NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Events, June 1-3, 2012

Friday June 1, 2012

Relive Prohibition (tho seriously would anyone want to?) w/the “Satan’s Seat”: New York During Prohibition Walking Tour! “Created in conjunction with WNET New York Public Media, a walking tour 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 could 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 @ the NE corner of Bowery & Houston, in front of the iron-fenced community garden. Cost: $18!

Take “baby steps” to the Roosevelt Avenue Midnight Street Food Crawl - YELP EDITION! This food tour, which actually begins at 8 p.m., will be led by Jeff O! of Double X-Gold Elite. The tour will hit “some of the best Mexican and Ecuadorian food in the city” as you walk from Jackson Heights to Corona. 8 p.m. meet @ Maravillas for Mexican beer and karaoke, 37-64 90th St., Jackson Heights, (718) 507-5678, cost: free to go, pay-for-what-you-eat!

Hawkeye and science? Alan Alda will be making an appearance at the Paley Center as part of the World Science Festival with his program: Alan Alda’s Burning Question: What Is a Flame? in which he will discuss the “Flame Challenge, a worldwide contest that asked scientists to explain a flame in terms that would engage an eleven-year-old. 6,000 eleven-year-olds judged the entries—you will see the finalists' entries at the event—but their responses provide lessons for scientists communicating with audiences of any age. We will discuss innovative techniques pioneered by the Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, where scientists are learning communication skills as a fundamental part of their science education,” 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., The Paley Center for Media, 25 West 52 Street (between Fifth & Sixth Avenues), cost: $15, buy tkts here!

The classic summer event Films on the Green featuring French films begins tonight w/ OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies! Film starts @ dusk (about 8:30 p.m., Central Park, Cedar Hill at 79th Street and 5th Avenue, cost: free!

Plus “the play’s the thing” w/the start of NY Classical Theater’s summer season (began Thurs May 31, 2012 and runs to July22, 2012 at Central Park and Battery Park) featuring “Twelfth Night,” the 19th Annual Red Hook Fest happens today and tomorrow, and it’s Free First Fridays at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday June 2, 2012

Don’t go into the water! Or at least be careful doing so with the Paley Center’s advanced screening of Jersey Shore Shark Attack: A Paley Center and Syfy Viewing Party! The event includes a screening of the film with Jeff Schenk, Producer, Richard Gnolfo, Writer, and Michael Ciminera, Writer on-hand! There will also be trivia, prizes, and refreshments! 7 p.m. Paley Center for Media, 25 West 52 Street (between Fifth & Sixth Avenues,, cost: $15 for non-members, $10 students/seniors! Buy tkts here!

Is storytelling a lost art? Find out at the Bodega Monthly, a regular open mic storytelling event for local writers, poets, and artists held the first Saturday of the month! , 7 p.m., The Bodega, 24 Saint Nicholas Avenue, free!

Go to a massive garage sale @ the Epic DUMBO Stoop Sale! Secondhand, gently used items of all kinds will be available and the organizers are partnering will be partnering with Krrb “a safe place to buy, sell, trade and give to your neighbors locally and in-person” (they’ll have a preview on their site of stoop sale items before today! 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Under The Archway (assume they mean the Brooklyn Bridge?) In DUMBO, (take the F to York Street, or the A, C to High Street) cost: free to attend, bring some extra cash to buy stuff!

Want to see the history of Coney Island in exhibit photographs? The "Abe Feinstein: 50 Years of Coney Island Photography” exhibit opens today and runs thru July 1, 2012, 12:00 p.m. – 6 p.m., Coney Island History Project, West 12th Street at the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, cost: free!

Hey y’all travel down South w/o leaving NYC at the3rd Annual Crawfish Boil w/the Abita Brewing Company! There will be plenty of crawfish on the boil as well as music and beer! 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sycamore Bar, 1118 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn, cost: $25 (inc. lg bucket of crawfish, and a pint of beer) After the event it’s $5 beers the rest of the day!

Get you geek on with the World Science Festival’s Fifth Anniversary party at Galapagos! “Strip away the trimmings of a traditional science presentation, add cocktails and an intimate lounge setting, and you have WSF Spotlight. This year’s series provides an unobstructed glimpse into the minds of some of the most inventive thinkers. Experiments gone wrong. Happy accidents. Ah-ha moments. Every innovation or scientific breakthrough has a story. Join us as we trace some of the unlikely, entertaining and enlightening paths to discovery.” Doors open @ 6:30 p.m., party starts @ 7:30 p.m., Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St, DUMBO (F to York Street, A,C High St), cost: $20! Buy tkts here!
Help your weekend hit a high note when the Brooklyn Community Chorus Presents: "From Mozart to Madonna performance! 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Congregation Beth Elohims Sanctuary, 8th Avenue and Garfield Place in Park Slope, Brooklyn, cost: $10!

Don’t forget, it’s free First Saturdays @ the Brooklyn Museum today!

Saturday and Sunday June 2 and 3, 2012

Celebrate the High Line’s b-day w/Discovery Walking Tours! “Walk through the gritty but hip Meatpacking District with a stop along the High Line – the former elevated rail, now a public park. Other stops include the Titanic Memorial Arch, the R and L restaurant, and sites associated with Alexander Hamilton and Herman Melville.” 2:15 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for meeting time and reservations. cost: $20!

Bank of America cardholders get free museum admission all weekend at seven spots including the Met, Whitney and New-York Historical Society, and take 30% off Housing Works’ already discounted products!

Sunday June 3, 2012

If you didn’t make it to the 30% off sale at Housing Works or are perhaps looking for a better bargain, the go to the Housing Works Open Air Street Fair, where EVERYTHING (Books, DVDs, CDs) are just $1! There will also be clothes from the thrift shops, food, and music to round out the day! Being outside, browsing $1 books, I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer afternoon…10 a.m. to ?-no end time on ws, tho guessing 5 or 6 p.m., Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby Street, cost: free to go, bring plenty of $1 bills for all the items you plan to buy!

Let’s get Quzzical at the big Quiz Thing’s Tenth Anniversary Quiz Show Marathon! The show runs 10 hours, and features a $1000 grand prize for the winning team! Other prizes will be offered as well as entertainment in-between quizzes and the whole event will culminate in a six-way finale at the end to determine the grand prize winners! 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., 92YTribeca, 200 Hudson Street, cost: $20 in advance, $22 at the door! Buy advance tkts here!

No doubt dating has provided us w/some of life’s most awkward moments! Now you get to laugh at them (if you haven’t already) at the Hookups and Hang-Ups comedy Show! 7 p.m., Abingdon Theatre Arts Complex (312 West 36th Street), cost: $10!

All hail the Promised Land at the Israel Parade! 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fifth Ave., 57 - 74 Sts., cost: free!



And all weekend long…the Brooklyn Film Festival is happening (through June 10), the Howl! Festival hits Tompkins Square Park (through June 3), the Bushwick Open Studios Festival is happening this w/e, the free 26th Annual ISI Team Figure Skating Competition at Chelsea Piers (through June 3), the Gateway to Nations Redhawk Pow Wow is happening in Bklyn, and check out more World Science Festival events going on all weekend here!
Looking ahead…the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park’s production of “As You Like It” is starting on Tuesday June 5, 2012 (thru June 30, 2012) Remember it’s free as long as you and your friends don’t mind waiting in a long-ass line!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, Happy Memorial Day Weekend! May 25-28, 2012

Friday May 25, 2012

Don’t lose that lovin’ feeling as you watch Top Gun screen on an actual battleship! How apropos! Doors open @ 7:30 p.m., movie begins @ sunset, The Intrepid Battleship, West side of Manhattan on Pier 86, 12th Ave. and 46th Street, free!

See the ”evil side of animation” at Rooftop Films’ Dark ‘Toons movie night, music provided by Softspot and after-party @ R Bar (218 Bowery @ Rivington), Open Road Rooftop, LES, 350 Grand Street, Go here for complete listing of flicks and to buy tkts in advance go here, cost: $12 online or at the door!

Who will make it to Coney Island first? The Gramercy Riffs or the Warriors? Find out @ the midnight showing of The Warriors, Midnight, IFC Center, Sixth Avenue at West Third Street, cost: $13, buy tkts here! Repeats Sat and Sun @ midnight as well!

Saturday June 26, 2012


Sayonara sake @ the Union Square Wines and Spirits Sake to Me Tasting! Travel around Japan by sampling a variety of the fermented rice drink! 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Union Sq. Wines and Spirits, 140 Fourth Avenue, cost: free!

Aw shucks! It’s time for $1 oysters Redux! 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Brooklyn Oenology, 209 Wythe Avenue, cost: $1/oyster +drink specials

Dig into Chinatown with the Museum of the Chinese in the Americas From Coffee Houses to Banquet Halls Walking Tour. Explore the Chinatown as it was when it catered to the turn-of-the-century "bachelor society,” and as it grew to encompass Chinese restaurants and a variety of food customs. 1 p.m., meet at the Museum of the Chinese in the Americas, 215 Centre Street between Howard and Grand Streets) cost: $12 students/seniors, $15 adults! (repeats on the third Sat of the month thru the summer.) Buy tkts here! 

Time travel to Midlevel times w/o entering the chain restaurant @ the3rd Annual Pentecost Festival! Once celebrated by the knights of the round table today you can chomp down on giant turkey legs, watch sword fights, drink up mead and beer, and watch Medieval-themed movies! 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., The Drink, cost: free, but RSVP here!

Get intimate w/the bike in your life @ the Brooklyn Bicycle Fetish Day today! The day’s festivities are v. bike-centric and will feature Biking activities, bike competitions, and bike rides. There will also be bicycle advocacy groups on-hand, a BBQ grill for tasty treats, local artists selling their goods, and a bike contest w/various categories inc. Vintage, Mutant, and family! 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., City Reliquary, Havemeyer Street between Hope and Grand. cost: free!

Ever wandered through all eight miles of the Strand? Then you’ll never know what you’ll find in the stacks…until now that is! Join other bibliophiles as you participate in the Strand’s Treasure Hunt today! There will be five treasures hidden in the bookstore and you must solve the clues in order to claim the prizes. Clues have been appearing on the store’s FB page since Monday May 21, 2012 (here), and live updates will be posted on FB and Twitter pages , and in the store as the hunt progresses and items are claimed. 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., (you can start your hunt anytime during the day, but keep in mind that there are only five treasures and once they’re claimed, the items are gone! Strand Bookstore, B’way and 12th, cost: free!

Plus Governors Island opens for the season today as do the city’s public beaches, and w/e and holiday kayaking! Plus the DanceAfrica Bazaar starts today and runs thru Monday, and get $1 smoothies and frappes @ Burger King (thru Mon!)

Saturday and Sunday May 26 and 27, 2012

Don your shades and slouchy hat for Discovery Walking Tours’ Famous Movie Sites of the UES Walking Tour. “Nearly 20 famous film locales will be spotted including the Breakfast at Tiffany's townhouse, a James Bond getaway scene, the site of Marilyn Monroe's subway grate pose, the Midnight Cowboy apartment, and locations from Mad Men and two Woody Allen films.” 1 p.m. Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting location, cost: $20!

Join the revolution as Discovery Walking Tours takes on the Brooklyn Bridge, the War of 1812, The American Revolution, and The Civil War with thir walking tour today.”For Memorial Weekend, a walk across the bridge to discuss the layout of the Battle of Brooklyn and a walk with stops associated with all three wars, including places connected to Lincoln, Walt Whitman, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Castle Clinton, and 1812 Naval hero James Lawrence.” 3:30 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting location, cost: $18!

Plus picnic up a storm at the Governors Island 5 Boro Picnyc! The cheap seats are $25, but include beer, food sampling, and music! 11:30 am. to 4:30 p.m., buy tkts here!

Sunday May 27, 2012

Get truckin’ down to the Food Truck Festival @ Prospect Park, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Prospect Park Grand Army Plaza, free!

Walk with the undead at the Brooklyn Zombie Crawl! /


Monday May 28, 2012, Happy Memorial Day 2012!


Enjoy the free annual NY Philhamonic Memorial Day concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, conducted by Alan Gilbert, 8 p.m., 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, one block east of Broadway, free, but ticketed. Tickets will be handed out at the church at 6:15 p.m.

Vote on the best storyteller in all the land during the Moth Story Slam! 7 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. stories begin, The Bitter End, 147 Bleecker Street, cost: A limited number of presale tickets will be available for $16, buy tkts here! Otherwise $8 at the door!

Wave Hill and the Met are both observing holiday Mondays and are open today!

Take 30% off already discounted books, DVDs, and CDs at Housing Works Bookstore today! 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., HW Bookstore, 126 Crosby St.!

Remember the reason behind the three-day weekend with the Big Onion Memorial Day: Revolutionary New York Walking tour. “A special holiday tour of Lower Manhattan visiting sites associated with our nation’s War of Independence and New York’s role in the early Republic. Unlike Philadelphia or Boston, New York’s Revolutionary Era is hidden behind modern buildings and obscure signs. We’ll uncover layers of history to reveal the Patriot/Loyalist conflict within New York as the nation was only beginning to develop. We’ll visit the site where the Declaration of Independence was first read to a New York audience, we’ll see the graves of Revolutionary War General Richard Montgomery and first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, the site of President George Washington’s Inaugural Address, Fraunces Tavern and the target of the Stamp Act mob in Bowling Green.” 2 p.m., meet @ Broadway and Murray Street, at the gated entrance to City Hall Park, cost: $18!

Catch a free Memorial Day concert performed by the ISO Symphonic Band in Green-Wood Cemetery! The group will play songs by composers buried in the Brooklyn cemetery. 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th Street, Directions here, cost: free, but reservations required, make them here!

And finally it wouldn’t be Memorial Day w/o BBQ, so if you didn’t make it out to Governors Island Saturday or Sunday, or are still craving that smoky flavor head to Huckleberry Bar’s 6th Annual Memorial Day BBQ & Garden Party or  grab Beats and BBQ at LP N’ Harmony!




Also…The 17th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is happening Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this w/e, Quiet please! Enjoy silent films during the Quad Cinema Classics Program  program (thru May 31st,), Lincoln Center honors the works of Ridley Scott by screening his films (thru June 3), $13/tkt or $10 if you create your own double feature, and Anchors aweigh, be sure to welcome sailors to the Big Apple during Fleet Week!

Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, May 18-20, 2012

Friday May 18, 2012

Who knew games=art? Find out more at tonight’s MOMA lecture: "Contemporary Art Forum: Critical Play—The Game as an Art Form!" 6 p.m., MOMA, 11 West 53rd Street, Theater Three (The Celeste Bartos Theater), mezzanine, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, $10, For more info and to buy tkts go here!

Art meets wine or wine meets art at the Michael Katz Art Preview Party and Wine Reception! 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Serendipity Wines and Spirits, 1585 1st Ave (between 82nd and 83rd Sts.), free! (the artist himself will also be on-hand)

Veg out with the all-vegan Veggie Prom tonight! Snack on vegan goodies including desserts and snacks. Plus get your pic taken in a photo booth and win prizes for the most creative costume! Fontana’s, 105 Eldridge Street, cost: $10 in advance, $15 @ the door to benefit Mercy for Animals, buy tkts here!

Shuffle, ball, change at the Fourth Annual Tap Extravaganza in Queens! 8 p.m., Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard (at the corner of Linden Place) cost: $10 students/all others $20, buy tkts here!

Pump up the volume with the Harlem Dances “Groove with Me” a free performance offered as part of the Summer on the Hudson Program, West Harlem Piers Park, W. 125 Street, cost: free!

Also today…Free museum admission as part of Int’l Museum Day, get the “write” stuff w/free writing workshops all day! (Reservations required) and free jazz at BAMCafe!

Saturday May 19, 2012

Moms of the NYC-area unite at the 9th Annual Mamapalooza! This free outdoor festival will fearure art, mom bands, a Gymboree Play Tent, environmental info, food, vendors, and interactive activities! 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Riverside Park, W. 68th and the River, cost: free!

Hook up w/orgs in need @ the N. Brooklyn Volunteer Fair, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., McCarren Park Farmer’s Market, N. 12 St., Lorimer St., Manhattan Ave. bet. Bayard St. and Berry St., cost: free!

Bookworms of the world unite for Boek Dag (Book Day) at the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, Brooklyn’s oldest historic house! This event is not just for kids, tho while there will be children’s authors such as Melanie Hope Greenberg and Laura Lee Gulledge on-hand as well as a crafts table for the young folk ther will also be activities for the adults in attendance. Adult authors such as Eliot Glazer and Hilary Davidson will lend a hand to the festivities! Plus fun for all ages includes a book swap, and a book cover-inspired photo booth! Feed your stomach (not your mind!) with tacos and sliders from Mike and Willie's food truck! 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wyckoff Farmhouse, Directions here, cost: free!

If you’re not tuckered out by the day’s activities, then head to a nighttime literary event in Bklyn, the Lit Crawl! More info and deets here!

“The cheese is old and moldy,” (bonus points if you get the movie reference!) Hopefully there won’t be any mold on the cheese at the Cheeses of France Pop-up Café hosted by former Top Chef contestant Ash Fulk, who will prepare "Frenchified" American fare incorporating cheese, such as grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and dumplings. Plus Krai, an international sculptor will create a masterpiece out of cheese! 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Circle in the Square Theater, 159 Bleecker Street, cost: free!

Show your appreciation for city parks during “It’s My Park Day” at Prospect Park! “volunteers will be outfitted around New York City with paint brushes, brooms, shovels, rakes, and trash grabbers. Even with the mild winter, Prospect Park's trees still need plenty of care. Your helping hands will tend to a variety of spring cleaning projects such as: painting, weeding, litter patrol, path sweeping, and more!” This event will happen rain or shine, cost: free, but registration is required, as of this posting there were only 11 slots available, so go here and see if there are any openings left!

Go Asian for the day at the Paley Center’s screening of the original 1955 "NBC Opera Theatre: Madame Butterfly." Q and A with Elaine Malbin, Soprano ("Cio-Cio-San") who played the title role to follow screening! 2 p.m. Paley Center for Media, 25 West 52 Street, cost: free w/museum admission ($10)!

Take in free screenings of doc Vanishing of the Bees (12:15 p.m.) and Men in Black (3 p.m.) at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Sony Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Ave., free, but reservations rec, call (212) 833-8100 and select option 3 to save your seat!

Plus go fly a kite at the free rain-or-shine Kite Flight at the Socrates Sculpture Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday May 19 and Sunday May 20, 2012

Celebrate the Brooklyn Bridge’s birthday with Discovery Walking Tours “by walking its length and learning its history, pausing for birthday egg creams, spinach pie and baklava in Brooklyn Hts and Cobble Hill. Stops there include Plymouth Church, the homes of Arthur Miller and Truman Capote, and the birthplace of Churchill’s mother." 2 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $27 (includes food)!

Trek to Queens for the LIC open Studios w/e!

Go the opposite direction for the shearing of the sheep at the Fleece Festival in Prospect Park!

Get some religion in your life by visiting NYC’s sacred sites during The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Open House!

And eat your heart out @ The 9th Ave Int’l Food Festival!

Sunday May 21, 2012

Join the LES Jewish Conservancy for their popular Lower East Side Then and Now Walking Tour! "Visit active, landmark synagogues founded by 19th century immigrants. Tour the Bialystoker Synagogue, the largest active orthodox congregation on the Lower East Side today; the exterior of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol - former home of the largest Russian-Jewish orthodox congregation in the United States; and Kehila Kedosha Janina, the only Romaniote (Greek heritage) synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. Tour Historic East Broadway, featuring Shteibl Row, settlement houses, Seward Park, Strauss Square, and more.” 11 a.m., Meet at the LESJC Kling and Niman Family Visitor Center, 400 Grand Street (between Clinton Street and Suffolk Street)! Cost: Adults $18 (in advance,+$2 day of tour) Buy tkts here! Please note the tour will not be stopping for lunch, so feel free to bring a beverage and snack to "nosh" on during the tour!


Plus the New York Marble Cemetery, will be open to the public today from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the The Coney Island Olde Time Strongman Spectacular is happening, and celebrate all things Polenta at the Festival di Polenta!



And all w/e long…

Go out of this world with Tom Sachs: Space Program: Mars exhibit at the Park Avenue Armory, (thru June 17, 2012), enjoy "world wide fun" with events happening in conjunction w/Internet Week (thru June 21, is a picture really worth a 1000 words? Find out at the New York Photo Festival (thru June 20th,) Celebrate DanceAfrica with BAM, the NYC Popfest is a four day festival that takes place at multiple venues across the city (May 17-20,) The Brooklyn Folk Festival is going on (thru May 20), and the NYC Tattoo Convention is in town!

Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, May 11-13, 2012! Happy Mother's Day!

Friday May 11, 2012

Watch out for swan dresses at Björkestra (björk’s music set to a live 18-piece orchestra! This event is part of Travis Sullivan’s monthly residency at Shapeshifter. 8 p.m., Shapeshifter Lab, 18 Whitwell Place, Park Slope/Gowanus), cost: $10 nets you two sets of the Icelandic artist’s music!

Meet Lizz Winstead, co-creator of the Daily Show at BookCourt as she reads from her essay collection Lizz Free or Die, 7 p.m., BookCourt Bookstore, 163 Court Street, Cobble Hill, cost: free!

What do the bard and Prohibition have in common? The latest incarnation of “Twelfth Night” from the Random Access Theatre Company, which takes place during the 1920’s. This 90-minute romp is directed by Laurence Lesher and features saxpphone music. The company consists of eight actors, with one actor playing the twin leads Viola and Sebastian. Tonight is the opening night gala benefit performance when $30 also gets you a sneak peek of the show as well as an open bar! 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. GrindSpace Loft, 419 Park Ave South, cost: $30, Buy tkts here! (Note: Normally the Cheap Chick would not endorse such a $$ event, but I thought you could drink your money’s worth. Don’t despair however, after tonight’s performance the play will be making its way thru the parks for free!)

Friday May 11th: Grind Space, 419 Park Avenue South, 2nd Floor – 8 p.m.

Saturday May 12th: Fort Greene Park, Monument 2 p.m.

Saturday May 12th: Astoria Park, Below the Tri-Boro Bridge, 6 p.m.

Sunday May 13th: Astoria Park, Below the Tri-Boro Bridge, 2 p.m.

Sunday May 13th: Fort Greene Park, Monument 6 p.m.

See A.J. Jacobs at Word Bookstore as he discusses his new book Drop Dead Healthy, in which he strives to be “the healthiest person on earth.” He’ll be joined by Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin, 7 p.m., Word Bookstore, 126 Franklin St. Bklyn, free!

Also get down and get funky with DanceAfrica, BAM and the FAB Alliance during free FAB Fridays!

Saturday May 12, 2012

Embrace Asian-American culture at the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Festival! Drumming, Lion dancing, Asian traditional folk arts, and martial arts demos will be part of the festivities! Mr. Eric Adams, New York State Senator; Mr. John Liu, Comptroller, City of New York, and Mr. Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President will also be on-hand. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Water St and Anchorage Pl., DUMBO, (take the A,C to High Street or the F to York St.), free!

Choo-Choo! Amtrak is hosting National Train Day! Today’s festivities include “live entertainment, interactive and educational activities about how trains have transformed America and will continue to do so in the future with high speed rail, as well as, fun activities for the entire family.” 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Grand Central Terminal, 87 E 42nd St, cost: free!

You won’t see Jamie Foxx at this event, but perhaps you’ll see some folks wearing dark glasses at the Wonder-Full: A Tribute To the Wonder of Stevie event w/ DJ Spinna! 10 p.m., Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., cost: $20, buy tkts here!

Foodies unite at the Brooklyn Food Conference! This event features “keynotes from notable food activists, workshops, panel discussions, food demos, family programming, art, and much more.” 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Brooklyn Technical High School, 29 Fort Greene Place,, cost: free! Plus après-conference attend an after-party hosted by FUREE, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., 70 South Elliott Place (between Dekalb & Lafayette) in Brooklyn - just down the block from the conference! Tickets: Sliding scale ($10-$75. Tickets at $15+ get free drinks) Cash bar of beer and wine!

Celebrate 3rd Ward’s Sixth Birthday with B-day BBQ! Food will be provided by Rucola and partners including Brooklyn Cured Sausages, Four & Twenty Blackbird Pies, Shelsky's Smoked Fish and more! You can participate in demos and workshops of 3rd Ward classes. Live music provided by The Stumblebum Brass Band, Dan Neustadt Covers Your Favorite Album, DJs My Favorite Mixtape and more! The Moviehouse and UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) will provide entertainment via and Dying in Brooklyn: A Comedy Show featuring films, music videos, and live comedy! 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., 3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave, cost: free! But RSVPs are required here!

Share your deepest, darkest chocolate confessions at Dylan’s Candy Bar today! Write up your chocolate stories, which will be posted on a community board. Visitors are also be encouraged to support Divine Chocolate, a Fair Trade chocolate brand co-owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Dylan’s Candy Bar, 1011 3rd Avenue, cost: free!

Long live Dumbledore's Army! Join fellow Potterheads to listen to Harry Potter being read in dozens of languages to protest budget cuts to area libraries. 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., The Unisphere in Flushing Meadows/Corona Park, cost: free!

And see the Parsons New School MFA Fine Arts 2012 Thesis Exhibition thru May 19, 2012, and NYC Wildflower Week starts today!

Sunday May 13, 2012

Take your mom for a walk with the Yiddishe Mamas - A Mother's Day Walking Tour sponsored by the Museum at Eldridge Street, complete with bagels, rugelach and a mimosa toast. After refreshments, “follow in the footsteps of historic female heroines associated with the neighborhood. Hear about free-thinker Emma Goldman, Henry Street founder Lillian Wald, and mikvah operator Gittel Natelson. Stops include the Forward Newspaper building, the Lower East Side’s old red light district, and the oldest operating mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) in New York City. As the tour concludes, moms and guests will receive a special Yiddishe Mamas shopping list, suggesting local bakeries, restaurants and bra shops,” 11 a.m., Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street, $25 (inc refreshments), Space is limited, so RSVP here, or call 212.219.0888 x205!

You and your mom can eat your way through the LES during Big Onion Walking Tours’ Annual Mother's Day Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour. “This tour combines the history of the diverse Lower East Side with a series of small food sampling, or “noshing” stops from local shops and markets. The main focus of our tour is the history of the multi-ethnic Lower East Side emphasizing the neighborhoods of the Jewish East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown. During the course of our walk we will sample about 10 different items, representing the Dominican, Jewish, Italian and Chinese communities of the Lower East Side. Most of these items are vegetarian or dairy. All food sampling will be done outdoors and we do not include restaurants on our tour. Our “noshing” tour uses the markets & shops to highlight the history and this walk should not be considered a meal. 1 p.m., meet at the SW corner of Delancey and Essex Streets, in front of the American Choice Deli/Chase Bank, cost: $23 (covers the cost of all food samples.) Reservations required, email info@bigonion.com to save your place on the tour. Please include your name, date you wish to attend, number of people in your party. Big Onion will confirm via email.

Don’t just whine with your mom, wine with your mom at the Union Square Mother's Day Tasting. “Mom-friendly pours from France, Germany, Austria, and the Finger Lakes. Pop that bottle! Champagne will be flowing from Perrier Jouet, Vilmart, and Gaston Chiquet while Austria's Brundlmayer Brut Rosé, a blend of Zweigelt, St. Laurent, and Pinot Noir, offers a compelling alternative to your usual bubbly. We also have beautiful Riesling selections from Germany and the Finger Lakes, including Hermann J. Wiemer, A.J.Adam, Jakob Schneider, and Kruger-Rumpf. Mom love baking? Spirits perfect for the kitchen will also be on hand from esoteric importer Haus Alpenz. Dessert-worthy accompaniments and ingredients alike, Nocino della Cristina Walnut Liqueur, St. Elizabeth All Spice dram, and a trio of Rothman & Winter liqueurs will impress with uniqueness and versatility both in the pan and in the glass.” 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Union Square Wines and Spirits, 140 Fourth Avenue, free!

Commemorate women who have overcome domestic violence by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge during the Milagros Mother's Day Walk. “Milagros Day Worldwide is a Non-Profit Organization that provides personal growth and professional development to survivors of domestic violence. Their flagship program, the Transformation & Leadership Academy, is a six-month immersion coaching program for women who have recently left an abusive relationship and are ready to take their lives to the next level of success in four key areas: spirituality, abundance, love and contribution.” 10 a.m. meeting at Park Row and Centre Street, 11 a.m. walking across the Brooklyn Bridge in silence, 12 to 2 p.m. Reception/Concert at Cadman Plaza Park. Cost: $20, For more info and to RSVP and/or donate, please go here!


You’d better believe it! Decorate cupcakes w/mom at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Cupcake decorating party! Plus moms get into the museum for free! 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ripley’s Believe It Not Museum, 234 West 42nd Street, buy admission tkts here at a 20 percent ($26) discount!


Mock the Twilight series (shouldn’t be hard right?) with the Raspberry Brothers at tonight’s screening of New Moon. 12 p.m., Nighthawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, cost: $15! Buy tkts here!


Learn about all the famous women buried in Green-Wood cemetery on the Green-Wood’s Great Women walking tour! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Green-Wood Cemetery, cost: $15, buy tkts here!

Practice writing for your Mommie Dearest-like memoir at the free Gotham Writers’ Memoir Writing Workshop with Marie Carter! 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby Street, cost: free!

Plus there are plenty of Mother’s Day events happening w/ NYC Wildflower Week, the Brooklyn Historical Society is free to moms today, or celebrate Mother’s Day at the Met with activities and programming at the museum today (remember the museum’s admission is just suggested, so pay whatever you can afford, even a $1!), or take your mom to Japan w/o even leaving the country at the free Japan Day in Central Park!





And all weekend long enjoy the Queens New Music Festival, Craft it up w/mom at the free Mother’s Day Art and Crafts Fair! at the Alice Austen House Museum, SI, (directions here), and thru 5/31: enjoy two-for-one admission to MOMA PS 1 all month long! (Remember Queens residents get in free all the time!)

NYC: Win two Tickets to See "The Caretaker!"

Win two tkts to see Jonayhan Pryce in "The Caretaker" by answering this question! What Liverpool theater's dressing room did Jonathan Pryce paint nearly 40 years ago? Send your answer to contest@BAM.org! 

Cheap and Free NYC Weekend Events, May 4-6, 2012

Friday May 4, 2012

Get your geek on w/ Nerd Nite! Tonight’s topics inc. The Construction of Alien Worlds, The Internet is Totally Screwed, Let Me Show You How, and Atlantic Yards: Why Brooklyn’s Biggest Controversy is as Noir as Chinatown! Come early to compete with fellow trivia dorks! Trivia: Doors at 6:30 p.m. and begins at 7 p.m. sharp, Presentations-only – doors at 8:45pm, lectures begin at 9 p.m., cost: trivia+lectures: $14, just lectures: $10! Buy tkts here!

Judges including Johnny Iuzzini (Top Chef: Just Desserts) and Michael Cirino (A Razor, a Shiny Knife) will preside over local culinary students creating food/art combos as part of the Umami Food & Art Festival! 6:30 p.m., The Brooklyn Kitchen, 100 Frost St., at Meeker Ave., cost: ($15) online here! thebrooklynkitchen.com!

See some real-life bunheads as they enter the Youth America Grand Prix competition in the doc First Position, which debuts today at the IFC Center! The filmmakers will be at the Sat 7:25 p.m. and 9:35 p.m., and the Sun 3 p.m. and 5:10 shows! IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, Cost: $13! Buy tkts here!

Have a “berry good” time at NYU’s Strawberry Festival! Enjoy the world’s largest strawberry shortcake, plus music by the Music Industry! Laura Stevenson and the Cans, Kite Party, and Big Ups! 12:30 p.m. Laguardia Place bet. Washington Square South and W 3rd St, free!

Mix and mingle w/fellow film buffs at the regular Filmmakers Happy Hour Friday! This event features raffle prizes as well! 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Nitehawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Avenue b/w Wythe Ave/Berry St, cost: free!

Starbucks' half-price Frappucino Hour begins today and runs thru May13! 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Starbucks everywhere!

Plus Mad Sq Eats starts today,both the exhibit Pura Geometría - Pure Geometry at the Mid-Manhattan Library, and the Activist New York exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York open today, and the Columbia University Film Festival runs today through May 10, 2012 and the Museum of the Moving Image’s Fashion in Film Festival: If Looks Could Kill also begins today and runs thru Sun, May 13, and last, but not least, the New York Polish Film Festival starts today!

Saturday May 5, 2012

Cannonball into fun at the a music and performance festival at the Astoria Park Pool! Today’s events include live music by Queens rock bands Iskandar and Dr. Jin, Shakespearean Sonnets & Soliloquies from the Hip to Hip Theatre Company, Performances from members of the Astoria Performing Arts Center, Facepainting & Storytelling, arts and crafts, and Inflatable Kids Activities. Local council member Peter Vallone Jr. will also be making an appearance! 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Asroria Park Pool, free!

Still trying to figure out how to get to Carnegie Hall? Go there for $5 tonight w/ The National Festival Chorus (2 p.m.) and the New York City Chamber Orchestra w/The Masterworks Festival Chorus (8 p.m.)! Just enter code may13645' for discount!

Take a taste of tequila at the Cinco de Mayo Tequila and Mezcal tasting with Kelly Levison! 4:00 - 7:00 p.m., Appellation Wine & Spirits, 156 10th Avenue, free!

Sponsored by iAdventure, Mex Fest gives you the opp to sample Mexican twists on familiar favorites from some of the city’s famous food trucks! 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., South Street Seaport, cost: vouchers are $8 on-site and can be redeemed for drinks and activities, food is extra, and you can buy a pass worth two  vouchers, admission, a sombrero, and mustache for $22 here! 

Drink up Agave tequilas USQ's Cinco de Mayo Agave Party! “Featured tequila producers include Siete Leguas, Siembre Azul, and Don Julio. Mezcal heads may look forward to entries from Del Maguey, Fidencio, El Buho, and Mezcales de Leyenda.” 2:00-5:00 p.m. Union Square Wines and Spirits, 140 Fourth Avenue , free!

Watch the Kentucky Derby at the Brickyard and enjoy $5 Mint Juleps all day as well as Kentucky Derby-themed appetizers and dessert such as the “Mini Hot Brown – A mini version of the original Kentucky Hot Brown (the name stems from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY where it was created) - hot turkey, mushroom and sliced tomato on a toasted brioche slider bun topped with thick creamy Parmesan sauce baked to golden brown. Prizes are given out for best racetrack attire. The race is shown on all nine of the venue’s large flat screens.” Races from Churchill Downs will be shown all day. Large crowds are expected so call 212-767-0077 to make your table reservation today! The Brickyard, 785 9th Ave Bet 52nd & 53rd, free!

Studio Square is combining its Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby festivities w/specials on mint juleps and margaritas as well as contests for the best hat and sombrero! You can also rock out to music provided by a DJ all day! Doors open at Noon, Studio Square, 35-33 36th Street, cost: free! (except for drinks/food you buy)

For more Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby deals/events, Check out Brokelyn’s Guide to the festivities! (http://brokelyn.com/the-best-cinco-de-mayo-kentucky-derby-deals-in-brooklyn)

Travel back in time to Gertrude Stein’s Paris through music at the Wall to Wall: Gertrude's Paris with a music marathon at Symphony Space! 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th Street, free!

Today is also Free Comic Book Day, you can celebrate International Migratory Bird Day events in Prospect Park, there is a free Snug Harbor Spring Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and don’t forget that it’s Free First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum today!

Saturday and Sunday May 5 and 6, 2012

Taste your way through Little Italy and Chinatown with Discovery Walking Tours! “A walk through these ethnic enclaves exploring the trials and triumphs of the American immigrant. Along the way, we will sample ethnic specialties from pizza and cannolli to spring rolls and dumpling.Stops include the Church of the Transfiguration; Mulberry Street; the site of Five Points, made famous in Gangs of New York; Banca Stabile, Confucius Plaza, and the residence of Dr. Sun-Yat-sen.” 2 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations, cost: $26 (inc food)

Celebrate The World’s Fair (ca 1939, 1964) in 2012 w/the Rocket Thrower Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park! Activities both days feature games, crafts, World's Fair history tours, music, and face painting! “On Saturday, the Queens Museum of Art is sponsoring a community art-making project and on Sunday at 12 noon, the Municipal Art Society is sponsoring a tour led by John Kriskiewicz to explore the Rocket Thrower and World's Fair remnants.” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, free!

Save 30% off on books, CD’s, DVD’s, and more at Housing Works Bookstore!

All Bank of America cardholders get free museum admission at seven spots including the Met, Whitney and New-York Historical Society, plus see many famous NYC landmarks during a citywide open house sponsored by Partners in Preservation!

Sunday May 6, 2012

Flex those creative fiction writing muscles w/a free writing workshop by Gotham Writers Workshop! 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., McNally Jackson Books, 52 Prince Street, free!

Grab some nachos for more than 20 kinds of guacamole at NachosNYC fourth annual Guactacular! Plus sip $3 Brooklyn lagers all day, and the Coolhaus ice cream truck will be outside! 4 pm. to 7 p.m. Bell House, 149 7th Street, cost: $15 adv, $18 at the door!

Be a good badass (sounds like an oxymoron, right?) and support the Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue at their first Badass Bar-B-Q! 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Canal Bar (270 3rd Avenue) cost: $25 gets you all-you-can-eat BBQ and a free drink, $10 gets you a free drink! Buy tkts here!

The jig is up! Or going on as the case may be at the Irish Atrs Center's New York City Irish Dance Festival! Featured activities include live music, workshops in traditional dance for all skill levels, a singer's circle, Irish language classes,face painting, and a children's craft table! 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Riverside  Park South, Pier 1 @ 70th Street, free!

Michael Cunningham, Deborah Eisenberg. Daniel  Kehlman, and Edmund White will discussing the book Memoirs of an Anti-Semite, (part of the Bukovina Trilogy by Gregor von Rezzori as part of the PEN World Voices Festival Festivities, 1 p.m., Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, cost: $15! Buy tkts here! 

And the NY Food Book Festival is all w/e long!

Looking Ahead…


Bronx Week is May 10-20, 2012

And the NY Photo Festival is May 16–20

Free Cupcakes Today, May 2, 2012!

A 1000 free Sweetery Cupcakes will be given away today in conjuncton w/a Food Network promotion!

8:30AM-10:30AM: Hudson and King St

11AM-1PM: 50th Street between 6th and 7th Ave

1:30PM-3:30PM: 7th Avenue between 36th and 37th St

4:00PM-5:30PM: Broadway between 52nd and 53rd St