Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, April 27-29, 2012

Friday April 27, 2012

Learn about Brooklyn’s connection to the Middle East with Municipal Arts Society’s Brooklyn Meets the Middle East Walking Tour! The tour will include stops around Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn Heights, and Cobble Hill. The tour will be led by Mary Ann DiNapoli, 10 a.m. Assume meeting place disclosed w/RSVP. Please note: Reservations required. Please RSVP online or call (212) 935-2075. No refunds or exchanges, Cost: $20, $15 MAS members.

Miss out on Earth Day festivities? Mix and mingle w/college students and give back to the planet at the New School and NYU Tree Planting Workshop! Afterward, visit NYU’s Green Dorm and learn about taking care of urban trees, and eat a lunch made by the NYU student food co-op! 10-11:30 a.m. 318 East 15th Street (bet 1st and 2nd avenues), free and open to the public!

Don’t get too close to the “borderline,” while partying “like a virgin” with other “material girls” at the Madonnathon! Don your best Madonna look to sing onstage w/the band and win prizes! Doors open at 6 p.m., showtime 8 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave (bet N 11th St & N 12th St)

Still looking for that special someone? Perhaps Meet Market Adventures can help you out, take a chance w/their Spring Fling Party! 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Hors d'oeuvres from 7 to 8 p.m., drink specials from 7 to 8 p.m. Raffle with various prize drawings! (worth more than $1,000!), entertainment and MMA Adventure Giveaways! Retro, Dance and Top 40s Music playing all night long! Sidebar, 120 E 15th street, New York City! Register here. Use Coupon Code: WINE to get a free tkt! (reg price: $19.99+tax)

Please note tickets are only available online. One ticket per person. This will be first come first serve so register as soon as possible if you’re interested! This event is not redeemable for cash or credit value. Only non ticket holders are eligible.

Get up close and personal with Renoir at the Frick’s free Renoir Night! 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and it’s pay-what-you wish Fridays at the NY Aquarium!

Friday April 27 and Saturday April 28,2012

Midnight screenings galore Friday and Saturday w/The Long Riders at the IFC Center and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Bklyn’s Nighthawk Theater!

Saturday April 28, 2012

Given the recent strife bet the local media and the NYPD during the recent Occupy Wall Street protests, Chip Bishop’s book about the relationship bet then-mayor Teddy Roosevelt and journalist Joseph Bucklin Bishop seems esp relevant today. Check out this lecture on the book The Lion and the Journalist — The Unlikely Friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 2 p.m.,Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, 28 E. 20th St. (reservations required: (212) 260-1616)

Still need you muppet fix after the recent muppets movie and the Museum of the Moving Image exhibit? Then head to the free screening of The Muppets Take Manhattan, Noon, Sony Wonder Technology Lab! Sony Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Avenue in New York City.(reservations suggested call (212) 833-8100.

Grab a cosmopolitan and shove those feet into your Manolos for Discovery Walking Tour’s Sex & the City tour, which take you to more than 24 of the gang’s favorite city spots in the Village and the Flatiron areas! 5:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $22!

See the spooky side of the city (you never know what lurks I the shadows…) with Discovery Walking Tours! “A tour of the historic, infamous and macabre of Greenwich Village history, with stops at Edgar Alan Poe’s home, the hanging elm, the burial ground at Washington Sq. and St. Mark’s Cemetery And you thought only subways ran beneath the streets” 7:15 p.m. Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $20!

Follow the search for the perfect wing (what does that mean I wonder the spiciest? The messiest? The brightest orange?) Anyway join others and find out what makes the best wing at a free rough-cut fundraiser screening of Matt Reynolds’ documentary The Great Chicken Wing Hunt! Matt will be there as will other cast and crew as well as peeps from the NYC Wing Tour! 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Mudville 9, 126 Chambers Street, this event is free, no ticket required! But if you have a few spare coins and are feeling generous you can give to the project via their Kickstarter.com page. “Your donations will go to sound mix, color correction and other finishing touches that could make the difference, as they send this film to film festivals around the world.” Cost: free!!!

Find your inner Katniss Everdeen and sharpen those bow and arrow skills during today’s Archery program! Families and children ages eight and older are welcome to participate in this archery program! Participation in a mandatory safety review lead by a trained ranger is required. All equipment is provided. 10 a.m., Fort Greene Park Visitor Center (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn, free!

Hearken back to a simpler time w/street games from the 60’s and 70’s sponsored by NYC Parks and the Walt Disney Company! Play with pogo sticks, hula hoops, and yo-yos! Plus show off those mad jump rope skills with double Dutch! 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Thomas Jefferson Park in Harlem, 114th and First Ave), For more information and a list of activities, please visit the official Street Games page, free! Location Details: In the event of rain, Street Games will be moved indoors to the Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center located in the park.

Strike a pose during World Tai Chi Day at Bryant Park! 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bryant Park, in midtown bet 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues, free!

It's all Greek to me! Dress as a Greek God or Goddess for the Shakespeare’s Sister company’s Dionysian E. Village scavenger hunt! There is also an after-party featuring food, games, raffles, a silent auction, and more! This event will benefit their upcoming all-female production of "Romeo and Juliet" 1 p.m. Meet at the arch at Washington Square Park, cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the event, buy tkts here 

Also the Hester Street Fair opens for the season and check out all the little-known city spots during Obscura Day!

Saturday and Sunday Apr 28, 2012 and April 29,2012

Say Konnichiwa to Japanese culture at the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival! Events will feature "dance, martial arts, manga, demonstrations, and guided tours!" 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, cost: $15!

Plus free tkts for the Instant Vaudville play festival!

Sunday April 29,2012

Attend Nik Sokol’s (resident geologist at City Reliquary) last NYC lecture before he moves down under, as he reminds us that, “it helps to look down to know where you've been,” while talking about his findings in the past eight years. The lecture will be followed by a social hour and refreshments. 5 p.m. City Reliquary, 370 Metropolitan Ave. @Havemeyer Williamsburg, cost: Free! (but donations are always appreciated!)

Vroom, vroom! 33rd Annual Antique Auto Show drives on into the Queens County Farm Museum today! 11 a.m to 4 p.m., Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Directions are here: http://queensfarm.org/hours-directions.html cost: $5 for adults, $2 for children (ages 12 and under)!

Say cheese while celebrating Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day by making your own pinhole camera! Alice Austen House Museum, 2 Hylan Boulevard at Edgewater Street, Staten Island: two miles south of the ferry terminal in Staten Island, and one mile north of the Verrazano Bridge, cost $5 (inc. materials to make camera) Reservations required, email aliceaustenhouse@aol.com or call 718-816-4506 x10, to reserve your spot at this event! (reg admission is a suggested $3 donation, not clear if the $5 fee covers that, so be sure to ask!)

Learn about NYC’s labor history with Big Onion Walking Tours! “Weaving though the Central & East Village and the Lower East Side, this tour features the role that immigrants and the labor movement have played in the growth of New York City. Stops could include sites associated with the first Labor Day Parade in 1882, the ILGWU, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Samuel Gompers, Emma Goldman, Peter Cooper, and Clara Lemlich.” 2 p.m. Meet at the NE corner of Washington Square North and Fifth Avenue, opposite the Washington Square Arch, cost: $18!

Find out the hidden secrets of Park Slope families at this special rough-cut screening of A Song Still Inside! 6 p.m., Freddy’s Bar, 627 Fifth Ave, Brooklyn, free!

Get artsy at the new Sunday Craft Pop-Up markets sponsored by Sew Moni, a South Williamsburg seamstress and sewing shop! Local artists will display their wares for purchase and you can taste sweets and drinks on the store while shopping! Partipating vendors inc Brooklyn Thread, Glamourpuss, Big Bridge Studios, Brooklyn Cat, Hartland Brooklyn, Bar Soap Brooklyn, and Sweater Toys!This series will run through June 24 and beyond, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sew Moni, 330 S. 3rd Street (between Keap & Hooper) Bklyn, cost: free!

Also the New Amsterdam Market opens today for the season today!

Plus all w/e all long there are plenty of free Tribeca Film Festival events still going strong, http://www.ifccenter.com/series/weekend-classics/hitchcock/ Center, and activities related to the NYC 19th Century Extravaganza!

Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, April 20-22, 2012

Five photographers who focus on New York will be giving talks at the International Center of Photography starting tonight with Barbara Mensch! ICP, Sixth Ave. and 44th Streets, cost: $15! http://www.icp.org/events/2012/april/20/new-york-street-stories For more info and I guess start time, call 212-857-0001!

Join Mouth and the gang at the Tribeca Film Festival’s free screening of The Goonies at the Tribeca Drive-in, World Financial Center, 22 Vesey St., opens at 6:00 pm., Activities and programming begin at 6:30 p.m.Film screenings start at dusk (approx. 8:15 p.m., free! http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/goonies-film42780.html


Saturday Apr 21, 2012Check out free sporting activities sponsored by the Tribeca Film Festival! 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hudson River Park’s Pier 40, free! http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/events/Tribeca-NYFEST_Soccer_Day.html

Plant yourself on Roosevelt Island for the Fifth Annual Cherry Blossom Walk led by The Roosevelt Island Historical Society, 11 a.m. Meet at the R.I.H.S.Visitor Center Tram Plaza, Roosevelt Island, $10 suggested donation! For reservations: email rooseveltislandhistory@usa.com or call 212-688-4836.

Give back to the city you live in by participating in New York Cares Day across the city. 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. cost: $20* registration fee, To register go here: http://www.newyorkcaresday.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1013074

Crack open all the $1 oysters you can eat! 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Brooklyn Oenology, 209 Wythe Avenue, #106 (between N. 3rd and N. 4th), free! Just pay $1 per oyster!

Say hi to George Glass for me when you get to the Brooklyn Glass Open House! Workshops ongoing throughout the day! 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Brooklyn Glass, 142 – 13th Street, free!

Spin on into record stores for World Record Store Day today! http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home, say Buenos Dias at El Museo del Barrio’s Super Sabado celebration http://www.elmuseo.org/en/event/super-sabado-pachamama-celebrating-mother-earth

Celebrate original feminist Gertrude Stein at the Poets House event "Stanzas in Meditation: A Gertrude Stein Celebration." “Four emerging textual scholars - Logan Esdale, Susannah Hollister, Liesl Olson and Emily Setina - share their recent work in the Gertrude Stein archives at Yale University, moderated by the collection’s curator Nancy Kuhl. A reading of Stein’s poetic work follows, with Paolo Javier, Rachel Levitsky, Ariana Reines, Joan Retallack, Christopher Schmidt, Laura Sims and Stacy Szymaszek.” Panel discussion 1:00 p.m., reading 3:00 p.m., Poets House, 10 River Terrace, cost: $10, $7 for students and seniors, free to Poets House Members!

Tonight is also the last night for the free Tribeca "Drive-in" with Knuckleball! Doors at 6 p.m., activities and programming begin at 6:30 movie at dusk (approx 8:15 p.m.) World Financial Center, 22 Vesey Street, cost: free!http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/knuckleball_-film42758.html


Sunday Apr 22Bells from 100 ringers will be sounding at the 34th Annual English Handbell Festival at Riverside Church today! 4:00 p.m. in the Church’s Nave, at 490 Riverside Drive (bet. 120th & 122nd St.), Morningside Heights, $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. For tickets and additional information, the public can call the Riverside Box Office at 212-870-6784.Relax and enjoy the Global Cameristi concert in the parlor. Featured performers include Sarah Pratt will be featured on Violin, Claire Chan on Viola, Elisabeth Anderson on Cello, and Livio Caroli on Oboe. Music will include “the Mozart quartet for Oboe and strings composed specifically for a virtuoso oboe player in Munich whom Mozart greatly admired.” 2:30 p.m., Salmagundi Arts Club, 47 Fifth Ave., free!


For many more events this w/e go to my Earth Day Guide! http://cheapchickinthecity.blogspot.com/2012/04/nyc-cheap-and-free-earth-day-2012-and.html

NYC Cheap and Free Earth Day 2012 and Green Events!

The Empire State Building isn't the only green event in honor of Earth Day! The city is hosting a variety of cheap and free Earh Day and green-friendly festivals and activities in honor of the big day!

March 19-April 21, 2012

Go on a green scavenger throughout the city as part of Passport to Green NY. Visit 12 or more NYC green destinations to enter to win prizes including cash, a flat screen TV, and a Toshiba laptop. Or stop by five or more attractions to be entered to win $250 in gift cards and other green prizes. Special offers and discounts are being offered by most destination partners! Fill out this form and return it by mail to 201E. 42nd St., Suite 3200, New York, NY 10017 or in person to the Toshiba booth in Grand Central (in Vanderbilt Hall) by April 21, 2012. http://www.earthdayny.org/images/pdf/final_passport_brochure_2012.pdf

Thursday April 19, 2012

Celebrate Earth Day in Bushwick with farm tours, workshops, cooking demos, plant sales, live music, and food, 3:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Bushwick Campus Farm, 400 Irving Ave., free!
Attend a panel on Global Equity and Animal Agriculture at NYU, which will cover the issue of food justice! Panelists include Mia MacDonald, Executive Director, Brighter Green; NYU ES Capstone Instructor, Lori Gruen, Chair of the Philosophy Department; Professor of Philosophy, Environmental Studies and Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Wesleyan University, Chetana Mirle, Director, Farm Animals, Humane Society International, and Peter Li, Associate Professor of Social Sciences, University of Houston 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Silver Building, 33 Washington Place, Room 408, free and open to the public, For more info and to RSVP go here. http://environment.as.nyu.edu/object/asevents.04192012.agriculturepanel

The Mobile-to-Mobile Street Fair is not a festival featuring cell phones, but rather one with moveable booths such as a traveling science lab, and a truck outfitted with a farm. Munch on free organic local food from the NYU Food Co-op! 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Washington Place

April 19-21, 2012

Observe Earth Day with the following free fairs: Grand Central Indoors (April 19-21, Grand Central Outdoors (April 20-21), and Times Square Outdoors (April 20)! All feature exhibits, and family fun, with a CO2 E Drive and Green Vehicle Fashion Show on the 20th during the Times Square event, live music at the Grand Central outdoor fair, and environmental programming at the Grand Central Indoor happening! All free!

April 20, 2012

Go foraging through Prospect Park with Host Leda Meredith, a noted locavore author, and find edible vegetables, plants, mushrooms, ramps (a wild onion), mulberries, sassafras, and gobo root! 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Prospect Park (that’s the most specific info I have, perhaps you get more info when you RSVP.), cost: $20, RSVP here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3213978095
Help Nourishing NYC celebrate Earth Day with on-site recycling demonstrations, edible art, free fresh produce distributed from a vegetable oil powered VAN, and energy efficient give outs, healthy food demonstrations, exhibits by local artists, and a Kids Zone! 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Bread Basket at Woodycrest United 89 West 166th St Bronx, NY, free!

Take a walk in Central Park with the Urban Park Rangers and learn about America’s first park! 12 p.m., Meet at Belvedere Castle, Belvedere Castle, Mid-park about 79th Street, Manhattan, free! Certain events fill up fast and may require registration (the cheap chick is not saying this specific tour will fill up, but you can call if you wish.) Here’s the number: (212) 628-2345!

Join Rooftop Films and BBC America at a screening of the original uncut version Celebrate Earth Day under the stars. BBC AMERICA and Rooftop Films present a special screening of episode one of the uncut, David Attenborough-narrated Planet Earth, followed by the world premiere of 2-hour The Making of Planet Earth special. 7 p.m. doors open, film starts at 7:45 p.m., location: on the pier at Solar One, Kips Bay, 2420 FDR Drive, Service Road East at 23rd Street and the East River, New York, NY 10010, R,/6 to 23rd St., walk all the way east, free! Free Show! First 250 people in attendance get a free ticket that can be used for any Rooftop Films show this summer--including opening night!

Sip organic, biodynamic, and sustainably-farmed wines at Union Square Wines and Spirits USQ's Go Green Organic Tasting. There will also be organic cocktails from VeeV Açai Spirit for you to enjoy as well! 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Union Square Wines and Spirits, 140 Fourth Avenue, free! No reservations required.

April 21-22, 2012

Go Green at the Green Festival taking place at Javits Center North over these two days! Featured presenters include Russell Simmons and Van Jones, a former Obama Staffer as well as many others. Those interested in jobs in career fields can discover a variety of sustainable career options. There will also be the opportunity to sample organic beer, wine, and food and to check out “green gadgets,” natural beauty products. Sat.: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun.: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Javits Center, 11th Avenue between 34th and 39th streets, Cost: Online – $10/day, and $15/weekend, Door – $15/day, $25/weekend. Those who ride bikes to the event get in free! There is also free rickshaw service to and from Penn! Buy tkts here: http://tickets.greenfestivals.org/events/194415

Sunday April 22, 2012

Brooklyn Borough president Marty Markowitz will be on-hand to officially open the 462 Halsey Community Garden's Spring Grand Opening and Earth Day Festival! Participating organizations include 596 Acres, IOBY, a city group that “brings environmental projects to life, block by block,” Grow NYC, and The Bed Stuy Farm Share. There will also be crafts, food by S&J Soul Food and Lonestar Taco, and jazz and blues music! Free!

Honor Earth Day from above the ground at the Earth Day Celebration on the High Line! Festivities include live performances like “the tossing of a giant salad (by performance artist Alison Knowles), and kid-friendly music by the On the Lam Brass Band), interactive demonstrations by the High Line gardeners, and craft workshops.” The High Line, Sat 10 a.m.-Sunday 4 p.m., free!

Recycle your fashion finds (and find some new duds) at the Punk Rock Clothes Swap. Not only can you swap clothes, CDs, books, and anything else you’d like to share, there will also be live music from NYU student bands, and DIY workshops. 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. NYU Kimmel, Eisner and Lubin 4th Floor Auditorium, 60 Washington Square South, free!

Prospect Park commemorates the Earth’s B’earthday and the tenth anniversary of its Audubon Center, with activities such as nature walks, crafts, a boat on display from Brooklyn Boatworks, and a bird of prey. Also record your memories of the Adubon Center at the Beat Cave Recording Studio. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Audubon Center at the Boathouse located inside the Lincoln Road/Ocean Avenue entrance, Prospect Park, free!

Get a workout while hiking through Central Park during the special Earth Day Amble Through The Ramble in Central Park! 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Met at Belvedere Castle - Mid-park about 79th StreetCentral Park, free!

The Harlem Park to Park Initiative is hosting a special Earth Day celebration spanning Central Park, Morningside Park and Marcus Garvey Park. Programs include an “Earth Day Celebration Concert and planting workshop, kids Yoga classes, art installations and arts & crafts, catch & release fishing, an urban gardening workshop, storytelling and instrument making. Pick up a Treasure Map at any of the participating locations and collect a stamp at each station you are visiting.” 10 a.m-4 p.m., Marcus Garvey Park, bet 18 Mount Morris Park West, free!

Eat the day away with Green in Brooklyn! The group will be focused on local food with Myrtle Avenue’s Farm to Neighborhood Program, as well as Chef Roisin Wisneski from Myrtle Eats Fresh sharing recipes, snacks from Clementine Vegan Bakery, a lecture on how to start your own beehive, a raffle, and a sale of gifts at 42 percent off! 12 p.m.-4 p.m., in Brooklyn, 432 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, free!

Help Picnic for the Planet break the record for world’s largest picnic! Bring your own picnic or buy one at the Garden Café. There will also be live performances by Sunny Weather and Kinky Spigot and the Welders, Outdoor workshops led by REI SoHo, Predator Olympics and Nature Treasure Hunt activities for kids, and prizes and giveaways! NY Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Directions here, Cost: $10 (grounds admission, which gives you access to Picnic for the Planet.) Please note this event happens rain or shine!

And get 22 percent off your purchase when you bring your own bag to Housing Works Thrift stores!

Wednesday April 25, 2012

Network w/like-minded environmentally-friendly folks at Green Drinks in Queens! Hosted by Ethikus, the hapy hour specials are extended to 8 p.m. with $4 beers and $6 cocktails! 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Pachanga Patterson, 33-17 31 Ave., Astoria, free (aside from the drinks you purchase

Thursday April 26, 2012

Learn about Brooklyn’s sustainable future at the panel discussion Brooklyn: The Future is Sustainable, which will feature green projects like wind/solar powered lightning, and geothermal heat as pertaining to Brooklyn locations such as the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Broadway Stages. Sponsored by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, speakers include Andrew Kimball, President, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Scot Medbury, President, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, John Salmon, Director, Solar Energy Systems, and Dr. Gerry Gorman, CEO, Lumisolair. 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., National Grid Auditorium, 1 MetroTech Center, free (!)-but pre-registration required here: www.ibrooklyn.com/sustainable

Saturday April 28, 2012

Give back to the city by “joining more than a thousand community volunteers and the NYC Parks Department in planting 20,000 trees in a single day at 16 park sites across the city’s five boroughs” during the event Million Trees New York Spring Volunteer Planting Event! 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hunter’s Island Picnic Area (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx, Hunter Island Picnic Area (in Pelham Bay Park), Bronx, Conference House Park Visitors Center (in Conference House Park), Staten Island, Mosholu Avenue & Broadway (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx, Cornelia Avenue and Chester Avenue (in Wolfes Pond Park), Staten Island, Crocheron Park at 215 Place (in Crocheron Park), Queens, Powell's Cove Park at 133 Place (in Powell's Cove Park), Queens, free!
Get a free tree today from Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp! The only condition is that it must be planted in NYC! Be sure to bring a photo ID for registration! 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, free!

Sunday April 29, 2012

Spend the afternoon at the Queens Botanical Garden’s Arbor Day Festival! “It’s a fun-filled day at QBG’s Arbor Festival. Come enjoy a variety of activities for all ages including garden tours, bird walks, and workshops, food, and craft vendors. Plus, stop by the Children's Activity Table sponsored by TD Bank, from 1 to 4 p.m.” Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main StreetFlushing, NY, Directions are here: http://queensbotanical.org/visit/visit , Free w/museum admission ($4)!

Saturday May 5, 2012

Greenpoint lives up to its name with its fifth Annual Go Greenpoint Festival! This event will feature “eco-friendly artists, crafters, educators, and community groups, as well as educational displays, Greencycle swap, art exhibits, contests for kids, and enviro-friendly handmade wares.”

Don’t forget to see the exhibit, A Window on Nature: Art of Asuka Hishiki on the third floor of the Central Park Arsenal ongoing from April 26-June 6, 2012, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., free! For more info go here: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/centralpark/events/2012/04/26/exhibition-a-window-on-nature-art-of-asuka-hishiki


Also looking ahead…be sure to see “Sustainability at NYU: Did you know?” An Earth Week Exhibition at Kimmel Windows Gallery on La Guardia and W. 3rd, Now til May 18. "Enormous 3D windows that show NYU Sustainability’s various initiatives—the Bike Share, the cogeneration plant, and all that good stuff," and the Fifth Annual NYC Wildflower Week, will take place May 13-19, 2012, and features workshops, walking tours, and lectures. Most events are free and open to the public, but space is limited, so advance registration is encouraged! For more info go here http://nycwildflowerweek.org/about.html!




Have I forgotten any Eart Day or green-friendly events? Be sure to let me know!

Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, April 13-15, 2012

Friday 13, 2012
Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson! Starting today catch screenings of The Graduate through Thurs. April 19, 2012 at The Film Forum! For more info aand showtimes, go here!

Calling all bookworms, get all the free books you could poss read (well three...) at the Spring Book Fair! 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Recreation Center Fifty-four (in Recreation Center 54)348 East 54th Street, free!

Plus the exhibit Baseball in the Bronx: Nine Innings of Bronx Baseball opens today at the Bronx Museum of the Arts! There will be special programming related to the exhibit as well! For more info go here!

Saturday April 14, 2012
BBQ for a good cause with the Williamsburg Softball League as they host a Kickoff BBQ Benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. A $10 donation nets you a free beer from the Gibson and there will be all the hot dogs and burgers you can eat for free! The event will also feature beer swag giveaways, and raffle prizes, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Gibson, 108 Bedford, free admission and free food-up to you how much you donate!

Travel back in time to the 20’s when flappers ruled and the Charleston was King during the Big Onion’s “Satan’s Seat:" New York During Prohibition walking tour! “Created in conjunction with WNET New York Public and based on the 2011 Ken Burn’s documentary Prohibition. On our walk we will discuss and explore the history, politics, culture and speakeasies of New York in the Roaring ‘20s – one of the most volatile eras in American history. Stops may include John McGurk’s “Suicide Hall”, The Black Swan, Chumley’s and sites associated with Margaret Sanger, Al Jolson, Carrie Nation, and Fiorello LaGuardia." 2 p.m. Meet at the NE corner of Bowery & Houston Street, in front of the iron-fenced community garden, cost: $18!

Celebrate the 40th birthday of Grandpa, the oldest spider monkey in the U.S., with events inc. singing happy birthday and sharing his birthday cake! Bring a gift for Grandpa and get a free zoo ticket good for a future date! Staten Island Zoo, 1:30-3:30 p.m., cost: $8 for adults, $5 for children three-14, For more info and grandpa's gift registry go here!

Flitter and Flutter over to "The Butterfly: A Family Musical," presented by Making Books Sing, "Based on the book of the same name by award-winning author Patricia Polacco, The Butterfly tells the story of a secret friendship between two girls in German-occupied France during World War II." Theater 3, 311 W 43rd St, 3rd Fl. For ages 7 and up. Cost: $15, $10 for children 12 and under. Get a discount (up to 30% off) with code B52. Buy tkts here.

“Get Carnegie Hall tkts for a show tonight for just $5! Watch as the New York City Chamber Orchestra and Masterworks Festival Chorus perform the Duruflé REQUIEM led by Dr. Alan Raines, Director of Choral Activities at Baylor University in Texas, followed by the University of Michigan's Dr. Jerry Blackstone leading works by Handel, Gjeilo, Walker, and more. 8:30 p.m. Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue! To reserve your seats at this price enter promotional code APR13596 here.” http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2012/4/14/0830/PM/The-New-York-City-Chamber-Orchestra-and-Festival-Choruses/

Go green today at the Habana Works Earth Day Expo 2012 with a day full of food workshops, a special kids corner, and movies! 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., 755-757 Fulton Street at South Portland Street, Brooklyn, free!

Practice those high kicks for Class One (C1) Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness's Grand Opening Event today! There will be free martial arts and strength and conditioning classes, you can hang out and watch, and even sign up for membership! C1, 85 4th Ave. and St. Mark's, Brooklyn, 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m., free!

Grab your spandex, tights, and those kick-ass boots for the launch of Leaping Tall Buildings: The origins of American Comics, the party includes panel discussions and the comic book art of Seth Kushner! 3:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., powerHouse Books, free! For a full sked of panels go here.

Do your good deed for the day by volunteering for the Canarsie Pier Beach Cleanup Hosted By Sperry Top-Sider! "There are going to be giveaways and prizes, and your breakfast, lunch, bug spray, and sunscreen is covered.” 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Canarsie pier, Directions: Take the B42 bus from the L train's Rockaway Parkway Stop, to the bus's last stop near the pier.

Have Le Fun at Le Bingo with drag Queen Linda Simpson! 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, free (just pay for your cards!)

Travel to Japan today w/o leaving the city during The Japan Society's J-Cation 2012: Sakura event! 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, cost: $10! For a full list of proramming go here!

Saturday and Sunday April 14 and 15, 2012

Explore the NYC connection to the Civil War on the anniversary of the War Between the States with Discovery Walking Tours “Stops include sites associated withAbraham Lincoln, Walt Whitman, the attempted burning of New York in1864, bloody Draft Riots of 1863, a stop on the Underground Railroad;a Confederate prison camp.” Sat at 3:45 p.m., and Sun 2:45 p.m. Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations!

Sunday April 15, 2012

Cheer for chapbooks at the Brooklyn Zine Fest 2012! There will be "everything from personal manifestos, fiction, art, and more!" While you're there be sure to take a sip of the signature"Marzini" drink! 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Public Assembly, 70 N 6th St, free to attend, zines and other items range from $1-$10!

Park your butt at Grand Army plaza for the regular Food Truck Rally sponsored by the Prospect Park Alliance and the NYC Food Truck Association, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, free to attend, just pay for your food!

Learn about Found Objects and Forgotten Stories with Benjamin Feldman! "Historian and raconteur Benjamin Feldman traces history through objects and their owners to discover a world long gone. Join him as he follows the story of a simple leather change purse given out as swag from a Canal Street bar, circa 1920. A touching story emerges, with a surprise Broadway ending." 3 p.m., Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street, cost: $6 children, $8 seniors, students, $10adults! RSVP here.

For local gastronomists on Sunday...Find out about foodies buried in Woodlawn at this special tour and visit the Vegan Spring Pop-up Shop!


Plus lose yourself in rare first editions at the Park Avenue Armory's 52nd annual antiquarian book fair-admission inc a free catalog, and revel in the activities of the Umami Festival all weekend long!


Bonus Titanic Weekend Events!

Saturday April 14, 2012
Listen to the sounds of Gavin Bryars’ “The Sinking of the Titanic” created for orchestra and electronics on the exact anniversary of that fateful night. The piece will be played by the in-house orchestra as well as members of the Wordless Music Orchestra. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., Cost $20 (standing room only-by the bar) For those who have a few extra coins to spare you can get seats for $30! Reservations req. You can buy tkts here!

Saturday April 14 and Sunday April 15, 2012
Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic with Discovery Walking Tours! “As we get closer to the 100th anniversary, a new Greenwich Village tour associated with the fated White Star ship, with stops at The Seaman’s Lodge, where survivors took shelter, the Titanic Memorial Arch, and sites associated with passengers John J. Astor, Isidor Straus, and others.” Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations. Cost: $20!

Also visit exhibits at the NY Historical Society and the South Street Seaport Museum!

Don't forget, the Titanic miniseries will be airing on ABC each night!

Sunday April 15, 2012
Join the Municipal Art Society for the walking tour "Downtown at the Time of the Titanic," led by tour guide, Joe Svehlak. To mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and the 100th anniversary of Svehlak's family immigrating to America, the tour will look at what the downtown was like through the eyes of Svehlak's family and will incorporate century-old buildings including Steamship Row, the location of the White Star Line [Titanic] offices, and remnants of a lost old neighborhood. Reservations required. Please RSVP online or call (212) 935-2075. No refunds or exchanges. Cost of Tour: $20, $15 MAS members.

Lookng Ahead....
Until April 18, 2012 grab a Titanic-inspired drink such as the Bourbon-based "Unsinkable Molly Brown" and the Champagne-based "ST-705" after the number of survivors, at the Jane Hotel, where survivors took refuge after the disaster, 113 Jane Street!

Buy tkts now for Gemini & Scorpio's April 21 Drowned Ball, with tkt prices based on the different classes on the Titanic! For more details and to buy tkts go here!

Dr. Who in NYC!

Make tracks with the Last of the Time Lords right here in NYC with a
Paley Center screening, an actual Tardis in Brooklyn, and plenty of Dr. Who merchandise near Union Square!

Tuesday April 10, 2012
From the Paley Center website:
"Doctor Who: How It All Began—An Evening with Waris Hussein"7:00 pm
In-person Waris Hussein, Director, "An Unearthly Child” Moderator: Barnaby Edwards, President, Doctor Who New York.

Climb into your TARDIS and travel back in time with us to November 23, 1963, to hear all about the making of "An Unearthly Child,” the very first Doctor Who episode ever aired, from the man who brought it to life, director Waris Hussein, who will recall what it was like being part of the creation of television’s longest-running science fiction series. In addition to a discussion and Q&A, the evening will include the screening of the episode, with live commentary provided by Hussein. After the event, the director will participate in an autograph session with attendees. (Autograph Policy: Waris will sign a personal item for $20 each. He will also have pictures available for signing at $20 each, which will be signed for free.)
Tickets on sale now. Co-presented with Who York and New York Comic Con Paley Center, 25 West 52 Street bet Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Cost: Members:$15 General Public: $20, buy tkts here.

Broooklyn Tardis
I hear 'tis bigger on the inside than it is on the outside! The Way Station has apparently installed a Tardis as bathroom in their Brooklyn bar. The bar also hosts screenings and trivia nights perfect for you inner geek (i.e. The Evil Dead.) Follow their blog for upcoming events! Obv it's free to use the bathroom, but you may want knock back a drink while you're there! Way Station, 683 Washington Ave., bet Prospect and St. Mark's.

Forbidden Planet
Comic book store near Union Square stocked with all things Dr. Who: DVD's, CD's, graphic novels, action figures of various Dr. incarnations as well as villains from the series including daleks, Cybermen, and Weeping Angels prop replicas such as a sonic screwdriver, a mini-Tardis, and a Nano recorder, novelty items such as clocks and web cameras, banks, watches, a Tardis ice bucket, coffee mugs, magazines, and T-shirts with pictures of Daleks and the Tardis on them. Forbidden Planet is located at 840 Broadway and is open:
Sunday
10am - 10pm
Monday
10am - 10pm
Tuesday
10am - 10pm
Wednesday
9am - 12am
Thursday
10am - 12am
Friday
10am - 12am
Saturday
10am - 12am

Who York
Obsess over all things Who-verse with fellow fans at events hosted by group Who York. For more info and to join go here!

And if you still need more Dr. Who in your life check out the essay collection Chicks dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It. Buy it here!

Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, April 6-8, 2012

Friday April 6, 2012
See Faust, as part of the NYPL Monster Film Fest! 3:30 p.m. Mott Haven Library, 321 E. 140th Street, The Bronx, cost: $15!

Drive your way into the future of cars at the New York International Auto Show! See futuristic cars (sorry Spielberg fans, no flying cars yet! Just three more years to go) and green-friendly vehicles! April 6th through Sunday April 15th, 2012, Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Sundays: 10am - 7pm) Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 11th Ave. bet. 34th and 40th Streets, Cost: $15! Buy tkts here: http://www.autoshowny.com/tickets

Travel back in time to 1999 at the Party like it's 1999: Good Friday Edition featuring a variety of music from the 90’s! 10 p.m. The Frontier Room at the Bell House, 149 7th St, Brooklyn, free!

Catch “Being Shakespeare” a one-man show about the Bard featuring actor Simon Callow in a new play by playwright Jonathan Bate and directed by Tom Cairns BAM Harvey Theater, 30 lafayette Ave., Apr 4—7 and 10-14 cost: tkts start at $25! Buy them here: http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=3696

Saturday April 7, 2012
Get the kids primed for the big day with the Barnyard Easter Egg Hunt at the Queens County Farm Museum! The hunt will take place in the orchard, and the kids can also participate in activities including posing for pics w/Whiskers the Bunny, dancing the “Bunny Hop,” egg tosses, egg rolling games, hay rides, and visits w/farm animals! 12 p.m. to 4p.m. (egg hunts take place throughout the day!) Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Cost: $5 per person

Channel your elementary school days with Modell’s Double Dutch Spring Sports Clinic 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Hansborough Pool & Recreation Center, 35 West 134th Street, cost: free!


Also don’t forget about Target Free First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum! http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php! Plus Smorgasburg http://www.brooklynflea.com/smorgasburg opens for the summer today!

Feet getting tired pounding the pavement? Get a jump start on your job search by attending the program Organizing and Managing Your Job Search. John Crant will be leading the class which will cover “15 Pathways to Job Search Success, Networking Strategy, Weekly Review of Your Goals, and the 30 Second Calling ‘Script’: Preparation before Calling.” 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL), Conference Room 018,188 Madison Ave. @ 36th Street, free, but seating is on a first-come-first-served basis!

Free Brooklyn Yoga in the Park at, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Prospect Park Long Meadow (repeats every Saturday until 05/05/2012) one order of tots $4 - includes your choice of one spice and one sauce.

Show me the Tots! $14 - includes four orders of tots, with four different spices/sauces.
Languidly sip a Long Island wine at Union Square’s USQ's East(er) End Tasting. Wines served at this event include bottles from local wineries such as Channing Daughters Winery, Shinn Estate Vineyards, Paumanok Vineyards, and Bedell Cellars. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Union Square Wines and Spirits, 140 Fourth Avenue, cost: free!

Saturday April 7, 2012 and Sunday April 8, 2012
Join Discovery Walking Tours on their Easter Weekend Greenwich Village History and Dessert Tour and “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 along the way. We’ll navigate the nooks and side streets of the Village, including the Washington Sq Arch, Minetta Lane, Patchin Place, the homes of Mark Twain and Edith Wharton, film locations from Sex and the City and When Harry Met Sally, and the Friends apartment building.” 2 p.m. Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $26 (incl food)

Save 30% books, movies, music, and more at Housing Works Bookstore, Also be sure to welcome the launch of Brooklyn's Dekalb Market! http://dekalbmarket.com/, and That Tot Spot opens in Williamsburg at Artists and Fleas! One order of tots $4 - includes your choice of one spice and one sauce. Show me the Tots! $14 - includes four orders of tots, with four different spices/sauces. Artists and Fleas, 70 N. 7th t. bet Wythe and Kent, 10 am. to 7 p.m.

And Bank of America cardholders get free museum admission all weekend at seven spots including the Met, Whitney, and the New-York Historical Society! http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/MOU.aspx

Sunday April 8, 2012
If you like to laugh at Roger Sterling’s snarky one-liners, admire Joan’s awesomeness, and marvel at the weirdness of Megan Draper’s teeth with a crowd, then head to the Sheep Station’s regular Mad Men viewing party. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sheep Station, 149 4th Avenue Brooklyn, cost: Free! (Repeats every Sunday during the show’s fifth season)

Give the kids a break from the jelly beans and chocolate bunnies with a special screening of The Princess and the Frog! This movie is part of the BAMcinématek series New Orleans on Film in honor of Dr. John’s residency at BAM and whose “Down in New Orleans” is on the movie’s soundtrack. BAM , 30 Lafayette Ave., cost: General Admission: $12, BAM Cinema Club Members: $7, Movie Moguls: Free, Seniors: $9!

Time to don your Easter bonnet as the photographers snap your photo while you walk down Fifth Avenue in the annual Easter parade! 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. on Fifth Ave. going north starting at 49th Street, cost: Free!

Cheap and Free NYC Trivia Nights

Calling all NYC geeks, dorks, and nerds! The following is a round-up of a variety of cheap and free trivia nights aroud the city. Be sure to watch Jeopardy, Cash Cab, and Who wants to be a Millionaire to bone up before the big night.

The Big Quiz Thing
Monday trivia night featuring five rounds of trivia with ten questions each, covering general knowledge such as geography, politics, history, sports, literature, current events, and NYC factoids. For extra help before the Quiz check the blog (http://blog.bigquizthing.com/) for the Not-so-Secret-Secret Clue. Special rounds include a music round, a video round, and concludes with a lightning round (teams must answer ten questions in five minutes.) Officially the team minimum is four and the maximum number is eight, but these numbers are rarely enforced. Don’t have a team, but have a love of all things trivia? No problem! Just show up and the host will hook you up with a group. The great thing is if your team has a collective brain fart and doesn’t know the answer, you can make up your own funny reply in hopes of nabbing a Smart-Ass Point-Basically you get the point if you make host Noah Tarnow chuckle and if the audience of fellow trivia geeks laughs the hardest at your response. At the end of the night points are tabulated and the top three scoring teams send up representatives to compete in the three-way (not that kind of three way;-) finale round to determine the winner. First prize is $200, Second prize is $50, and Third place is $25. Other prizes include theater tkts, books, DVD’s, CD’s, and sweet treats. Don’t despair if you don’t do well-tenth place teams get $25! http://bigquizthing.com/

The next BQT night is:
Monday April 9, 2012
7:30 p.m.
M1-5
52 Walker St. bet Church and Broadway
$10
Read about my personal BQT experience here:
http://cheapchickinthecity.blogspot.com/2009/08/big-quiz-thing-trivia-for-trivial-price.html

Last Exit Bar Pub Quiz
This is a late-night (begins at 9 p.m.) trivia night occurring on the first and third Monday of each month. Teams of four or fewer compete by answering ten rounds of five questions each. Be warned: these team numbers are strictly enforced here, so be sure to wrangle three other trivia geeks to play with you. Most questions cover general knowledge, but there are some unique rounds including Canadian or not Canadian (decide if celebs are from the land of hockey and maple leaves), Last Exit Theater (hosts perform scenes from well-known movies), and Bodega Price is Right (guess the price of items such as a bag of pork rinds.) For an extra advantage before the game, go to the quiz’s website for a clue to one of the night’s questions. There are breaks bet rounds when music relating to the previous round is played, past examples include The Golden Girls theme song. There is also a longer break about halfway through the show (perfect for a smoke break ;-) and to rest your brain for a bit. The space is cozy so be sure to get there early to save spaces for your teammates. Prizes include cuts of the admission money and drink tkts. http://www.lastexitbar.com/lastexitbar/index.html

The next quiz night is:
Monday April 16, 2012
9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Last Exit Bar
136 Atlantic Ave. bet Clinton and Henry Streets

Trivia Night at Keats
For a quirky quiz head to Keats’ Kwiz Nite Tuesday trivia experience. Hosted by Trivia Tryst, the game incorporates rounds like Name That Loon, Homonyms, Famous ‘Captains’, and Dan’s ‘Dromes (all answers are palindromes) as well as general knowledge questions such as sports, history, literature, and music. Admission is free and the cash prizes are $50 for first place. You can also fuel up those brain cells by noshing on some cheap burgers (less than $10 and served on an English muffin) as you battle it out with fellow trivia geeks. http://keatsbar.com/index.php/en/

The next trivia night is:
Tuesday April 10, 2012
Keats Restaurant
842 2nd Ave bet 44th and 45th Streets
9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Other cheap and free NYC trivia nights worth noting are Wednesday nights at Common Ground-play board games before the game starts and get pre-show round clues by following CG on Twitter, Quizz-Off at Pete’s Candy Store-six rounds of 20 questions each, http://www.petescandystore.com/quizz.html, and Chow down on your free personal pan pizza w/drink purchase at Crocodile Lounge and see if you have time to squeeze in a round of skee-ball while you’re there for trivia on Wednesday nights! (http://www.crocodilenyc.com/)




Know of any other cheap and free trivia nights around BYC? Post them below in the cpmments section!