Best Things To Do In New York City This Weekend
While spring hasn't quite sprung, it's finally in sight. Contemplate the old adage about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb by heading to one of our picks for the best in eating, drinking, and merrymaking events this weekend. You won't be sorry. By Jessica Allen.
Cold schmold. FRIGID New York will warm you up on the coldest of cold days, by offering more than 150 performances by 30 independent theater companies over the course of three weeks. Now's your chance to see plays about being "bi, hung, fit . . . and married," hanging out with Satan, and imagining favorite characters from the 1990s all grown up. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll think, you'll applaud hard enough to generate much-need body heat. Wednesday, February 18, through Sunday, March 8, see schedule for details, tickets required.
Since its founding in 2010, the Avant Music Festival has offered contemporary American composers the opportunity to "experiment with long-form concerts and the full programmatic experience of their work." This year, that'd be the work of Paula Matthusen and Imani Uzuri, each of whom gets to "program a full night of their own music unfettered by concerns of duration, scope, or aesthetics." In addition, the festival features a day-long celebration of John Cage, discussions, and other concerts. Friday, February 27, through Saturday, March 7, most shows start at 8 pm, tickets required.
First Fridays at the Bronx Museum of the Arts include free admission, programs for the kiddies, gallery tours, and concerts. Winner of the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock Album, La Santa Cecilia will be on hand this Friday, offering a "fantastically eclectic performance," full of "sentimental Spanish ballads, pulsing instrumental boleros, heartfelt songs about immigration, and more." The museum itself is dedicated to making contemporary art accessible to all kinds of audiences, and its collection features work by artists of local and international renown. Friday, March 6, 6 pm, free.
Do you brew? If so, the first annual Coney Island Homebrew Competition might be just the thing for you. For $10, you can submit your beer for judging (by local celebrities, including brewmasters). Prizes will be awarded for "People's Choice" and a variety of Coney Island-related themes. Non-participants get a souvenir glass, a ticket to the food buffet, the chance to enter a raffle with cool prizes, and unlimited tastings. The event benefits Coney Island USA, a not-for-profit arts center. Saturday, March 7, 2 to 5 pm, $30 in advance or $40 at the door, tickets required.
Word on the street is that Ridgewood is the coolest neighborhood around. Located where Queens meets Brooklyn, it's full of scrappy bars and soon-to-be destination restaurants. Check it out for yourself at the Ridgewood Market. More than 40 vendors will be selling pottery, jewelry, coins, accessories, and crafts, as well as food like cupcakes and Italian apples (aka arancini). The market takes place in Gottscheer Hall, the kind of wood-paneled, low-key place your grandpa might have whiled away the weekend. Sunday, March 8, 11 am to 5 pm, free.
