Times:
Session 1: 1-4:30pm
Session 2: 6-9:30pm

Chelsea Industrial
535 West 28th Street
New York, NY 10001

21+ Only

wednesday

weds 4pm: misty copeland’s farewell performance: ballet legend misty copeland takes her final bow with american ballet theatre tonight at lincoln center’s fall gala. the groundbreaking dancer, who became abt’s first african american woman principal in 2015, will be honored with special tributes from oprah winfrey and debbie allen. can’t get a gala ticket? us either, but you can catch a free simulcast of the event at alice tully hall, with tickets distributed at 4pm. >>

🎃 weds 4:15pm, 7pm, 9:45pm (wednesdays thru 10/29, + 10/30-31): hitchcocktober at angelika: scream queens and suspense fans unite at village east by angelika’s annual october tribute to the films of alfred hitchcock. tonight: dial m for murder (1954). $19. >>

sponsored: weds 7pm: selected shorts: the best american short stories 2025: actors ivan hernandez (and just like that…), richard masur (girls), and cynthia nixon (the gilded age) honor the 2025 best american short stories, curated and edited by bestselling author celeste ng, at symphony space (uws). this evening of selected shorts will take you on a literary journey brought to you by the brilliant minds of new and established authors, with readings from one of the most esteemed anthologies of contemporary american fiction. skint readers can get a $20 ticket on tier 2 seats using code ‘best25’ >>

🎃 weds 7pm: an evening with creature publishing: greenlight bookstore (fort greene) hosts an evening with indie horror press creature publishing. the virginia-based company specializes in feminist horror, dark speculative fiction, women-driven thrillers, and spooky fantastical fiction. tonight’s event features writers grace daly (the scald-crow), lindsey merbaum (vampires at sea), and meg ripley (necrology), with publicist will roth. a wine reception with follow. free admission. >>

weds 7:30pm: we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur team up to bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (south slope), with stand-up by jenny tian, claudia cogan, pedro salinas, and nick ciaccia. free admission. >>

weds 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: ‘sacrifice.’ $19.65. >>

weds 9:30pm (weekly): friends with caveats: expect everything from stand-up and character performances to music and even powerpoint presentations at caveat’s weekly comedy show, ‘friends with caveats.’ tonight’s lineup features vickie wang, carlos nolla, hampton humber, kelly bachman, bonnie q, myq kaplan, and lindsey cormack. caveat (les), $12 adv, $15 door. >>

thursday

thurs thru sat (+ 11/6-8, 12/4-6): serials short play series: five teams of actors perform five original, 10-minute episodic plays, each with only six hours of rehearsal time. then it’s up to you, the audience, to vote for your favorites to return for a new installment of the same storyline the following week. the tank (garment district), save $5 on $23 tickets with promo code ‘5erials’ >>

thurs 6pm; seventh annual european literature night 2025: 11 award-winning authors from 11 countries celebrate the english translations of their latest books during an evening of readings and discussions at the ukranian institute of america (ues). presented by eunic new york, czech center new york, the ukranian institute of america, and pen america. a wine reception will follow. free admission (rsvp). >>

thurs 6:30pm: the talented mrs. mandelbaum: the rise and fall of an american organized-crime boss: journalist margalit fox discusses her latest book, the talented mrs. mandelbaum: the rise and fall of an american organized-crime boss, the true story of a once-infamous criminal mastermind and visionary businesswoman in gilded age new york. nypl’s stavros niarchos foundation library (midtown), free admission. >>

thurs 7pm: a final reading with the center for fiction / susan kamil 2024-2025 emerging writer fellows: the center for fiction’s nine 2024-2025 emerging writer fellows come together to conclude their cohort year and share their published writing and works in-progress. the center for fiction (fort greene), free admission (donations welcome). >>

thurs 7pm: top shelf stories: julia whitehouse serves up an evening of carefully crafted storytelling at ucb (east village). tonight’s show features guests bryan berlin, john trowbridge, lucas connolly, and andrew mcgill, plus one open mic slot reserved for an audience member. hosted by julia whitehouse. $10 adv, $15 day of. >>

thurs 7pm: the harlem chamber players: nyc composers concert: the harlem chamber players continues the 2025-2026 season with a concert celebrating the 400th anniversary of nyc, featuring works by five composers who have lived or currently live in the city. harlem school of the arts, free admission (rsvp required). >>

thurs 7-10pm: fifth annual francon: channel your inner fran at this annual tribute to iconic new york writer and humorist fran lebowitz. don your best fran-inspired look and mingle with like-minded fans over candy cigarettes, themed drinks, and a book exchange at holiday cocktail lounge (east village). $17 admission includes a fran-themed cocktail. >>

🎃 thurs 7:30pm: kevin geeks out about john carpenter: comedian kevin maher, camilla jones, and a lineup of pop-culture aficionados return with a multi-media variety show celebrating the films of john carpenter. nitehawk cinema (prospect park), $18. >>

🎃 8pm: wunderkammer: a taxidermy showcase and competition: art meets anatomy as taxidermy artists show off their wildest one-of-a kind creations at this offbeat annual event. the bell house (gowanus),$20 adv, $25 door. >>

ongoing

our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: fall foliage maps, oktoberfest events, the amazing maize maze, and more. >>

stay safe and healthy
– the skint