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!)