Cheap Chick NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Events, May 27-30, 2011

Friday May 27, 2011

Rejoin your old friends Maverick and Goose on the Intrepid battleship during a screening of Top Gun! Doors open at 7:30 p.m., movie begins at 8:30 p.m., Pier 86 (46th Street and 12th Avenue), free!

Fall in love with Rooftop Films as they screen short films relating to the "Pursuit of Love," Doors open at 8 p.m. , films begin at 9 p.m., Open Road Rooftop, LES, 350 Grand Street, tkts are $10, and you can buy them at the door (you can also buy them online, but I couldn’t get the website to come up.)

A-B-C, easy as 1-2-3 to see Michael Jackson Foreverland tribute band tonight! Doors open at 6 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave. bet. N. 11^th and 12^th Streets, $5!

Today is also the opening day for Governors Island (http://www.govisland.com), and the South Street Seaport Water Taxi Beach, now known as the Beekman Beer Garden (http://ec2-174-129-17-40.compute-1.amazonaws.com/places/beekman-beer-garden)!

Plus get animated for the Bill Plympton Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image today and tomorrow! (http://www.movingimage.us/films/2011/05/27/detail/bill-plympton-independently-animated/)!

And starting tonight watch the original Tron at midnight (also screening Saturday and Sunday) http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Films/films_frameset.asp?id=19370) and Taxi Driver is up for midnight screenings through Sunday as well! (http://www.ifccenter.com/films/taxi-driver)

Saturday May 28, 2011

Celebrate the zine at Pete's Mini Zine Fest! More than 20 zinesters will be on-hand with new printed matter! 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Pete's Candy Store, 708 Lorimer St., free!

Have le fun at Le Bingo, hosted by drag queen Linda Simpson and other assorted friends! 7 p.m., Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., free to enter and just $2 per card and poss buying some food/drinks!

Rock out with punk opera Pink Floyd: The Wall down at Coney Island! Doors open at 8 p.m., Movie is on at 8:30 p.m., Coney Island Museum, between Stillwell Ave. and W. 12th Street, $6, buy tkts here: http://shop.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=1557!

A movie geek’s fantasy come true, Movieoke gives them the chance to recite all their favorite movie lines. I myself like “1.21 gigawatts of electricity?!” 10:15 p.m., 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson (and Canal), $10, buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T-MM5FM39

Saturday and Sunday May 28 and 29, 2011
Visit famous movie sites of the UES during this tour led by Discovery Walking Tours! "Nearly 20 famous film locales will be spotted on this East Side holiday weekend tour including the Breakfast at Tiffany's townhouse, a James Bond getaway scene, the site of Marilyn Monroe's subway grate pose, the Urban Cowboy apartment, and locations from Mad Men and two Woody Allen films!" 1:30 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations, tour is $18!


Discovery is also leading The American Revolution and Brooklyn Bridge tour, “In celebration of Memorial Day Weekend, a walk across the bridge to discuss the layout of the Battle of Brooklyn, fought in 1776, followed by a walk through Lower Manhattan to review its patriotic history. Stops include Federal Hall, where Washington was inaugurated; the graves of Alexander Hamilton and Declaration Signer Francis Lewis; St Paul’s Chapel; Bowling Green and the site of The Battle of Golden Hill,” 4:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservation, $18!

Sunday May 29, 2011
Watch out for the undead as Brooklyn’s Zombie Crawl gets underway! 4 p.m., Starts at Knitting Factory where you can get “zombied-up” and those undead 21+ can enjoy drink specials, 361 Metropolitan Avenue, then at 6 p.m. it moves to McCarran Park around 6:45 for games and other undead amusements, before ending up at Public Assembly (70 North 6th Street) around 8:45 p.m., $8! For more info go here: http://nyczombiecrawl.com/news/

Does the founder of Facebook have any friends? Find out at this Social Network screening! 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Ave. at 56th St, free, but call (212) 833-8100 for reservations!

The LES Jewish Conservancy will take you on a tour of sacred sites where immigrants would worship on their Lower East Side Then and Now Walking Tour! Stops include the Bialystoker Synagogue, Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, and Kehila Kedosha Janina, 10:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Meet in front of Abrons Art Center, 488 Grand Street, corner of Pitt Street, tour is $16, $2 more on day of tour! Buy tkts here: http://www.nycjewishtours.org/events_calendar.htm#05292011

Today and tomorrow Green-Wood Cemetery commemorates the Civil War with re-enacators, a concert, and candlelight procession! (http://www.green-wood.com/calendar/upcoming/

Monday May 30, 2011

The New York Philharmonic is performing a free Memorial Day concert today at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine! 8 p.m., 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, free!

Don’t forget the Met (http://metmuseum.org/) is open today as part of Met Holiday Mondays (and is pay-what-you-wish! Just tell the cashier you’d like to make a donation today) and the Museum of the City of New York (http://www.mcny.org//) is also open today (has a suggested $10 admission, which = pay-what-you-wish)!

Regress to the late 90’s/early 2000’s with Freaks and Geeks (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222895214393074) and Buffy marathons (come on, watch it once more with feeling!) today as well (http://waystationbk.blogspot.com/2011/05/buffy-mondays-at-way-station.html)!

And all weekend long, you don’t need to go down to the docks to meet a sailor during Fleet Week (http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/FleetWeek2011KicksOff.aspx), NYC’s beaches open this weekend (http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/beaches), and The 16^th Annual LES Festival for the Arts is happening at Theater for the New City (http://theaterforthenewcity.net/) !

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, May 20-23, 2011

Friday May 20, 2011
Brooklyn author Francine Prose will speak about her new novel My New American Life at a reading and wine reception tonight, 7:30 p.m., Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton St., free!

Chow down on free free spicy pork bulgogi from the Taste of Korea Food Truck starting at 11:30 a.m., Union Sq, 15th Street West!

Immerse yourself in the worlds of America’s First Ladies at this program with monologues performed by costumed first ladies, snacks, and a costume contest (come dressed as your favorite first lady). Part of the Meet the Lady series, 8 p.m., 92Y Tribeca, $12, more info and buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T%2DMM5FM22!

The private dining room at Craft will be transformed into a cocktail lounge as you unwind by sipping $12 cocktails and consuming fancy snacks at Tom Colicchio’s enclave, 8 p.m. to midnight, 47 E. 19th bet. B’way and Park Ave. South, pay for drinks!

Animate your weekend with Rooftop Films’ Dark Toons screening, a collection of short animated movies from around the world, doors open at 8 p.m., films begin at 9 p.m., 23rd St. and the East River (6 to 23rd and walk faaarrr east), tkts are $10 and can be bought here: http://rooftopfilms.ticketleap.com/rooftop-films-dark-toons! ATTENTION, SHOW HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL WED, MAY 25! ALL TKTS FOR TONIGHT WILL BE HONORED!

Romance, boxing, and Ireland, oh my! Watch a screening of The Quiet Man, with Gabriel Byrne and other special guests, 7 p.m., MOMA, 53rd bet. 5th and 6th, 7 p.m., $10 (buy at museum)! (Plus remember that the museum is free tonight from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.!)

Plus Illuminating Fashion: Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands opens at the Morgan Library & Museum (thru Sept. 4) open, and not one, but three (count ‘em!) new exhibits open at the ICP (http://www.icp.org/museum/exhibitions/current) today!
Remember The Morgan is free tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the ICP charges only a voluntary donation tonight (i.e. anything you want to pay)!

Saturday May 21, 2011
This flick may make you think twice about getting that next roommate off Craigslist! Enjoy a free screening of The Roommate today, 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Sony Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Avenue, free, but call (212) 833-8100 for reservations!

Hopefully this workshop will be the bee’s knees as you learn the basics of bee-keeping from urban bee keeper Roger Repohl, 11 a.m., beginners and experienced bee-keepers are welcome, Registration required, Wave Hill, West 249th Street, Perkins Visitor Center, $20 and up. As of today (5/20, the workshop is now full, but please call 718.549.3200 x305 to be put on the waiting list.

Plan your day craftily at Shop the Archway, Brooklyn Craft Central’s market at the arch under the Manhattan. There will be handmade goods from local vendors, a children’s craft table, and raffles, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., DUMBO, Archway under the Manhattan Bridge, A,C to High St., F to York, free!

Foodies can to Smorgasburg at the Brooklyn Flea, where you can nosh on gourmet goodies and buy kitchenware items (http://www.brooklynflea.com/markets/#smorgasburg-map), Brooklyn Flea, 27 North 6th St. (bet. Kent Ave. and East River), free!

Learn more about Afghanistan during the “Focus on Afghanistan Film Festival,” which features 15 short films, all created by women, with breaks and discussions during the day, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., $20 day pass, buy tkt here: TK ws!

Career Coach Elisa Zervos is leading a workshop on Job Search Networking and Strategies with tips on finding the hidden job market, posting your resume online, and networking, 3:30 p.m., Broadway branch of the Queens Public Library, Steinway at Broadway, R to Steinway St., free!

Here’s hoping someone will “score tonight” at the Grease 2 Sing-a-Along starring a much-younger Michelle Pfeiffer and a pre-Beverly Hills, 90210 pilot Maxwell Caulfield, 11 p.m., 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., $13, buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?category=92Tri+92YTribeca+Film888&productid=T%2DMM5FM35

3rd Ward celebrates its fifth birthday today with a BBQ blowout complete with demonstrations, live music, and cheap drinks, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., 3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave, Brooklyn, free (but RSVP here: http://www.3rdward.com/5thbday)

Dance your way down the street at the New York Dance Parade, and make your way downtown for DanceFest where you can watch live dance performances, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., (parade starts at 1 p.m. at B’way and 20th, DanceFest runs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) at Tompkins Square Park, free!

Spend the day outside at your favorite park helping with maintenance and other projects during “It’s My Park Day,” all day long volunteer event, for a list of parks and other info, go here: 195 Morgan Ave!

Get that crafty feeling off your chest at the Bust Craftacular and Food Fair! “Stop by for the best in handmade jewelry, specialty foods, cards, clothes, posters, housewares, and more. Plus: raffles, DJs, book signings, and a free goodie bag for the first 300 people,” 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., 82 Mercer St. bet Spring and Broome, (the cheap chick did not see a price listed, so am assuming it’s free, but she knows that previously that $2-$3 has been charged for admission-so be prepared with some cash!

See what the students of Parsons have been up (besides their Project Runway aspirations) to at their festival/block party where student projects like color bots, a fashion photo booth, and a freestanding solar-powered house + food, and live jazz, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 13th bet. 5th and 6th, free!

A spooky walking tour ensues with the Gotham City Ghost Tour at Twilight, “a tour of the historic, infamous and macabre of Greenwich Village history, laced with ghost stories along the way. Stops include Edgar Alan Poe’s home; the hanging elm, a legendary public execution site in New York City; the cemetery at St. Mark’s, and the burial ground at Washington Square. And you thought only subways ran beneath the city streets!” 5:45 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting time, $18!

Saturday and Sunday May 21, and 22, 2011
Join Discovery Walking Tours for their Brooklyn Bridge Birthday Bash: Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour! “Two tours for the price of one to mark the birthday of the great bridge! First, a walk across the bridge to learn about its creation and early history, with a discussion of the Roeblings, the designers of the bridge, as well as the sacrifice and dramatic story of the immigrant workers that built it. Next, a tour of Brooklyn Heights, examining the transition of the neighborhood from wealthy Victorian suburb to 20th century literary haven. Tour ends at the Brooklyn Promenade and its glorious view of Manhattan’s skyline and the bridge,” 2 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $18!

In Queens, hundreds of artists open their studio doors to the public as part of LIC Open Studios, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., all across LIC, go here for a listing of studios: http://www.licartsopen.org/?page_id=283, free!


AND…Interact with fellow comic book-geeks (including James Marsters aka Spike and Tom Felton aka Draco Malfoy!) at the spring edition of Big Apple Comic Con (http://www.wizardworld.com/home-newyork.html)!

Sunday May 22, 2011
MOMA/PS 1 opens its doors to showcase its upcoming exhibits with music and drinks with a free open house today! You’ll also be able to see a trailer for the upcoming exhibit Ryan Trecartin: Any Ever, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., MOMA/PS 1, 22-25 Jackson Ave. at the intersection of 46th Ave, free! (Please note that the public entrance will be at the back of building due to construction.)

Keep on truckin’ down to Brooklyn for today’s Food Truck Rally. Sample treats such as dumplings, lobster rolls, smoothies, and more, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Prospect Park/Grand Army Plaza, Flatbush Avenue, Eastern Parkway, free (must buy food)!

The Land of the Rising Sun takes over Central Park for Japan Day with special performances and activity tents, Event starts at 11 a.m., Rumsey Playfield & Bandshell area, (entrance on East 69th Street and Fifth Avenue), free!

The Great White Way is in the spotlight today as members of Harwood Management Vocal Artists perform a salute to Broadway, 2:30 p.m., New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium, please use the Library's Amsterdam Avenue entrance at 111 Amsterdam Ave., just below 65th St. Plaza entrance is closed on Sundays, free!

Grab a paperback (specficially The Ascent of Eli Israel) from Papernick the Book Peddlar, author Jonathan Papernick, as he traverses the city (Central Park, the New York Public Library, and finally the LES), and ends up at the Eldridge Street Synagogue where he’ll join authors Dara Horn and Matthew Lippman for a reading at 5 p.m., Museum at Eldridge Street (12 Eldridge Street Between Canal and Division Streets), free, but reservations required! Email hgriff@eldridgestreet.org or call 212.219.0888 for more information.

Get in touch with your Native American side at Drums Along the Hudson, an open-air pow-wow, with drumming (of course!), dance demonsrations, food, and art, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Inwood Hill Park, Indian Road at 218th St., free!

Plus all weekend long there is an Elizabeth Taylor Film Festival at Lincoln Center (http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/elizabeth-the-golden-age)!

Cheap Chick NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, May 13-15, 2011

Friday May 13, 2011

Time to enjoy the view, and a movie, with the opening night of Rooftop Films’ summer season! Doors open at 8 p.m., films begin at 9 p.m., TK location, tkts are $10 online or at the door, buy tkts online here: http://rooftopfilms.com/2011/schedule/this-is-what-we-mean-by-short-films-2, seating is on a first-come-first-served basis, and seats are limited so you might want to bring a blanket or something else to rest your butt on! (There is a Plan B in case of rain, so the show will go on, no matter what!)

Free food and wine tasting on the UWS! Sample wines with West Side Wine and Tangled Wine including Brun Cremant, Guimaro Mencia, and Graville-Lacoste Graves, with treats from Chef Dave Seigal! 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., West Side Wine, 481 Columbus Ave., free!

Wyld Stallions Forever! Join Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted Logan on a most excellent trip through time to complete their history project-will they get it done in time? (Silly question perhaps since they have a time machine...) Anyway find out at tonight’s screening of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure! 10 p.m., 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street at Canal, $12! Buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T-MM5FM31

Join fellow geeks at Nerd Nite where you can play trivia and learn a few things about optical illusions, restricted-calorie diets, and where the most amusement park accidents have happened, 7 p.m. for trivia (9 p.m. for lectures), Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St. at Water St., DUMBO, $10 for just Nerd Nite, and $14 for trivia+Nerd Nite! For more info and to buy tkts go here: http://nyc.nerdnite.com

The Rubin Museum is free tonight as part of its K2 program, with music and tours. Author Walter Mosley will also introduce a special screening of the crime classic The Maltese Falcon, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., The Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17^th St. at 7^th Ave., gallery programs and exhibitions are free, and the movie is free with a $7 bar tab!

Saturday May 14, 2011

Get in touch with your country music roots with a free screening of Country Strong, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 56th St. and Madison, screening is free, but please call (212) 833-8100 for reservations.

Trade those four wheels (or a car powered by your own two feet and shared by a pet dinosaur) for two wheels at the new Bike-in Theater, where cyclists can pull up on their wheels and watch a movie while enjoying snacks from Forking Tasty, Time and location are a mystery at the moment, to get that information sign up for the Forking Tasty notification list here: http://forkingtasty.com/bike-in-theater, free!

Take a ferry trip with the Greater Astoria Historical Society as they travel to Staten Island’s Snug Harbor, as part of their Second Saturdays with Forgotten New York program, 9:30 a.m., Meet at Meet on sidewalk outside South Ferry Terminal, Manhattan (take 1 to South Ferry, R to Whitehall), $25, includes tour booklet!

Be sure to grab some fries on the National Burger Month Lower Manhattan Food Tour led by chef Liz Young! Sample the American classic at Burger Burger, The Libertine, Zaitzeff and Ryan Maguire's Ale House, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., No meeting place listed, hopefully you get that with tkt, $25 (includes food!) Buy tkt here: http://www.downtownny.com/programs/food-tours

Rock out with the muppets at the Bell House’s party celebrating the music-themed episodes of the Muppet Show! Trivia, drink specials, and videos abound, 2 p.m., The Bell House, 149 Seventh St. bet 2^nd and 3^rd Avenues, Bklyn, $8!

Viva Cuba at Habana Outpost’s block party, which includes bands, an outdoor market, games, and a raffle! I had their classic Cuban sandwich and loved it! 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., assuming around their Bklyn location at 757 Fulton St., free!

Relive your favorite moments with Carrie and the girls with Discovery Walking Tours’ Sex and the City Tavern Tour! Grab a Cosmopolitan and nostalgia for the show. The tour will take you to places associated with the show, and will stop at bars where the girls gathered! 5:15 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservation!

All day long the Brooklyn Museum is hosting a symposium relating to From Portraits to Pin-ups: Representation of Women in Art and Popular Culture (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/calendar/event/4222), the NYPL (that’s the New York Public Library to you and me (!) celebrates its 100^th year with a special exhibit featuring highlights from their collection (http://www.nypl.org, Stephen A. Schwarzman building at 42^nd St., the one with the lions!), and it’s World Tai Chi-Qigong Day (http://www.classicalyangtaichi.com)!

Saturday and Sunday May 14, and May 15, 2011

Travel around the world in food at the 9^th Avenue International Food Festival, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., 42^nd to 57^th Street info on 9^th Ave., free (except cost of food)!

To go or not to go? Don’t be a “drag,” go out and see "Twelfth Night" in Central Park, performed by the Spontaneous Shakespeare Company! Summit Rock, 83rd St. directly off of Central Park West, enter at 85th Street, and follow the hill up to the right, take the C to 86th St., free! (also on the 21st, 28th, and 29th!)

Join Discovery Walking Tours for “a walk through these ethnic enclaves exploring the trials and triumphs of the American immigrant. Along the way, we will sample ethnic specialties from pizza and cannolli to spring rolls and dumpling. Stops include the Church of the Transfiguration; Mulberry Street; the site of Five Points, made famous in Gangs of New York; Banca Stabile, Confucius Plaza, and the residence of Dr. Sun-Yat-sen.” 2 p.m. (both dates), call 212-465-3331 to RSVP and for meeting place, $26, includes food!

Sunday May 15, 2011

The Vegetables are on parade-the Veggie Pride Parade that is! March with other plants from the village to Union Square where you can check out free vegan food, educational programs, and a costume contest, Noon, parade starts at 9^th Ave and Gansevoort St., free!

View historic homes during The 52nd Annual Park Slope House Tour, a self-guided walking tour. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Starting point is P.S. 107, 1301 Eighth Avenue at 13th Street, $20 if purchased in advance online (here: http://www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org/house-tour) or buy day-of tkts for $25, which includes a house tour brochure.

The Historic House Trust of New York City is conducting tours of the Little Red Lighthouse, famously described in the book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., take the train to 181st St. and walk west to Plaza Lafayette. Cross the footbridge and take a left down the path under the overpass. Cross over the railroad tracks and follow the path to the left (south). The lighthouse is almost directly under the George Washington Bridge., free!

Stroll the other Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn during Park Slope’s Fifth Avenue Street Fair, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., from Sterling Place to 12^th St., free!

The Beaver state is being honored with its own State Fair where you can enter your feet a Bigfoot competition, chow down on free blackberry pie, and imbibe beverages native to the state, with a cash prize to the best item with a bird on it, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., The Bell House, 149 Seventh St. bet 2^nd and 3^rd Avenues, Bklyn, free!

Yevgeniy Fiks will act out the part of various historic figures from LES, like Emma Goldman during this walking tour sponsored by the Museum at Eldridge Street, 2 p.m., meet at the Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St., bet. Canal and Division Streets, $15!

And all weekend long Housing Works Bookstore is having a 30% off sale on art, design, photography, and fashion books (http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/art-and-design-sale-30-off-art-design-photography-and-fashion-may-13th) , Wildflower Week events are going on (http://www.nycwildflowerweek.org), the NYC tattoo convention is happening (http://www.nyctattooconvention.com), the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival presents Seven Days of Jazz Heaven ( http://www.harlemjazzshrines.org), and the New York Photo Festival is ongoing (http://www.newyorkphotofestival.com/site/?)!

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Events, May 6-8, 2011! Happy Mother's Day NYC!

Friday May 6, 2011

Sing the babysitter blues with a screening of that 80’s classic Adventures in Babysitting! Cast member Anthony Rapp will be on-hand for the intro and to answer all your questions, 7:45 p.m., 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., $12, buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T-MM5FM29!

Start your weekend off in a “berry” fine way with NYU’s Strawberry Fest featuring the city’s longest strawberry shortcake and live music! 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Laguardia Place bet. W. 3rd and 4th St., free!

Thank her for being a friend who is “hot in Cleveland!” Betty White will be appearing at Barnes & Noble today to promote her new book, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't), 12:30 p.m., 555 Fifth Avenue, free!

The Neue Galerie is free tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of their First Fridays program! https://www.neuegalerie.org/programs/first-fridays

Saturday May 7, 2011

Discover the diverse ethnic groups that make up the LES during Big Onion’s Immigrant New York Walking Tour! “Stops could include: The "Tweed" Courthouse, Five Points, the African Burial Ground, and sites associated with Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Jacob Riis, Abraham Cahan, Pierre Toussaint, Emma Goldman, and many others.” 11 a.m., meet at the southeast corner of Broadway and Chambers Street, at City Hall Park, $15!

Waited until the last-minute to buy your Mother’s Day gift? Then head to the Prospect Park Craft Fair! The sale of many homemade items from local artisans will benefit the local elementary school, P.S. 154. 10 a.m., Bartel-Pritchard Square, near Prospect Park/15^th St. on the F line, free!

Learn about the women who shaped Wall Street history during the Museum of American Finance’s Women of Wall Street walking tour! Stops include sites related to Muriel Sieber and Victoria Woodhull. 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Meet at the museum (48 Wall Street), $15, buy tkts in advance here: http://www.moaf.org/events/walking/evt_20110507 (museum admission is included in the price.)

Relive those carefree childhood days of the 60s and 70s with the NYC Parks’ 4th Annual Street Games event with activities designed to bring out the child in you, including pogo stick jumping, skateboard clinics, hula hooping, stickball, double-dutch, yo-yoing, soccer clinics, and bike riding lessons. WABC-TV Reporter Carolina Leid and Knicks alumni John Starks, Charles Smith and Cal Ramsey will also being making special appearances at the event, and music and dancing are also part of the festivities. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Park, 114th Street and First Ave., free! (the event will happen rain or shine, with plans to relocate to Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center located in the park in case of bad weather.)

Discovery Walking Tours is hosting the East Village/NOHO History and Dessert Tour at Twilight! “For Mother’s Day Weekend, a historical tour of the two neighborhoods, which served as home to both immigrants and the some of the most exclusive New Yorkers of the 1800s. Stops include Cooper Union, where Lincoln spoke; McSorley’s Ale House, one of New York’s oldest; Andy Warhol’s Factory; Colonnade Row, home of the Astor family; and Grace Church. Along the way, a sweet sampling from some of the area’s patisseries, including DeRobertis and Veniero’s – just like Mom used to make!” 5:45 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and to RSVP, $26 (includes treats!)

Try not to rock the boat when you’re listening to a free concert at Bargemusic today! 1 p.m., Bargemusic is at Fulton Ferry Landing near the Brooklyn Bridge (A,C to High St., F to York), free-but first-come, first-served seating!

Saddle up and head to the Bell House for a Kentucky Derby party, complete with mint juleps, music, dancing, and karaoke! 1 p.m. (race at 6 p.m.), 149 7^th St., Bklyn, free!

Race through the bowels of the Met on a scavenger hunt sponsored by the social group The Lunch Club! 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., $15 per individual, meeting details will be given out once you buy tkts! Come with your own team of four or five or join a group there! For more info go here: http://metnighthunt-eorg.eventbrite.com/ and buy tkts here: http://metnighthunt-eorg.eventbrite.com/.

Poets House is hosting Bridging Cultures: A Day–Long Series of Panels and Readings all-day today! For info on specific panels and readings go here: http://poetshouse.org/illuminverse.htm?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Bridging+Cultures&utm_content=Bridging+Cultures+CID_3cf162ccb15f88d5d647dc5c044ff243&utm_source=Email+marketing+software&utm_term=a+hrefhttppoetshouseorgilluminversehtmmay7Bridging+Cultures+Day-Long+Panel+Discussions++An+Evening+Celebration#may7, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, free!

Don’t forget that the Brooklyn Museum is free today as part of its First Saturday program (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php), Girl Scout Cookies are for sale at Launchpad 10 am to 1 p.m. (http://nostrandpark.com/2011/05/04/girl-scout-cookies-for-sale-sat-may-7th-at-launchpad), The Hester Street Fair also reopens today with its special LES Feast Side Food Festival (http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/), it’s Wildlife Appreciation Day with the Urban Park Rangers (http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2011/05/07/2nd-annual-wildlife-appreciation-day-with-the-urban-park-rangers)!

Saturday and Sunday May 7 and 8, 2011

Immerse yourself in the world of Jane Jacobs with a ton of free walking tours sponsored by the Municipal Art Society and held all day long! For more info go here: http://www.janeswalkusa.org/!

Take a sweet trip through Prospect Park and Park Slope with Discovery Walking Tour’s Park Slope and Prospect Park History and Dessert Tour! “Join us on a tour of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, discovering its hidden places, with stops at Long Meadow, Vale of Cashmere, Battle Pass, and the Ravine. We will also stroll through the Park Slope neighborhood surrounding it, with stops at such architectural gems as the Montauk Club, Temple Beth Elohim, and St John’s Episcopal Church. And what would make this tour even sweeter for Mom? Why, a sampling of sweets from the Slope’s notable shops along the way, where you can try Hamentashen, chocolate truffles, and apple crumb, to name a few!” 2 p.m., $26 (includes treats!) Call 212-465-3331 to RSVP and for meeting place!

Plus Housing Works Bookstore is having a 30% off sale (http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/monthly-30-off-sale-all-day-may-7th-and-8th) and the free NYU Graduate Film Festival is going on (http://skirballcenter.nyu.edu/calendar/tischfilmmarathon)!

Sunday May 8, 2011

I sure hope there are enough nachos to scoop up all that guacamole at Nachosny.com’s Guactacular 2011! The Brooklyn Brewery will be giving away free beer, Frito Lay is donating Tostitos chips to go with all the green stuff flying around, and there will be a scavenger hunt too! 5 p.m., The Bell House, 149 7th Street, $15 advance/$18 door, ws says tkts sold out, but might be worth checking into…didn’t indicate if door tkts were still available.

Celebrate Mother’s Day on the LES with the Yiddishe Mamas – Mother's Day Walking Tour organized by the Eldridge Street Synagogue! “We’ll follow in the footsteps of beloved balabustas, freethinking feminists, and turn-of-the-century working girls, and fête you with home-made rugelach, bagels and coffee.” $25 per person – Space is limited. RSVP required! RSVP here: http://www.eldridgestreet.org/index.php/may

Catch a sneak peek of the new HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce today (appropriately on Mother’s Day, no?), 2 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue, (R train to Steinway, N to 36^th Avenue), $10, tkts are first-come, first-served!

Listen to a free organ recital at St. Patrick’s Cathedral-sounds like a great way to spend Mother’s Day! 4:45 p.m., 460 Madison Ave., free!

Nosh your way through Hell’s Kitchen as the Gourmet Food Truck Bazaar returns! (every second Sunday each month through October), 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market
39th Street and 9th Avenue, free (aside from food purchases)!

Bring Mom along for some LES treats with Big Onion’s Mother’s Day Multi-ethnic Eating Tour! Our "noshing" tour combines the history of the multi-ethnic Lower East Side with diverse tastes of the neighborhood. Learn about the Jewish East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown as we walk through New York’s historic "ethnic quarter." As we explore the history we will makes a series of food sampling stops from some of the significant and historic shops & markets in the area.” 1 p.m., Meet at the southeast corner of Delancey and Essex Streets, in front of the Olympic Diner, tour is $20, and reservations are required! To RSVP email info@bigonion.com. Please include your name; date you wish to attend; number of people in your party. We will confirm via email.

Today (Sunday) Union Square also plays host to the free Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival! (http://capaonline.org/)

All weekend long the Festival of Ideas for the New City is going on (http://www.festivalofideasnyc.com/), Starbucks is serving up half-price Frappuccinos® during their happy hours 3-5 p.m., thru the 15^th (http://www.starbucks.com/blog/happy-hour-returns/1005), and DUMBO The Scene:Brooklyn film festival is happening through the 12^th (http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/44)!