Abbreviated Cheap Chick NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, Apr. 30-May 2, 2011

Saturday April 30, 2011

Take in a lecture at the Queens Public Library on “The Charmed Circle: Pablo Picasso and Paris in the early 1900s.” 3:30 p.m., Broadway Branch, Steinway and Broadway, free!

See a midnight screening of The Shining at IFC tonight! (http://www.ifccenter.com/films/the-shining/)

Celebrate Arbor Day Weekend at Prospect Park today (http://www.prospectpark.org/), and Earth Day at McCarren Park (http://www.townsquareinc.com/), grab free vegetarian food + non-alcoholic beverages at the Sikh Day Parade (http://www.sikhnet.com/events/2011/annual-nyc-sikh-day-parade-manhattan), make and fly a kite at Socrates Sculpture Park (http://socratessculpturepark.org/programs/kiteflight.php), and see a mud wrestling musical! (http://www.scottlyonsandcompany.com/ScottLyons/MUD!.html)!

Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, 2011

Join Discovery Walking Tours for their Brooklyn Bridge and Tribeca Walking Tour! “Two tours for the price of one! A walk across the bridge to cover 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. Then we stroll through the Triangle Below Canal Street, with stops at the Woolworth Building, historic Staple St, the Ghostbusters firehouse, and the original campus of Columbia University.” 2 p.m., call 212-465-3331 to RSVP and meeting place, $18!

You can also check out Sakura Matsuri, the cherry blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (http://www.bbg.org/), take in first reality show, American Family at the Paley Center (http://www.paleycenter.org/2011-spring-an-american-family-screenings), get crafty at the Brooklyn Lyceum's craft fair (http://www.lyceummarkets.com/), and ladies can definitely join in the fun during the Golf Fest at Chelsea Piers (http://www.chelseapiers.com/)!

Sunday May 1, 2011

Bike Month NYC starts today (http://www.bikemonthnyc.org/), dance the day away with the Irish Dance Festival in Riverside Park (http://www.irishartscenter.org/dance.htm), the East Village Marble Cemetery opens with free admission today (http://www.nycmc.org/events.html), and the free KGB Sunday Night Fiction series features Colm Toibin and Lynne Tilman (http://kgbbar.com/calendar/events/william_lychack) tonight!

Plus The Tribeca Film Festival is still going strong all weekend with a free family street fair Saturday (http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival), as is the PEN World Voices Festival (http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/1096)

Monday May 2, 2011

Get your trivia on, with Last Exit’s Pub Quiz, 9 p.m., Last Exit Bar, 136 Atlantic Ave., $5!

Luca Spaghetti and Elizabeth Gilbert are in conversation at the Union Square B&N (http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/71164), and Ann Packer visits the Strand today (http://www.strandbooks.com)/!

See the play, “Threshold: Six True Stories From Girls who Broke the Rules,” 8 p.m., People Lounge, 163 Allen Street (bet. Stanton and Rivington), $10!

Editor's Note and Upcoming Picks!

Hi all, the Cheap Chick has had a really crazy week, bet. an event she organized and hosted and her new job starting, and other events, so for the first-time ever, no weekend picks today. I will try to get some events and things (inc. a few Monday items) posted by tomorrow afternoon, so check back then and in the meantime live cheap!

Cheap Chick in the City

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Events, April 22-24, 2011

(Editor's Note: Apologies for slightly abbreviated listings, the Cheap Chick just got a new job (!) and is planning a networking event for next week!)

Friday April 22, 2011-Happy Earth Day!
The Municipal Arts Society is leading the Earth Day in Chelsea West Walking Tour today led by Matt Postal, architectural historian. “This tour focuses on a waterfront neighborhood with an intriguing past. Explore an exciting new section of Hudson River Park and the recently designated West Chelsea Historic District. We’ll address the area’s promise and potential, stopping to discuss the campus of the General Theological Seminary, the next stage of the High Line and the restored Starrett-Lehigh Building, a modern masterpiece.” 2 p.m., meet at the SE corner of 9th Avenue and 20th St., $15!

Watch the 80’s disco masterpiece Xanadu tonight as part of the Rubin Museum Art’s Cabaret Cinema program! 9:30 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., at Seventh Ave., $7 bar minimum makes the movie free!

Friday and Saturday April 22 and 23, 2011
Was it Miss Scarlet in the library with the wrench? Figure out whodunit (tho in my experience it’s always the butler!) with all three possible endings shown during these special screenings of Clue, Midnight, Landmark Sunshine, 143 E. Houston St., $10!

Saturday April 23, 2011
Get “crafy” with it at the Etsy & 3rd Ward: Craft & Shoot Lab, where you can learn “how to enamel jewelry, crochet flowers, make your own skincare and sew.” Bring your camera to shoot your creations for possible website inclusion on Etsy’s site-Etsy reps will be on-hand to answer any questions you may have! 2 p.m. 4:30 p.m., 195 Morgan Ave., free!

Is quoting movies your thing? Then head over to movieoke where Big Quiz Thing host Noah Tarnow will be hosting amateur actors as they supply the dialogue for their favorite movie scenes (bring your own DVD)! There will also be trivia and prizes galore! 10:15 p.m., 92Ytribeca, 200 Hudson St. at Canal, $10!

Be part of the “dance, dance revolution” with International Dance Day including a parade featuring more than 80 dance styles! Plus there will be an open bar, hors'devours, and both a silent and live auction. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dance New Amsterdam, 53 Chambers St., $15 and up!

Swap your clothes away at Swap-a-palooza hosted by Earth Matters! 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., NYU Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, Fourth Floor, Free!

Swing the night away jazz-age style with Gemini+Scorpio's birthday salute to Bettie Page! Doors open at 8:30 p.m., dance class at 9 p.m. party, Shagri-La Loft, 100 Sutton St, Greenpoint, BK $15 with RSVP + themed dress, $20 door, $10 after 12am, $5 after 2am; 21+, RSVP here: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.html

Dig out those overalls, style that Rachel do' and "Party like it's 1999!" 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., The Bell House, 149 7th St. (Brooklyn), free!

Plus Brooklyn Bridge Park opens for the season today with a variety of activities at its Spring Fling (http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/)!

Saturday and Sunday April 23 and 24, 2011
Join Discovery Walking Tours (and bring your sweet tooth!) to the Easter Weekend Greenwich Village History and Dessert Tour! “Break a Lenten fast with a tour of sites associated with the history and personalities of the Village, from Washington to Bob Dylan with dessert stops in between. Stops include St. Luke in the Fields Church, the Washington Sq Arch, Minetta Lane, Patchin Place, and the homes of Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, and Emma Lazarus. Along the way, we will take in Lilac chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries, saviodi cookies and more.” 2 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations, $26 (includes sweets!)

Sunday April 24, 2011-Happy Easter!
Don your Easter bonnet and head to Fifth Avenue where you can doff your hat to others promenading down the street during the Easter Parade! 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets, free! (More info here: http://gonyc.about.com/cs/holidays/a/easter.htm)
The early bird gets the worm…and free tai-chi sessions with Silvana Pizzuti on the Hudson! 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Sailors and Soldiers Monument (in Riverside Park)W 89th Street and Riverside Drive, Manhattan, free!

Celebrate the Wolverine State with Coney Island hot dogs, Michigan beers, a Pasties cook-off, Michigan trivia, and drawings for Michigan-related prizes! 3 p.m., The Bell House, 149 7th Street, Brooklyn, free! (pay for food and drinks)

Join Big Onion Walking Tours as they explore the Jewish Lower East Side on their annual tour! “Stops include: the Eldridge Street Synagogue, the Jewish Daily Forward building, legendary Hester Street, the founding site of the B'nai B'rith as well as sites associated with Abraham Cahan, Emma Goldman, Jacob Riis, and Leonard Baskin.” Meet at the SE corner of Delancey and Essex Streets, in front of the Olympic Diner, $15!

Explore the chocolate-ly goodness of Gramercy Park and the East Village during Walking Tours Manhattan's Easter Chocolate Tour, Meet the tour guide with the red ball cap saying Walking Tours Manhattan at 11:00am at LA Burdick, 5 East 20 Street. Walking distance is 1 1/4 mile, tour lasts 1 ½ hours, Cost is $5 (does not inc. chocolate purchases), and goes to the Food Bank of NY!

Laugh it up at Upright Citizens Brigade’s ASSSSCAT 3000 show! 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Upright Citizens Brigrade, 307 W. 26th St., 7:30 tkts are $10 and available here: http://newyork.ucbtheatre.com/shows/12, 9:30 tkts are free and are distributed at 8:15pm outside the theatre on the night of the show!


Lots going on throughout the weekend! Zoom into the New York International Auto Show (http://www.autoshowny.com/), Housing Works Bookstore is taking 30% off all gardening and cooking books (http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/spring-sale-30-of-gardening-and-coookbooks-april-22nd-25th), the Tribeca Film Festival is going on right now, with tons of free and cheap events and screenings (http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival), and there are a ton of Earth Day activities to keep you busy esp around Grand Central and Times Square (http://www.earthdayny.org/!)

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, April 15-17, 2011

Friday April 15, 2011, Happy Income Tax Day! (Three days early!)

If you stayed up all night finishing those taxes, then grab a free cup of java at Brooklyn’s Cubana Social! 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 70 N 6th St, Brooklyn, free!

Help celebrate the second birthday of Word Bookstore’s “I’m Just Working on My Novel” series with treats and free wine! And oh yeah…readings too. Authors Zachary Steele (Flutter), Emily St. John Mandel (The Singer's Gun) and Richard Nash (formerly of Soft Skull Press) who is launching his new imprint Red Lemonade. 7 p.m., Word Bookstore, 126 Franklin St., free (RSVP via Facebook here: http://wordbrooklyn.com/event/celebrate-just-working-my-novels-2nd-birthday

Get a head-start on gifts for author Charles Dickens’ birthday a year early (he hits the big 200 next year), with the panel discussion, "Dickens on Broadway," which will be followed by a post-discussion reception. New York Institute of Technology Auditorium, 1871 Broadway bet. 61st and 62nd Streets, 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., free!

The borough of Brooklyn *hearts* Japan and shows it with its “To Japan With Love” program tonight, which features music and comedy performances from local talent and a silent auction. All proceeds from the event will go disaster relief. 7 p.m., The Bell House, 149 7th St., $15!

Friday and Saturday April 15 and 16, 2011

Girls don’t get jealous if your beau ogles Jessica Rabbit-remember she’s just a cartoon! See for yourself at these late-night screenings of Who Framed Roger Rabbit! Midnight, Landmark Sunshine, 143 Houston St., $10!

Saturday April 16, 2011

Chili and history, a perfect combination for “the only chili cook-off within the five boroughs sanctioned by the International Chili Society, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Historic Richmond town, 441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island (take the ferry for free to the island then Take the S74 bus from the terminal to Richmond Road and St. Patrick's Place.), $9 gets you admission to the area, and a chili-tasting kit!

Take a 90-minute Wall Street History Walking Tour with the Museum of American Finance in the financial district today, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Meet at the museum, 48 Wall St., $15, buy tkts here: http://www.moaf.org/events/walking/evt_20110416.

Travel back in time to the1920s and savor a Gatsby-esque night of jazz as the Cotton Club is recreated, for one night only, in Soho. Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra will play jazz favorites, and there will also be a "vaudevillian stage show, burlesque, poker, craps, and blackjack, hand-rolled cigars, and many other vintage surprises!" 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., 76 Wooster, $25!

Get acquainted with some of NYC’s spooky friends during the “From Ghostbusters to John Lennon: The Ghosts of the Upper West Side” walking tour! Stops include the “Ghostbusters Building," and sites associated with Mae West, Irving Berlin, Roman Polanski, and John Lennon. 3:30 p.m., meet at 55 Central Park West between 65th and 66th Streets opposite Central Park, $20 by credit card; $25 cash, please RSVP even if you pay cash! Pay by credit card here: http://www.ghostsofny.com/cgi-bin/calendar/long_calendar.cgi

Give back to the city you call home with New York Cares’ Hands on New York Day, where volunteers can help out in the city’s neighborhoods. Busy, not here? Be a “virtual volunteer” and donate money, various locations, for more info go to http://www.handsonnewyorkday.org/, $20!

Nobody puts Johnny in the corner (Depp that is!) Stop all your tears for the Cry-Baby sing-along tonight and join filmmaker John Waters as he takes you through 1950’s Baltimore where good girl Allison falls for rebel Cry-Baby Walker! (I think a musical was actually made of this, and I think I may have even seen it too…10:30 p.m., 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson St., $13, get tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T%2DMM5FA04

Get a special sneak preview of the summer line-up of short films from Rooftop Films! Tonight’s free screenings are in Brooklyn, with selections from far and wide, including Germany and Sweden! 8 p.m., 350 Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, in the auditorium at M.S. 51, free!

Plus “The World’s Largest Dinosaurs” exhibition opens at the American Museum of Natural History (through Jan. 2, 2011), it’s Record Store Day (http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home), and pick up cookbooks from $1-$20 at the James Beard Foundation's Biannual Cookbook Sale (http://www.jamesbeard.org/) today! I’ve also heard that the Cyclone may open for the season today! (http://www.lunaparknyc.com/events.html?view=event&id=70) first 100 guests ride free!

Saturday and Sunday April 16 and 17, 2011

Explore Central Park in honor of Earth Day with Discovery Walking Tours. Stops include Strawberry Fields, Literary Walk, The Ramble, Bow Bridge, The Lake, The Arsenal, and Bethesda Fountain. Sat at 1:30 p.m., and Sun at 12:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $18! New York shows you the money with Discovery Walking Tours’ Old and New Money: Victorian Fifth Avenue and Central Park West walking tour. Stops include the Dakota, the Prasada, and the Payne Whitney and Henry Clay Frick mansions. Sat at 4 p.m., and Sun at 2:45 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $18!

Sunday April 17, 2011

Take in a special Earth Day screening of the documentary No Impact Man, in which writer Colin Beavan and his family strive to live a life without waste. 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Ave at 56th St., free, but call (212) 833-7858 for reservations.

Nosh on some free food truck treats from Ladle of Love, Pera Turkish Tacos, Rickshaw Dumplings and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream at Tavern on the Green’s Food Truck Terrace, which opens today. Along with free food, the Blue Vipers will be playing jazz music! 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Tavern on the Green (in Central Park), inside the Park at 67th Street, free!

Learn about this lesser-known Jewish enclave with Joyce Gould during the Jewish Harlem Walking Tour! 1 p.m., meet at State Office Building Plaza, 163 W. 125th St., at Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (Seventh Ave.), $12!

Plus all weekend long the Broadway Panhandler will be hosting the Wüsthof and All-Clad cookware sale where you can get your knives sharpened on Saturday for $12 (http://broadwaypanhandler.com), you can see a 22-foot–long replica of the Intrepid being built with Legos on the ship itself (http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/), and the Fashion in Film Festival is going on at the Museum of the Moving Image (http://www.movingimage.us/films/2011/04/15/detail/fashion-in-film-festival-birds-of-paradise/)!

Cheap Chick NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks! April 8-10, 2011

Friday April 8, 2011

Watch the skies for a TARDIS sighting as Dr. Who cast members, Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, land in the Fifth Ave. Barnes&Noble to celebrate the Fifth Series DVD boxed set. From Barnes&Noble, “You will need a wristband to join the signing line for this event. Wristbands will be distributed starting at 9:00 am on Friday, April 8 with the purchase of the Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series boxed set. Please call store for additional details.” Wristbands distributed beginning at 9 a.m., Barnes&Noble, 555 Fifth Avenue, 212-697-3048, free aside from DVD set purchase.

Tonight is the opening night for the 3.11 Project, a charity silent auction and group exhibition, and featuring up to 50 artists including multimedia installations, painting, photography, and sculpture. All proceeds will go to Japan Earthquake Relief Fund via the Japan Society. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Openhouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry St., free to attend! Celebrate the weirdly unique in life at the opening night for Sideshows by the Seashore, 8 p.m., 1208 Surf Avenue, $10!

Newly pregnant queen of 30 Rock, Tina Fey, will be on-hand at Barnes&Noble, reading from her memoir Bossypants! 7 p.m., Union Square B&N, 33 E. 17th St., free!

It’s the time of month again for all dorks to gather and revel in their geekiness at Nerd Nite! Tonight’s presentations include: Fitness Fads, Facts, and Phases, God of the Game: Iconography, History, and Sexy Nuns in Modern Video Games, and How To Design a Great Puzzle (And Why Microsoft Sucks At It), with trivia before the lectures start! Trivia starts at 7 p.m. and presentations start at 9 p.m., Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main Street in DUMBO Brooklyn, $14 gets you Nerd Nite+trivia, $10 gets you into Nerd Nite. Get tkts here: http://nyc.nerdnite.com/

Life is wild when Aveeno creates a pop-up forest in the middle of Times Square! AVEENO Consultant and Sustainability Expert Summer Rayne Oakes will be helping to “raise awareness about the benefits of trees and consumer responsibility to the environment,” and visitors will each receive their own seed cards to plant. Part of MillionTreesNYC. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Father Duffy Square (Times Square area), free!

Check out $1 clams, $1.50 oysters, $8 cocktails and more at Soho’s Lure Fishbar during their happy hour (http://www.lurefishbar.com/menu.php)!

Friday and Saturday April 8 and 9, 2011

Join Bruce Campbell as he battles the dead in the fantasy/horror flick, Army of Darkness, Midnight, Landmark Sunshine, 143 Houston St., $10! Dude! It's Quentin vs. Coen dueling it out in the art world at Bold Hype Gallery today and tomorrow! 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., 547 W. 27 St. bet 10 and 11, free!

Saturday April 9, 2011

Queens Public Library hosts A Celebration of African-American History, Musical Storytelling with Kim and Reggie Harr, which chronicles the stories of African-Americans including Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who helped build this country. 1 p.m., Langston Hughes library branch, 100-01 Northern Blvd., Corona, 718-651-1100, (since it’s far and a bit obscure, here are directions: Train: 7 to 103rd St./Corona Plaza, walk 5 blocks to Northern Blvd), free!

Frank McGuinness, an Irish playwright, and Ernest Hartmann, a psychiatry professor, discuss the Celtic dreamscape during their “Irish Dreams” program (part of Imagine Ireland, 2011.), 4:30 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., $15, and tkts can be purchased here: http://www.rmanyc.org/brainwave. (scroll down.)

Explore Hallett Nature Sanctuary, one of Central Park’s lesser-known woodland areas, complete with a mysterious waterfall, with the Central Park Conservancy! 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sixth Ave. and Central Park South, Call (212) 794-4064 for directions, free (Note from the Park: Due to the limited space in the Hallett Nature Sanctuary, only the first 20 people to sign in at the beginning of the tour will be able to participate!)

Commune with ghostly friends during Discovery Walking Tour’s 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 as only New Yorkers would know them. 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 place, $18!

Hope all that plaid doesn’t hurt your eyes during this year’s Tartan Day Parade! 2 p.m., Sixth Avenue, from 45th to 55th, free!

Watch your peephole for the CABLE GUY! A free screening of the Jim Carrey/Matthew Broderick film is available today! 2 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Ave, movie is free, but please call (212) 833 7858 for tickets/RSVP.

Saturday and Sunday April 9 and 10, 2011

Discovery Walking Tours marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with a walking tour “exploring connections with the Bitter War Between the States that also bitterly divided New Yorkers. Stops include sites associated with Abraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, the attempted burning of New York in 1864, the bloody Draft Riots of 1863, a stop on the Underground Railroad; a Confederate prison camp; and places associated with the Union ironclad Monitor and an important hero from the Battle of Gettysburg.” 2 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $18!

Plus look for some laughs at MoCCA Fest 2011, a fundraiser for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art-MoCCA! http://www.moccany.org/content/mocca-festival, and The Anarchist Book Fair sets the book world on fire (just figuratively!), with bookstores selling their wares, workshops, and art installations (http://www.anarchistbookfair.net/)!

Sunday April 11, 2011

The local Krrb Meetup is holding swap meet and community yard sale today! From the group, “Bring your clothes, books, technology, music, or any handmade crafts, foods and goods to sell or swap. Expect treats to be unveiled.” All items left at the end of the day will be lovingly donated to those in need. 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Mission Dolores Bar, 249 4th Ave., Park Slope, free, but pls RSVP here: http://blog.krrb.com/2011/03/22/meet-swap-krrb-a-community-swap-and-yard-sale-in-brooklyn!

Another spin on eating al fresco, in case you forget your picnic basket at home or find yourself with the munchies while walking through the park is foraging. Forager, locavore Brooklyn Botanic Garden instructor, and author of The Locavore’s Handbook: The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget Leda Meredith is leading a foraging field trip in Prospect Park where you’ll find edible plants like mushrooms just ready for the picking (literally!) After the walk you can gather for lunch (bring a brown bag) while asking Leda all of your burning locavore questions and enjoy some treats made from local finds. From the organizers: “Please bring a bottle of water, a camera if you have one, baggies for samples, a notebook, pen, and labels to identify what you collect. If you want to stick around afterwards, bring a prepared lunch. Wear comfortable shoes! Weather notes: We will walk in sun or drizzle. Heavy downpour, we’ll reschedule. 8:30 a.m., Grand Army Plaza entrance at Prospect Park (where the farmer’s market sets up, $18!

Treat yourself to a Pre-Passover walking tour with the Eldridge Street Synagogue. You’ll hit the streets of the LES to dine on chocolate-covered matzoh, freshly ground horseradish, pickles and Passover schnapps. Then you’ll learn where the area’s Eastern European immigrants shopped, lived, and gathered. 11 a.m. AND 2 p.m. Meet at the Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street Between Canal and Division Streets, $15, space is limited so Email hgriff@eldridgestreet.org or call 212.219.0888 for more information!

Plus the Hell’s Kitchen Gourmet Food Truck Bazaar begins again today (http://www.hellskitchenfleamarket.com/home/), watch out for that goose at Jimmy’s New York City Duck-Off (http://www.jimmysno43.com/), and Dr. Sketchy takes on Dr. Who in a battle of fictional doctors (http://www.drsketchy.com/branch/newyork)!

And all weekend… Java up for the the Northeast Regional Barista Competition (usbaristachampionship.org), and browse some golden oldies at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair (http://sanfordsmith.com/default.aspx?pageId=6)!

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, April 1-3, 2011

Friday April 1, 2011

Meet Jake Gyllenhaal and Duncan Jones as they discuss their latest flick “Source Code” at Apple SoHo, 7p.m., 103 Prince St., free!

Don’t forget that the Neue Galerie is free tonight as part of its First Fridays program! (http://www.neuegalerie.org/) and the Rubin Museum is screening The Manchurian Candidate ($7 drink minimum) as part of its free K2 Friday night events-gallery is also free to view as well on these nights, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (http://www.rmanyc.org/pages/load/122)

Saturday April 2, 2011

See local sites related to the 1863 draft riots during the New York Historical Society’s walking tour The Civil War Draft Riots Walking Tour including South Street Seaport, two Irish Catholic churches, the site of the infamous Five Points slum, the African Burial Ground, Tweed Courthouse, and the former New York Times Building, across from City Hall. 11 a.m., (not clear about meeting place, likely museum) $20, and tkts can be bought here: https://www.nyhistory.org/web/default.php?section=public_programs&page=detail&program=6784589, From the Society: Walking Tours are limited to 35 guests per tour. Please buy tickets in advance!

John Lithgow gives “a gloriously silly hour of interactive entertainment” during a concert of music and stories accompanied by the "The Sunny Side Strutters," a jazz octet. Concerts at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., tkts are $15 and can be purchased here: http://www.metmuseum.org/tickets/calendar/view.asp?id=3334!

Watch the pillows, not pigeons fly at Pillow Fight NYC 2011 sponsored by Newmindspace! 3 p.m., Union Square, corner of E. 14th and Broadway, free!

You'll need an awful lot of blue cheese to win Duke's Wing Eating Contest-tho I suppose the dipping motion would slow things down a bit...6 p.m., Duke's, 3rd Ave. and 37th St., $25 to enter, to save your spot go here: https://app.giftango.com/giss/Shopping/T1/shopping_AvailableProducts.aspx?BUNID=1690&GOFID=2236&TemplateVersion=T1!

Which kind of swan are you? (Sounds like a Cosmo quiz...) Channel your black or white swan powers into a costume for The Black Swan Experience, which includes a free screening of the film, giveaways and surprises! 11:59 p.m., Landmark Sunshine, 143 E. Houston St., free!

Hanami, cherry blossom season, begins at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today (http://www.bbg.org/discover/cherries/) the Prospect Park Carousel is also opening today, and don’t forget about free First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php)!

Saturday and Sunday April 2 and 3, 2011

Join Discovery Walking Tours on their Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill History and Tasting Tour! This is "a tour through the two historic districts, addressing the transition of the neighborhoods from wealthy Victorian suburbs to 20th century literary havens. Stops include Plymouth Church, where abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher preached; Borough Hall, once the City Hall of Brooklyn; the Promenade and its magnificent view of Manhattan island; the birthplace of Winston Churchill’s mother; the Truman Capote residence where he penned Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and the home of Arthur Miller, where he courted Marilyn Monroe. Along the way, taste the area’s classic and contemporary foods, from Brooklyn egg creams to spinach pie and baklava.” 2 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and to RSVP, cost is $26 (includes price of food)!

Housing Works Bookstore is having their regular 30% off sale! (http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/monthly-30-off-sale-all-day-april-2nd-and-3rd/)

Sunday April 3, 2011

Watch silent short comedies of Charlie Chaplin in quiet amazement at the Brooklyn Public Library, 1:30 p.m., Central Branch, Grand Army Plaza at Flatbush Ave., free!

Take in a free jazz concert performed by the quintet Footprints, who will play from their debut album at the Eldridge Street Synagogue! 4 p.m., 12 Eldridge Street Between Canal and Division Streets, $20 adults; $15 students/seniors; half-price admission ($10) for their Facebook fans and Twitter followers! (RSVP here: http://www.eldridgestreet.org/index.php/april)

Calling all herbivores! Chow down on meat-free samples at the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival! The program also features raffle drawings, entertainment, speakers, and demontrations! 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., The Altman Building, 135 West 18th Street (Between 6th and 7th Avenues), free!

I’ve also heard great things about the free salsa dance party at Brooklyn Bowl! (http://www.brooklynbowl.com/event-detail/?tfly_event_id=20923)

Plus all weekend: The New School Noir Arts Festival is happening (through the 8th) http://www.newschool.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=59986 and Spring Downtown events are available (http://www.springdowntown.org/) !

Cheap Chick NY, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, April 1-3, 2011

Friday April 1, 2011 Meet Jake Gyllenhaal and Duncan Jones as they discuss their latest flick “Source Code” at Apple SoHo, 7p.m., TK addy, free! Don’t forget that the Neue Galerie is free tonight as part of its First Fridays program! (http://www.neuegalerie.org) and the Rubin Museum is screening The Manchurian Candidate ($7 drink minimum) as part of its free K2 Friday night events (gallery is also free to view as well on these nights, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (http://www.rmanyc.org/pages/load/122) Saturday April 2, 2011 See local sites related to the 1863 draft riots during the New York Historical Society’s walking tour The Civil War Draft Riots Walking Tour including South Street Seaport, two Irish Catholic churches, the site of the infamous Five Points slum, the African Burial Ground, Tweed Courthouse, and the former New York Times Building, across from City Hall. 11 a.m., (not clear about meeting place, likely museum) $20, and tkts can be bought here: https://www.nyhistory.org/web/default.php?section=public_programs&page=detail&program=6784589, From the Society: Walking Tours are limited to 35 guests per tour. Please buy tickets in advance! John Lithgow gives “a gloriously silly hour of interactive entertainment” during a concert of music and stories accompanied by the "The Sunny Side Strutters," a jazz octet. Concerts at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., tkts are $15 and can be purchased here: http://www.metmuseum.org/tickets/calendar/view.asp?id=3334! Watch the pillows, not pigeons fly at Pillow Fight NYC 2011 sponsored by Newmindspace! 3 p.m., Union Square, corner of E. 14th and Broadway, free! Hanami, cherry blossom season, begins at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden today (TK ws) the Prospect Park Carousel is also opening today, and don’t forget about free First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum (http://www.bbg.org/discover/cherries/)! Saturday and Sunday April 2nd and 3rd, 2011 Join Discovery Walking Tours on their Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill History and Tasting Tour! This is a tour through the two historic districts, addressing the transition of the neighborhoods from wealthy Victorian suburbs to 20th century literary havens. Stops include “Plymouth Church, where abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher preached; Borough Hall, once the City Hall of Brooklyn; the Promenade and its magnificent view of Manhattan island; the birthplace of Winston Churchill’s mother; the Truman Capote residence where he penned Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and the home of Arthur Miller, where he courted Marilyn Monroe. Along the way, taste the area’s classic and contemporary foods, from Brooklyn egg creams to spinach pie and baklava.” 2 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and to RSVP, cost is $26 (includes price of food)!

Sunday April 3, 2011 Watch silent short comedies of Charlie Chaplin in quiet amazement at the Brooklyn Public Library, 1:30 p.m., Central Branch, Grand Army Plaza at Flatbush Ave., free!

Take in a free jazz concert performed by the jazz quintet Footprints at the Eldridge Street Synagogue who will play from their debut album! 4 p.m., 12 Eldridge Street Between Canal and Division Streets, $20 adults; $15 students/seniors; half-price admission ($10) for their Facebook fans and Twitter followers! (RSVP here: http://www.eldridgestreet.org/index.php/april)

I’ve heard great things about the free salsa dance party at Brooklyn Bowl! (http://www.brooklynbowl.com/event-detail/?tfly_event_id=20923)

Plus all weekend: The New School Noir Arts Festival is happening (through the 8th) http://www.newschool.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=59986 and Spring Downtown events are available (http://www.springdowntown.org/) !