Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, March 25-27, 2011

Friday March 25, 2011
Music and blogs go together like peanut butter and jelly! Find out how at the Tumblr Reads About Music event! Bloggers including Jeff Rosenthall, Amy Klein, Maura Johnston and Pitchfork Reviews will share readings about their musical experiences and there will be a live performance from The Hotcakes as well. 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby St., free!

Watch a pre-Sabrina teen witch magic her way through high school at the Teen Witch sing-a-long! 11 p.m., 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., $13, buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T-MM5FM14

Celebrate the end of winter with the Skint’s “End of Hibernation Comedy Party,” hosted by Kurt Braunohler (“Hot Tub,” “Night of the Living”) featuring performances by “16-time Moth Story Time slam winner Adam Wade; Best Female Stand-up nominee Brooke Van Poppelen; comedian, indie rocker, author and This American Life contributor, Dave Hill; and a special musical performance by Adira Amram & The Experience,” 7:30 p.m., The Bell House, 149 Seventh St. bet Second and Third Aves., tkts are $10 and can be bought here: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3561085.

Find out how the East diverges from traditional Greek, Egyptian, and Arab zodiac/constellation signs at this lecture on Ancient East Asian Astronomy, by PhD candidate Joo Heon Yoon. After the discussion, head to the rooftop for some stargazing! 8-10 p.m., Pupin Hall at Columbia University, B’way and 116th, free!

Friday and Saturday March 25 and 26, 2011
Watch Jessie Spano take her clothes off during Showgirls! Screening both nights at midnight, IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave., $13, buy tkts here: https://www.movietickets.com/purchase.asp?perf_id=637146648!

Saturday March 26, 2011
Now’s the chance to break out the shoulder pads and cheesecake (?), it’s time for another “We Love the Golden Girls” fourth annual dance party and drag tribute! This party includes go-go granny dancers, an open cheesecake bar, episodes, and trivia! 8 p.m., Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher St., $10 / $5 before 10 p.m. / free after 1a.m.!

It’s Johnny Depp in a non-Pirate costume starring in a free screening of The Tourist! 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Sony Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Avenue, free, but reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (212) 833-8100!

A-Brisket-A-Brasket, sounds fantastic! If you find cured meats sensual (bonus points if you get this Seinfeld reference!), head to this cook-off featuring a variety of meats including pastrami and corned beef! At 6 p.m. learn which beer pairings work best with the beef with a presentation from the NYC Homebrewers Guild. Proceeds of this event will benefit the New Amsterdam Market, 1-4 p.m., Jimmy’s No. 43, 43 E. 7th St. bet. Second and Third Ave., $20.

Inflation’s not just for inner tubes and bike tires anymore! See art created by inflatable objects and made by students of an inflatable art class! 7-10 p.m., 3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave., bet Meadow and Stagg Streets, free to attend, plus enjoy free drinks and food! (Note: this exhibit is for tonight only!)

Today you can also attend the day-long National Black Writers Biannual Symposium at Medgar Evers College (http://www.nationalblackwritersconference.org/)!

Want to branch out from that plant in your windowsill? Then grab your free tree today, as part of this MillionTreesNYC event! "Trees are available to all New York City residents and can be planted on private property, such as front and backyards, commercial properties, community gardens and faith-based institutions. This tree giveaway program is an excellent way to begin or continue greening your neighborhood! Please keep in mind that any trees received through a giveaway event must be planted on private property and not on city streets or parks.
300 trees available on a first come, first served basis, so make sure to show up early," 10 q.m. to 12 p.m., Putnam Triangle, Putnam Avenue and Fulton Street, Brooklyn, free!

Saturday and Sunday March 26 and 27, 2011
Decide who has the fairest mutt in all the borough at the second annual Brooklyn Mutt Show! Goody bags and treats for the four-legged friends and their companions abound, and there is a Snooki look-alike contest, and a dog run/agility course. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Ave., bet President and Union St., Bklyn, free to watch, $25 to participate, all proceeds go to The Toby Project (http://www.tobyproject.org/).


Before the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, check out the Martha Stewart Pie Pop-up Shop with nine varieties of mini pies to mark the release of the domestic diva’s latest book Martha Stewart’s New Pies and Tarts! 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Little Owl the Venue, 93 Greenwich Ave. bet Bank and W. 12th Streets, free to attend, $3 per pie!

Sunday March 27, 2011
The Museum at Eldridge Street remembers the Triangle Shirtwaist fire with their own 100th anniversary tribute event including music, poetry, and actors portraying many who died in the fire. 3 p.m., Eldridge St. Synagogue, 12 Eldridge Street, tkts are $20 for adults and $15 for students/seniors.

Hopefully it won’t get snowed out! Catch a free screening of the family film Over the Hedge tonight, 7 p.m., Inwood Hill Nature Center, Inwood Hill Park, Enter the park at 218 Street and Indian Road and walk west to the Nature Center, free!

Plus check out listings I compiled from several sources for events relating to the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire! http://cheapchickinthecity.blogspot.com/2011/03/nyc-events-commemorating-triangle.html

NYC: Events Commemorating the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Hey all, I've found lots of cheap and free events relating to the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire from a variety of sources.

If you know of any other events related to the fire's centennial, please feel free to add a comment/link on the blog!

Cheap Chick in the City


Events commemorating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire around NYC!


March 23
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 108 Orchard St., 212-982-8420
For the Tenement Museum’s second day of remembrance events, author of the powerful account, Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, David Von Drehle will discuss how the fire changed American labor conditions. The discussion is free, but space is limited and those who preorder a signed copy receive guaranteed seating. 6:30 p.m.

Hand-Sewing in the 1850's-60 Years Before the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
Merchant's House Museum, 29 E. 4th St.
Learn how ladies fashioned clothes before H&M and event the sewing machine as the museum demonstates old-fashioned sewing techniques during this exhibition/lecture prepared in conjunction with Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition. 7 p.m., $15


March 23–24
Women Movers and Shakers Tour: Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The Lower East Side History Project offers a special, two-time-only tour of the LES, the birthplace of the Women’s Suffrage movement, Planned Parenthood and International Ladies Garment Workers Union, among other feats. The walking tour will last approximately two hours, covering 15 blocks. Each tour begins at noon and costs $20 per person. RSVP for meeting location.


March 23–27
From the Fire
Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Sq. South, 212-477-0351From the Fire dramatizes the Triangle fire’s history, blocks from where it happened 100 years ago. The dramatic oratorio was created by a team that includes Tony-nominated composer Elizabeth Swados and is sponsored by the Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts. Performances are March 23–26 at 7:30pm; March 27 at 6pm. For reservations, call 212-229-5488.

March 23—25 in New York City
Join SweatFree Communities and International Labor Rights Forum to Commemorate the Centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and Find Solutions to Today’s Sweatshops
On March 25, 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, located near Washington Square in Manhattan, killed 146 workers who could not escape because the doors were locked—to prevent theft, the employers said, and to keep out union organizers from the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Most workers were young women and recent immigrants. The fire became a rallying cry for the labor movement, resulting in changes in labor law and fire safety regulations that continue to protect all of us today.

In 2011, 100 years later, the garment industry again operates like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Sweatshop conditions are the norm worldwide, and in countries like Bangladesh garment workers are even killed in fires when they are locked in and unable to escape—just like in the Triangle fire. In the United States, laws and protections won in the aftermath of the fire are under renewed attack. In March 2011, SweatFree Communities and International Labor Rights Forum are putting on a series of events with workers and labor rights organizers from Bangladesh to educate about the factory fires and sweatshops of today, and to spark renewed action for decent working conditions and basic protections for workers worldwide.


Midnight March 23 to 4:00pm March 25
THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL 40-HOUR FASTOn the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle fire tragedy, the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State invites the people of New York to fast from solid food for 40 hours, to pray and to spend quiet time reflecting on what kind of workplaces we want for all who labor within New York’s borders… and beyond.Sponsored by the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State, a founding partner of SweatFree Communities.
More information here.


Wednesday, March 23, 5:00-7:30 pm at Fashion Institute of Technology
NOT ONE MORE FIRE! FINDING SOLUTIONS TO TODAY’S SWEATSHOPS
5:00pm free food! 5:30-7:30pm panel and runway show
Speakers:
John Liu, New York City Comptroller
Kalpona Akter, former child garment worker and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity
Mitch Cahn, President of Unionwear, a U.S. garment manufacturer
Judy Gearhart, Executive Director, International Labor Rights Forum
Runway show showcasing solutions to the global sweatshop, live music, and more!Fashion Institute of Technology, Great Hall, D Bldg, NW corner of Seventh Ave & 27th St. (entrance on 27th) Free and open to the public. Learn about cutting edge initiatives by industry, government, and workers to humanize the global garment industry and promote the local industry.


March 24
Out of the Smoke and the Flame: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and its Legacy
CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave., 212-642-2029A musical performance of From the Fire, lectures on labor, panel discussions that include professors from some of the country’s top universities and board members of international labor organizations and a book signing of The New York City Triangle Factory Fire. Registration is free for the events, which begin at 9am and last through 8:30pm. Visit Trianglefireconference.org for a full schedule.


Thursday, March 24, 9:00-9:45pm at The Living RoomSweatfree Campaigner & Musician VALERIE ORTHValerie successfully organized a coalition of over 52 organizations in San Francisco to pass one of the nation’s first and strongest sweatfree purchasing laws in 2005. Now a fearless singer/songwriter, she promotes social justice through her music. This special performance aims to spread the word for Sweatfree New York!The Living Room, 154 Ludlow St, NYC9:00pm sharp, $10, Ages 21+For more information, and to see her new music video, visit www.valerieorth.com.


March 25
Workers United Official Commemoration
Washington Place and Greene St.The annual Workers United Commemoration, held outside the former home of Triangle Waist Company, begins at 11am with music and a memorial procession, and continues with a selection of speakers, including US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, at noon. Finally, flowers are laid as school children, family members of those who passed in the fire and retired garment workers read the names of the victims aloud. The Centennial marks the first time the name of every victim will be read, as the few remaining unidentified bodies were positively identified this year.


7:00-9:30pm at Cooper Union Great Hall
100 YEARS AFTER: THE TRIANGLE FIRE REMEMBERED AND RETHOUGHTThe culminating centennial event — An evening of music, spoken word poetry, and solidarity in commemoration of the 146 victims.Hear Metropolitan Klezmer performing klezmer music written about the tragedy, uncovered 100 years later. Spoken word poetry from youthful voices from the New York City area. Clara Lemlich’s historical speech from the very stage where the Uprising of the 20,000 began. Solidarity Forever by the NYC Labor Chorus. Irish folk rock from Larry Kirwan of Black 47. Worker testimonials from Bangladesh, Egypt, and West Virginia.Cooper Union Great Hall, 7 East 7th Street, New York, NY 10003Sponsors: Cooper Union, Education and Labor Collaborative, Labor and Working Class History Association, Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, Sparkplug FoundationFree and open to the public

Now through March 26 and April 12–July 9
Art/Memory/Place: Commemorating the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
NYU Grey Art Gallery, 100 Washington Sq. East, 212-998-6780This NYU memorial exhibition traces the tragedy’s history from the (unsuccessful) ladies’ garment workers strike of 1909, two years before the fire, to the press coverage the day of the fire, to the fire’s legacy with the rise of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union in the New Deal Era, 50th anniversary events from 1961 and modern-day memorializations. The gallery has a $3 suggested admission fee.

Walking Tour March 26 and 27
On the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, Discovery Walking Tours is leading a tour through Greenwich Village, including a stop at the where the tragedy occurred that sparked the labor movement. Other stops include the Jefferson Courthouse where protesters of the factory’s conditions were tried; Father Demo Square named in honor of the cleric who befriended many victims’ families; and a firehouse that responded to the alarm. Other sites cover those influenced by the event, including Emma Goldman, John Reed, FDR, and Eleanor Roosevelt." 2 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $18!


March 27
Triangle Fire Tribute–100th Anniversary Event
Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St., 212-219-0888The Museum at Eldridge Street offers an afternoon of music and poetry, with 146 participants to portray the victims. Yiddishist Caraid O’Brien will read from original works of the Sweatshop Poets, who wrote of the deplorable working conditions in factories of the 1900s, in Yiddish and English. The concert begins at 3pm and tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students.


Triangle Fire: A Documentary Screening with Filmmaker Jamila Wignot
Women’s eNews HQ, 6 Barclay St., 212-244-1720The new PBS documentary Triangle Fire follows the conditions leading up to the infamous fire and its lasting impact on the nation, from labor reform to women’s suffrage. The film’s director/producer, Jamila Wignot, will introduce the documentary before the screening. RSVP at events@womensenews.org.

"Birds On Fire," a play, 3:00-5:30 p.m. at Theater for the New City

Following the play, Judy Gearhart, Executive Director of International Labor Rights Forum will share brief remarks on modern day sweatshops and factory fires.Theater for the New City presents the world premiere of “Birds on Fire” by award-winning playwright Barbara Kahn with music by EMMY nominee Allison Tartalia. Birds on Fire portrays what might have been the lives of four unidentified victims of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Greenwich Village.March 17 – April 3, 2011. Thurs – Sat at 8 P.M., Sun at 3 P.M. Tickets: $12, 212-254-1109.155 1st Ave@ 10th St. Subway: L to 1st Ave, 6 to Astor Place.For more information about these events, visit sweatfree.org/trianglefire or contact organize@sweatfree.org or 413-586-0974.

March 28
A Day to Remember and Reflect: 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
St. John's Staten Island Campus, 300 Howard Ave., 718-390-4455St. John’s University’s Staten Island campus hosts a special lecture with Dr. Richard Greenwald, author of The Triangle Fire, the Protocols of Peace and Industrial Democracy: In Progressive Era New York (Labor in Crisis), and League of Women Voters of the City of New York Director Sheila Hosni, followed by a candle light vigil with a live, original music performance by university students. The discussion begins at 1:30 p.m.


March 30
The Deadline Club and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists will present "How the Media Cover Immigration," a panel discussion about news coverage of immigration issues, at the Salmagundi Club (5th Ave. b/t 11th and 12th streets). Panelists include Telemundo Channel 47 producer Ninoska Arriaga, CUNN contributor and Lehman College professor Miguel Pérez, Time magazine immigration reporter Nathan Thornburgh, and Yvonne Latty, author, documentary filmmaker and director of NYU's graduate journalism program who created the Beyond the Border project, a collaboration between NAHJ, NYU and University of Arizona. Josh Robin of NY1 will be the moderator. Space is limited, so email us to save a seat.

At a glance:
What: Panel discussion about media coverage of immigration issues
When: 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Where: Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Ave. b/t 11th and 12th Streets
RSVP required: rsvp@deadlineclub.org


Through May 19
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: One Hundred Years After
NYU Open House, 528 LaGuardia Place, 212-998-2630NYU’s Open House Space remembers the Centennial with a powerful collection of historical photos, artifacts and film clips, and an exploration of its effects on labor, all displayed but a few blocks from where the fire originally took place.


Compiled from: Tali Weinberg blog (http://taliweinberg.wordpress.com/), http://www.NYCgo.com, and Time Out New York.

Cheap Chick NYC: Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, March 18-20,2011

Friday March 18, 2011

Gather ‘round for some local storytelling at the Bronx Museum’s Bronx Stories event. Storytellers will share their tales in the galleries (be prepared and bring your own!), and the program includes a screening of the doc, Richie Perez Watches Fort Apache: The Bronx. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Bronx Museum, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, free! For storyteller and other info, go here: http://www.bronxmuseum.org/events.php.

End the stressful work week with a free mini-facial and eye treatment from Caudalíe at Sephora’s UES location. Caudalíe founders, Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas will be on-hand performing the treatments, which incorporate products from the company’s Premier Cru line. 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., please visit the store or call (212) 426-6199 to book your appointment for the event. If space is available, walk-ins will be welcome! Sephora, 144 E. 86th St. and Lex., free!

Check out a special sneak preview of The Best and the Brightest, a new movie dealing the NYC kindergarten application process, and starring Neil Patrick Harris, Amy Sedaris, and Kate Mulgrew. 8 p.m., The Bell House, 149 E. 7^th St. bet. Second and Third Aves., Brooklyn, $10, the Sat show is already sold out, so act quickly! (http://www.thebellhouseny.com/)

Gather to pay your respects to Japan with others at an interfaith candlelight vigil. At 5:30 p.m. you can congregate at The Church Center for the United Nations (777 First Ave. at 44th St.) and at 7 p.m. you can light a candle for Japan at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza ((47th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave.) This event is sponsored by the Asian American Arts Alliance, for more info about this program please contact: Emiko 347-613-9839, free!

Described as “the zaniest pop-up party in town,” drag queen Linda Simpson hosts Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Drag, with “a cast of New York’s kookiest queens providing nonstop thrills and laughs, on stage and off!” Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. (end-time is 10 p.m.), Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker, free! (Cheap Chick tip: I would plan to spend some money on food/drink while there.)

Foodies should also head to NYU for Food: The Conference, a free event going on through 6 p.m. (http://web.me.com/jenniferlittle/2011_English_Students_Association_Conference/Home.html) and female fashionistas can attend a free lecture “Women’s Clothes and Women’s Rights,” which traces the evolution of women’s fashions relating to career and the workforce at FIT as part of its series commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire (http://www.fitnyc.edu/10152.asp).

Friday and Saturday March 18 and 19, 2011

Spend some quality time with Chunk and the Mouth during late-night Goonies screenings. Midnight, Landmark Sunshine, 143 E. Houston, $10!

Saturday March 19, 2011

Join "Mr. Apollo" Billy Mitchell, the unofficial Apollo Theater historian (he’s worked there 40+ years), as he leads a gallery tour of the Museum of the City of New York’s Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing exhibit, which explores the impact of the Apollo theater on American entertainment. 1 p.m., Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, free (!) with museum admission, $10 suggested admission.

Party it up Purim-style I Love Vinyl DJs Scribe and Jon Oliver, carnival and arcade games, and even a costume contest! 9 p.m., 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., Tkts are $20 and can be bought here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?category=92Tri+92Tribeca+Jewish+Life888&productid=T-MM5SH10&ev_ads=_Tripurim_VinylDJ

El Museo del Barrio hosts its free Super Sabado program today as well! (http://www.elmuseo.org/en/event/super-sabado-art-amp-activism)

Sunday March 20, 2011

Find the answer to that classic movie question, “Are you trying to seduce me Mrs. Robinson?” at a free Graduate screening. The film will be shown as part of the Tribeca Grand Hotel’s Sunday Night Screenings program (http://www.tribecagrand.com/sunday-night-screenings), 8:30 p.m., Tribeca Grand, Church Lounge, Two Sixth Ave., free!

Today the “land of ten thousand lakes” (Minnesota!) will be honored at the Bell House’s state fair series. Enjoy a food on a stick competition, butter sculpting, state fair trivia, and more! Those with a MN ID get $3 beers from the Midwestern State! 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 149 E. 7^th St. bet. Second and Third Aves., Brooklyn, free to attend (otherwise pay for your food and drink!)

Attend the “Gender and Genocide: Aspects of the Sexual Violation of Women During the Holocaust” lecture at the Brooklyn Museum. Gloria Steinem moderates this panel discussion and is joined by authors Dr. Sonja M. Hedgepeth and Dr. Rochelle G. Saidel, co-editors of Sexual Violence Against Jewish Women During the Holocauast, Nava Semel (And the Rat Laughed), and Jeanne Kasongo L. Nogondo. Afterward there will be a reception to acknowledge the fourth anniversary of the Sackler Center for Feminist Art. 2 p.m., Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, free with suggested donation of $10 toward museum admission!

Take a first day of spring walk through Central Park, eyes will be open for “blossoms, birds, and bugs that are springing back to life.” 11 a.m., meet at Belvedere Castle, (mid-park and 79^th St.), free!

Celebrate the official first day of spring (yea, no more blizzards!) with free Italian ice at Rita’s today (http://www.ritasice.com/) and free macarons as part of Macaron Day here in the city (check here for info and participating locations (http://macarondaynyc.com/what_is-mac.html), and the Explorer’s Club holds its annual open house, complete with high tea and lectures (http://www.explorers.org/)!

Plus, during the rest of the weekend…there’s still time to see "The Rover," a Restoration comedy by Aphra Behn at the World Financial Center and performed by members of New York Classical Theater (http://newyorkclassical.org/) through the 20th, Housing Works is having a 30% off film book and DVD sale all weekend (http://shophousingworks.com/eventsdetail.cfm?entry=4116) through the 21st, take tours of the rarely-seen Irish servants’ quarters at the Merchant’s House Museum (http://www.merchantshouse.com/calendar), soak up Asian culture during Asian Week (http://www.asiaweekny.com/index.html), and watch Taxi Driver at the Film Forum http://www.filmforum.org/films/taxidriver.html, through the 31st!

And it's Purim time, see which parties my friends at Time Out New York suggest: http://newyork.timeout.com/things-to-do/this-week-in-new-york/1016219/five-best-purim-parties?cmpid=HOT (includes 92ndY Tribeca party listed above.)

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Events, March 11-13, 2011

Friday March 11, 2011

“Stop collaborate, and listen” to Rob Van Winkle’s (aka Vanilla Ice) film turn in Cool as Ice. 10 p.m., 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., tkts are $10 and can be bought here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T-MM5FM18.

Live like the glitterati and have a sip of the good life at Frankly Wines’ Fancy Pants Fridays, where a bottle of the good stuff ($30+) is opened and drinks poured for all! 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 66 W. Broadway, free!

That all-powerful geek magnet, Nerd Nite, is celebrating its fifth anniversary tonight! Music is the theme tonight, with presentations on musical questions like Who Let the Dogs Out? Out? and the rip-off of African-American cover songs by white musicians. A top-secret presentation with “historical significance” rounds out the lectures. Those wanting to meet their dork in shining armor can sign up for speed dating (sorry ladies, your spots are gone, but there are plenty of spaces left for geeky guys!) 7 p.m. Speed dating starts (must check-in at 6:45), and 9 p.m. for reg. Nerd Nite. Galapagos Art Space, DUMBO, 16 Main St., For more info and tkts go here: http://nyc.nerdnite.com/

Other nerds may want to test their NYC knowledge at the Queens Museum of Arts’ trivia night incorporating its amazing Panorama! Questions will cover geography and landmarks of all five boroughs. Winners receive a year-long museum membership and will have their names engraved on the Panorama Challenge trophy! 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Queens Museum of Art, Flushing MeadowsCorona Park, enter at 49^th Ave. and111th St., free!

Friday March 11 and Saturday March 12, 2011

Calling all knights of the round table and their spam, there are midnight screenings of Monty Python and the Holy Grail happening this weekend! Midnight, Landmark Sunshine, 143 E. Houston, $10, buy tkts here: https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Ticketing.aspx?TheatreID=256!

Saturday March 12, 2011

Women can learn self-defense techniques and increase awareness and self confidence at this free workshop taught by Shihan Ramzy, an 8th degree black belt in Fuji Ryu Jujutsu with over 35 years’ experience in the martial arts and women’s self defense and is the founder and CEO of the Women’s Empowerment Self Defense Academy (W.E.S.D.A.) 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Alfred Smith Recreation Center, 80 Catherine Street, free!

The Sony Wonder Technology Lab is hosting a free screening of the doc Inside Job, which examines the economic crisis of 2008 and is narrated by Matt Damon. 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Sony Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Avenue, screening is free, but reservations are highly recommended, to make them call (212) 833 7858, free!

Learn about the relationship between the Irish and Hell’s Kitchen during the Hell’s Kitchen: A Political History of the New York Irish walking tour, sponsored by Culture Now. “The tour will discuss the political history of the area, including its evolution from the days when the gentleman mobster Owney Madden (believed to be the inspiration for Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby) ran the liquor distribution in the City during Prohibition (as well as the Cotton Club in Harlem and leading prize fighters) to the days in the 1950's of turf wars between Irish and Puerto Rican gangs (the inspiration for West Side Story), to the ultimately successful struggle in the 1970's by the community in alliance with the Catholic Church to save the area and the adjacent theater district from the proliferation of pimps, prostitutes and pornographic purveyors.” 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., meet at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 5^th Ave. bet. 50^th and 51^st St., tkts are $10 (plus $1.50 service fee) and can be purchased here: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=215444

Explore little-known early 20^th century skyscrapers around the Union Square and Flatiron districts, with the Municipal Arts Society. Stops include buildings by Warren & Wetmore, Bruce Price and Cass Gilbert, as well as John Edelmann, friend and mentor to Louis Sullivan. 11 a.m., meet at the SW corner of Broadway and 13th Sts, $15, pay at tour.

Get in touch with your green thumb at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s day-long Making Brooklyn Bloom: Let's Garden Together program. Workshops include: People, Plants, and Politics in the City, Selling Your Vegetables: Opportunities to Share Your Harvest, Farming in Brooklyn, Keep It Cheap: Making Plants with Neighbors, NetRoots: Using Web Tools for Garden Projects, and Digging Up Dinner: Building Garden Partnerships with Food Pantries. For a full listing of the day’s events go here: http://www.bbg.org/visit/event/mbb_2011/. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (registration is from 10-11 a.m., and you can either purchase a lunch at the café, or brown bag it to attend networking sessions.) Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, 1000 Washington Ave., free!

Did you know that nine of the first ladies were from New York? Find out their stories and relationship to the Empire state with Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan! 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace bet 160^th and 162^nd Sts., free, but advanced registration is required. Call 212 923 8008 to RSVP!

Big Onion helps you discover Irish New York, encompassing “the former "Little Ireland" district of the Lower East Side, between City Hall and Houston Street. This 19th-century neighborhood had more Irish residents than Dublin! Stops could include: the founding site of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Al Smith's home, the Five Points, the first Catholic church in the city, and sites associated with Tammany Hall, Thomas Addis Emmet, and many others.” 1 p.m., meet directly in front of St. Paul's Chapel, Broadway between Fulton and Vesey Streets. $15 (pay at tour)!

Remember, remember the fifth of November or other random words and numbers as contestants compete at the 14^th Annual USA Memory Championship! 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Con Edison Building, 4 Irving Place, bet. 14^th and 15^th Sts, free!

Sounds a little fishy…author Trevor Corson (The Secret Life of Lobsters and The Story of Sushi), will be lecturing about sea creatures at his talk Good Food: Lobster Love, Sushi Secrets and How we can Save the Seas With Smart Eating, 4 p.m., Brooklyn Public Library, Central Branch, Grand Army Plaza, free!

Saturday and Sunday March 12 and 13, 2011

Discovery Walking Tours showcases two upcoming holidays (St. Patrick’s Day-March 17, and St. Joseph’s Day-March 19, 2011), for their Little Ireland and Little Italy History and Tasting Tour! Stops include Five Points, made famous in Gangs of New York, the birthplace of Cardinal Hayes, Mulberry Street, Banco Stabile and the Church of the Most Precious Blood. The sampling of Little Italy’s ethnic specialties range from pizza and prosciutto bread to St. Joseph’s cake. Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and 3:45 p.m. and Sun., 12 Noon and 2:45 p.m. $27, call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place.

Plus the GLBT Expo is happening at the Javits Center! For more info and tkts ($15, pre-register for $5 off), go here: http://www.originalglbtexpo.com/index.php?ref=attendee

Sunday March 13, 2011

In celebration of Women’s History Month, learn about the lives of Staten Island’s most prominent women, from Alice Austen to Joan Baez. 11 a.m., Alice Austen House and Park, Hylan Boulevard and Edgewater Street, free!

Spend a day with Oliver Stone and his films at the Museum of the Moving Image. Screenings include Nixon and Alexander: Revisited and the man himself will be on-hand for introduction and post-screening discussion of Alexander with Salon film critic Matt Zoller Seitz. Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street), Astoria, for all the non-Queens residents, take the R to Steinway St., Nixon is free with museum admission ($10), and Alexander is an additional $15!

The Municipal Arts Society leads a walking tour of the “Bloomingdale Blocks.These quiet, tree-lined streets near the Hudson River, from 96th St. to 110th St., boast some of New York’s finest remaining turn-of-the-20th-century row houses, apartments, institutional structures and public monuments, many designed by leading architects. The tour will focus on two aspects: the fascinating and little known history of the area and its superb stock of architecturally significant, yet mostly unlandmarked, buildings.” 1 p.m., meet at the Straus Memorial on W. 106th St., between Broadway and West End Ave. $15!

What could go better with a movie than popcorn? That’s right, tacos! Future Shorts ONE is screening its international short film festival at Tacombi @ Fonda Nolita. 267 Elizabeth St. (at E. Houston St.), $25 gets you two free beers / cocktails and five mini tacos and cerviches, click here to purchase tickets!

Savor the sweetness of spring at this Cupcake Crawl sponsored by Walking Tours Manhattan, to benefit the Food Bank of New York. Stops include Billy’s, Amy's at Chelsea Market, and Magnolia Bakery! 11 a.m., Meet the tour guide with the red ball cap saying Walking Tours Manhattan at Billy's, 184 9th Avenue, bet. West 21-22nd Street, $5 goes to charity with food purchases optional!

Don’t forget ABC Carpet and Home’s Warehouse sale is going on all weekend long (http://www.abchome.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=DItKRfbaPRQ%3D&tabid=190)!

Also don’t miss any of Sunday’s events, daylight savings begins Sunday at 2 a.m. (http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/rules/usa.htm), remember to spring forward!

Trivia Tonight (Monday)! Last Exit Pub Quiz!

Looking for something to do tonight? Look no further than Last Exit Bar's Pub Quiz!


Get all the trivia you’ll ever need with a whopping 50 questions a night
at Pub Quiz, one of the longest-running trivia nights in the city!

Teams of four (or fewer) compete for cash prizes (1st and 2nd place)
and stretch their brains with questions ranging from sports to politics to pop culture and quirky categories like, “Last Exit Theater” (hosts perform scenes from movies)
“Canadian or Not Canadian?” (decide if celebs like Michael Cera hail from our friend to the north), and Bodega Price is Right (does toilet paper really cost that much?)

Pub Quiz is held every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month @ 9 p.m. sharp
(your brain gets a break about halfway through.)

Get there early to secure seats and register the team.
~~Only $5 a person to register! winning teams split the cash~~

Pub Quiz is held at Last Exit Bar in Brooklyn, located on 136 Atlantic Ave.

Cheap Chick Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Event Picks, March 4-6, 2011

Friday March 4, 2011

The Neue Galerie (http://www.neuegalerie.org/programs/first-fridays) is free tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. as part of its First Fridays program! Includes gallery tours and free film screening!

The new reOrder: An Architectural Environment by Situ Studio exhibit will be opening at the Brooklyn Museum (through Jan. 15, 2012) today.

No water, but the Fountain Art Fair (http://fountainexhibit.com/2010/) starts today and runs through the 6th, The Frying Pan (26th St + 12th Ave), $10/day, $15/weekend pass, $20 VIP!

You’d have to be nuts to miss the Nutropolitan Museum of Art event! Billed as the “World’s First PB&J Art Exhibit,” you can meet a peanut farmer, make your own PB&J art, get the skinny on nuts, and get a free jar of peanut butter just for checking it out! Conceived by Peanut Butter & Company to celebrate National Peanut Month, the event will also benefit the Food Bank of NYC, with a donation of peanut butter for each attendee. Fri/Sat. 10-6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m./4 p.m., Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry St., free! (plus you get a free jar of peanut butter for attending!)

Friday and Saturday March 4 and 5, 2011

Grab a slice of pizza before going to see those heroes-in-a-half-shell during screenings of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action flick! Midnight, Landmark Sunshine, 143 E. Houston, $9.99

Saturday March 5, 2011

Watch out for those pasties, you know they’ll be there during this free screening of Burlesque! 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Avenue, Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (212) 833-8100, free!

Celebrate Native American history in honor of the new exhibit “Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains” at the Brooklyn Museum’s Free First Saturday program, with the Thunderbird Native American dancers, a performance by Martha Redbone, a screening of The Edge of America, a book talk re To You We Shall Return, a dance party, and the chance to make your own “parfleche, an elegant Native American pouch made of hide,” and other activities, Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, free!

Bon Chance at Le Bingo tonight! Win crazy prizes and a cash jackpot with host Linda Simpson! 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., free! (charge for bingo cards and food!)

Enjoy “a walking tour of historic pubs and taverns in Lower Manhattan, all with historic associations, with stops at several for refreshment. Stops include Fraunces Tavern where Washington bid farewell to his officers; a downtown pub frequented by Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln; and a watering hole on a site once associated with the Cotton Exchange and Captain Kidd.” Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $18!

Warm up with some hot soup during this tour of downtown restaurants led by Seriously Soupy! 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., For more info and to book tour, go here: http://www.explorecation.com/experiences/25, pay-as-you-go for soups!

The Orchid Show opens at the New York Botanical Garden (through April 25) today! Hope no thieves show up! (Susan Orlean book reference…)

Saturday and Sunday March 5 and 6, 2011

Take a walking tour of Sutton Place and the Treadwell Historic District with Discovery Walking Tours! “Discover how these two well-to-do areas evolved from humble beginnings. Stops include Sutton Square and the one-time homes of Marilyn Monroe and the Vanderbilt, Morgan and Roosevelt families.” 2:15 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for time and meeting place, $18!

Also don’t forget to stock up on books with Housing Works’ sale, 30% off everything!

Sunday March 6, 2011

Get some bird-watching under your wing with the Brooklyn Bird Club’s Morning Bird Walk: Gulls Galore program, and learn about the different species of gulls that inhabit Prospect Park! 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., meet at the Audubon Center at the Boathouse in Prospect Park near the Lincoln Road/Ocean Avenue entrance, Brooklyn, free!

Take Big Onion’s "Official" Gangs of New York Tour, “a tour exploring the legends and lore of the Five Points neighborhood and Herbert Asbury’s 1927 classic The Gangs of New York – the inspiration for the major motion picture directed by Martin Scorsese. Stops could include: Paradise Square, “Murderers Alley”, and sites associated with Bill “The Butcher” Poole, William M. Tweed, Master Juba, and the 1857Police and 1863 Draft Riots. Meet at the southeast corner of Broadway & Chambers Street, at City Hall Park, $15!

Bottoms up as you sample booze-inspired dishes at the Brooklyn Booze Experiment during a culinary competition! From the website: “braised meats, red wine sauces, alcoholic whip creams, bourbon sauces and baba au rhum. If it can be soaked in booze, cooked in booze, or scented with booze – it could be a winner.” 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., The Bell House, 149 7^th St., Tkts are $20, and can be found here: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3481135

Plus the Armory Art (http://www.thearmoryshow.com/cgi-local/content.cgi) show is running all weekend!