Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, August 7-9, 2009

Friday August 7th
Full Swing Friday at Dance Manhattan
8 p.m. Free introduction class starts, partying starts at 9:30 p.m.
Jump, jive, and wail with West Coast and East Coast swing dancing!
Cheap Chick Info: $10 or less depending on certain dance affiliations
Location Info: Dance Manhattan, 39 West 15th Street, Fifth Floor
Subway: 4,5,6,N,R,Q,W,L to Union Square

MMP Party
10 p.m.
The two M's in this party do NOT stand for Mickey Mouse, but rather pop music icons Madonna and Michael Jackson. The P is for Prince. Hmmm, sounds like the start of a music alphabet...Anyway DJ DeeJay will be mashing the tunes of these artists so you can get down with your bad self on the dance floor.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street
Subway: A,C,E,V,F,B,D to West 4th Street

A Midsummer Night's Dream in Riverside Park
6:30 p.m.
Perhaps you'll see a fairy or two in the forest...just don't be an ass as you check out this performance by Hudson Warehouse!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Riverside Park, North Patio of Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument (89th Street)
Subway: 1 to 86th Street

American Classics Wine Tasting
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sample and learn about a variety of American wines.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Astor Wine, 399 Lafayette St at East 4th St.
Subway: 6 to Astor Place

Saturday August 8th
Metropolitan Museum of Art Scavenger Hunt with the Lunch Club
2 p.m.
How well do you really know the museum? Have you been to the rooftop cafe? Can you find Madame X? The Costume Institute? Do you know what kind of graffiti is on the Temple of Dendur? Find out the answer to these and many other burning questions during this Lunch Club scavenger hunt.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 in advance or $15 at the event, join the club's meal plan and it's only $4. Join as a monthly member and it's free! RSVP here: http://www.thelunchclub.com/clubhouse/calendar.php?do=viewlcevent&e=2244
Location Info: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Ave@82nd Street, Meet at the south side of the main stairway
Subway: 6 to 86th Street

Fungus Tour with Paul Sadowsky of the NY Mycological Society
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Find out if you can you spot fungus among us during this walk in search of edible, inedible, or poinsonous mushrooms.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Inwood Hill Park, Payson Playground (Dyckman Street and Payson Avenue)
Subway: 1 or 9 to 215th Street

Saturday August 8th and Sunday August 9th, 2009
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Say hi to Puff (I mean the literal dragon btw) for me if you see him lurking around the long dragon boats. Other cultural activities include demonstrations, crafts, and food.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Subway: 7 train to Mets-Willets Point Station

Civil War History Weekend on Governors Island
Travel back in time to the 1860's with living history demonstrations, music and other programs.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Governors Island
Subway: Take the 1 to South Ferry, or the R to Whitehall Street and then take the ferry to the island. The ferry terminal is almost right next door to the Staten Island Ferry terminal.

Brooklyn Electronic Musical Festival
4 p.m. (Saturday) and overnight to 4 a.m. in the morning
Check out this outdoor music festival with more than 40 different DJs.
Cheap Chick Info: $25 in advance
Location Info: The Old American Can Factory, 232 Third Street at Third Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn
Subway: F, G to Carroll St; M, R to Union St.

Sunday August 9th
Sunday Afternoon In Harlem, A Celebration of Cultural and Historical Harlem
12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Enjoy an afternoon of walking tours with architects, historians, and local residents. More specific info on the tours can be found here: http://www.culturenow.org/HarlemNOW/index.php?page=events
Cheap Chick Info: $20, includes all tours, a copy of the HarlemNOW cultural and historical map, and reception. Purchase tkts here.
Location Info: West Harlem Piers Park, 132nd St & the River
Subway: 1 to 137th Street

Dominican Day Parade
12 p.m.
Watch revelers celebrate the Dominican Republic from 36th Streets to 56 Streets on Sixth Avenue.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: See above.
Subway: D,F,N,Q,R,W to 34th Street Herald Square

Star Wars Screening
8 p.m.
Light sabers, Luke, and Leia, oh my! Don't find yourself in a garbage chute at this free screening!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: 757 Fulton St. at S. Portland St, Brooklyn
Subway: C to Lafayette

Remember that Housing Works is having a $1 sale (http://www.housingworks.org/social-enterprise/bookstore-cafe/), and BAM is honoring Carey Grant with a schedule of movie screenings (http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1409)

I know I'm not the only blogger saying this, but I highly recommend catching a showing of Julie/Julia. I was able to see a free sneak preview (yes the Cheap Chick has connections :) and I thought it was a fun, light two hours, and Meryl Streep channeled the spirit of Julia Child delightfully. Though there are actually some parallels between Julie Powell and myself-we're both bloggers (I will say I found the story of her blog inspiring!) and we both live in Queens, I found her character a bit whiny at times-my friend said she thought it made her realistic, I'm not so sure...