Museums and Sites
American Folk Art Museum: Free Music Fridays (Friday) Craig Lawrence, Julia Barry and Jodi Shaw will perform. Visitors can also view the exhibition “Jubiliation/Rumination: Life, Real and Imagined.” Starting at 5:30 p.m., American Folk Art Museum, 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue, at 66th Street, (212) 595-9533, folkartmuseum.org; free.
Brooklyn Museum: In Conversation: Nelson George’s ‘Our BK’ (Thursday) The Brooklyn International Theater Company will present “Our BK,” a series of monologues about life in the borough by Nelson George. The actress Annabella Sciorra will read the lead character. A gallery tour of the exhibition “Brooklyn: Our Town” will precede the performance, and the evening will end with a primer in Brooklyn street games. Gallery tour starts at 6 p.m., performance at 7 p.m., 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park, Brooklyn, (718) 638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org; free with admission: $12, $8 for students and 62+, free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult.
Intrepid Sea, Air Space Museum (Friday through Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday) Sometimes looking at ships or standing on ships isn’t enough; you have to hold one in your hand. For those nautical souls who love model ships and want to see how they are put together, including those encapsulated in bottles, the exhibition “Ship-Shape: Nautical Scale Models” is for you. Among the models on display is one of the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned vessel still afloat. (It was launched in 1797.) Also on view is “Women in Aviation: World War II,” a special exhibition in honor of women who have served the nation. Both displays are on view through July 8. Pier 86, 46th Street and 12th Avenue, Clinton, (877) 957-7447, intrepidmuseum.org; museum admission ranges from $12 to $24 (free for active and retired military members and children under 3). Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Museum at Eldridge Street: Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival (Sunday) This annual multicultural celebration of the Lower East Side will take place inside and outside the museum from noon to 4 p.m. The festival includes performances by Chinese acrobats and klezmer musicians, as well as language workshops and food. 12 Eldridge Street, between Canal and Division Streets, Lower East Side, (212) 219-0888, eldridgestreet.org; free.
New York Society Library: ‘Edith Wharton’s New York City: A Backward Glance’ (through Dec. 31) This exhibition, a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the writer’s birth (her actual birth date is Jan. 24), includes family photographs, books and ledgers documenting the book-borrowing habits of her father, George Frederic Jones. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sundays, 1 to 5 p.m., 53 East 79th Street, Manhattan, (212) 288-6900, nysoclib.org; free.
New York Transit Museum: ‘ElectriCity: Powering New York’s Rails’ (continuing) A historical display of items from the museum collection, including switches and circuit breakers, that illustrates how electricity powers the subway system. Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, (718) 694-1600, mta.info/mta/museum; $7; $5 for those ages 2 to 17 and 62+; free for members and for 62+ on Wednesdays.
New-York Historical Society: ‘Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History’ (Saturday) In conjunction with a summer exhibition on the local history of beer, “Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History,” the New-York Historical Society will host half-hour beer tastings on most Saturday afternoons at 2 and 4 p.m. (Tastings run through Aug. 25, exhibition runs through Sept. 2.) 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, (212) 873-3400, nyhistory.org; $35, $20 for members. $150 for a package of six separate tastings, $100 for members.
Events
New Haarlem Arts Theater: ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (Thursday through July 8) This play explores the blues and race relations in America, Thursday through Saturdays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. with an opening reception on June 16th. Aaron Davis Hall, Theater B, 135th Street and Convent Avenue, Harlem; $30; $25 for 60 and over; $15 for students, $10 with CUNY ID; reception and performance on June 16th is $100. (212) 868-4444, newhaarlemartstheatre.org.
Annual Village Fair (Saturday) On Broadway, between Houston and Grand Streets, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Best of Brooklyn Bash (Thursday) A party benefiting the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice, which works to raise the performance level of children, will feature Baratunde Thurston, an author and contributor to “The Onion”; standup comedy; brewery tours; tastings; beer; a live brass band; and a raffle. At 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, brooklynbrewery.eventbrite.com; $35 to $125.
Aaron Burr Exhibition (through July 28) While Aaron Burr is usually remembered as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, he was also a highly regarded Revolutionary War hero, lawyer and politician. Those aspects of his life — along with his prominence as the third vice president of the United States and a senator from New York — are the focus of this free exhibition of books, letters, manuscripts and art. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 47 East 60th Street, Manhattan, (212) 838-6690, grolierclub.org; free.
Comedy Music Festival (Friday through Sunday) This four-day event, featuring more than 50 musicians, continues through Sunday at various locations on the Lower East Side. A closing night party begins at 6:30 p.m. at Donnybrook, 35 Clinton Street. nyfunnysongs.com; $8 in advance, $10 at the door for all performances.
Figment: Arts Festival on Governors Island (Saturday and Sunday) Figment, a family friendly arts festival, inhabits Governors Island this weekend, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. This event is equal parts installation and performance, with an emphasis on creative collaboration. A welcoming ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday will kick off the festival; figmentproject.org.
Film Screening and Discussion: ‘The Bungalows of Rockaway’ (Monday) A screening of the documentary “The Bungalows of Rockaway” will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and others who have been involved in bungalow preservation on Long Island. At 6:30 p.m., Anthology Film Archives, 32-34 Second Avenue, at Second Street, East Village, (212) 614-9107, anthologyfilmarchives.org; $10, or $5 for students and friends of the council.
Frick Collection: Summer Night (Friday) This event includes after hours viewing of the Frick’s summer exhibitions, with lectures, gallery talks, sketching in the Garden Court and performances by Asteria, a Renaissance duo of voice and lute. At 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., 1 East 70th Street, Manhattan, (212) 288-0700, frick.org; free.
Japanese Taiko Drumming Concert (Sunday) New York Taiko Aiko Kai, a drumming group, will perform a free concert. At 1 p.m., Cowin Center Auditorium, 525 West 120th Street, Teachers College, Columbia University, nytak.blogspot.com.
Linnaean Society: Geology of Central Park (Tuesday) Led by field experts, the Linnaean Society, a natural-history organization named for the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, will be hosting summer programs. On Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., a walk through Central Park will focus on ancient bedrock. Meet at 64th Street and Central Park West, linnaeannewyork.org.
Morningside Opera: A Weimar Flute (Monday and Thursday) A benefit opera to support the service activities of Housing Works Bookstore Cafe combines sections of Mozart’s “Magic Flute” with literature from Weimar Germany. At 7:30 p.m., Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby Street, (212) 334-332, housingworks.org; $25 for seats, $15 to stand.
Museum Mile Festival (Tuesday) Fifth Avenue between 82nd and 105th Streets will be closed to traffic as 10 cultural organizations along this stretch of the avenue will be free for visits from 6 to 9 p.m. This is the 34th year for the event, which will also feature outdoor activities. (212) 606-2296, museummilefestival.org
Music in the Garden (Sunday) The Noguchi Museum and Bang on a Can have collaborated to create this music performance series in the Noguchi Museum’s sculpture garden. This Sunday, Robert Black and his Hartt Bass Band perform at 3 p.m. 9-01 33rd Road, at Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City; (718) 204-7088; noguchi.org; free with museum admission: $10; $5 students; free for under 12.
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: Titanic Concert and Noël Coward (Friday and Saturday, and Monday through Thursday) “All Hands on Deck: Remembering the Titanic (1912-2012),” an exhibition of sheet music, photographs and other items associated with the ship and its voyage, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship; it remains on view through Sept. 3. Also on display is “Star Quality: The World of Noël Coward,” a multimedia tribute with manuscripts, paintings, set and costume designs and personal items, including photographs and images of Coward. The exhibition is up through Aug. 18. Mondays and Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m., and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 111 Amsterdam Avenue, at 65th Street, Lincoln Center, (917) 275-6975, nypl.org/lpa; free.
Pastures of Plenty: A Celebration of Song (Tuesday and Wednesday) This free outdoor concert series, at various locations in Manhattan, celebrates Woody Guthrie’s influence on musicians. On Tuesday, at 5:30 p.m., the Gregg August Quartet will play at the World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street, between North End Avenue and West Street, Lower Manhattan. On Wednesday, at 12:30 p.m., Freddie Stevenson performs in the lobby of One Liberty Plaza, 160 Broadway, Lower Manhattan. Sponsored by Arts Brookfield; artsbrookfield.com/new_york.
Poetry Walk Across Brooklyn Bridge (Monday) Poetry will be on the lips of those taking part in this annual benefit for Poets House. It begins at City Hall with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and concludes at Fulton Ferry Landing with a sunset reading of Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Galway Kinnell, who will be honored with an award, and ending with dinner at a local restaurant. Bill Murray and Marie Howe will be among the participants for the walk, which will meet at 6:30 p.m. at 1 Center Street, Lower Manhattan. poetshouse.org; $250; $225 for Poets House members. Reservations required: (212) 431-7920, Ext. 2830, or by e-mail to [email protected].
‘Political Subversities: Global Warm THIS!’ (Saturday) Members of the People’s Improv Theater have put together this new revue of skits lampooning politics and popular culture. The show will run Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. People’s Improv Theater, 123 East 24th Street, Manhattan, (212) 563-7488, thepit-nyc.com; $15.
Rooftop Films 2012 Summer Series (Friday and Saturday) ATT sponsors this series of films from the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival. This weekend’s lineup: “Fat Kid Rules the World,” directed by Matthew Lillard, on Friday and “Sun Don’t Shine,” directed by Amy Seimetz, on Saturday. Doors open at 8 p.m., live music starts at 8:30 p.m., screenings begin at 9 p.m. There will be a Q. and A. with the filmmakers and an after party at a predetermined place immediately following. rooftopfilms.com; $12.
SoloNova Arts Festival (Friday through Thursday) This three-week solo-performance festival includes “Human Fruit Bowl,” featuring Harmony Stempel on Friday and Monday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m. There’s also “unFRAMED,” by Iyaba Ibo Mandingo, who will paint his self-portrait as part of the performance on Saturday and Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. A full list of performances and showtimes is at terranovacollective.org. (Through June 17.) New Ohio Theater, 154 Christopher Street, (917) 639-3166; $20 per show, $30 for two shows or $100 for festival pass.
Summer in the Square (Thursdays) Free entertainment begins this Thursday in Union Square Park, with a running class at 7 a.m., intensive cardio at 8 a.m., yoga at 9 a.m., and kids yoga at 10 a.m. Children’s programs begin at 12 p.m., with music and dancing and for adults free salsa, zumba and hip-hop at 6 p.m. unionsquarenyc.org.
Tru Voices New Plays Reading Series: “Appendage” (Monday) A reading of the play “Appendage,” written by Derek Murphy and directed by Frank Licato. It is being presented by Theater Resources Unlimited at 7 p.m., the Roy Arias Theater, 300 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor, Studio 500; free, but reservations required: e-mail [email protected] or (212) 714-7628; truonline.org.
Spoken Word
Bryant Park Word for Word: Andy Cohen (Wednesday) Willie Geist of MSNBC’s “Way Too Early” will host this discussion with the Bravo executive and talk show host Andy Cohen, author of the newly released “Most Talkative: Stories From the Front Lines of Pop Culture.” If it rains, the event will be at the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, 20 West 44th Street, Manhattan. At 12:30 p.m., Avenue of the Americas, at 40th Street, (212) 768-4242, bryantpark.org; free
Walking Tours
City and Suburban Homes Walking Tour (Sunday) A free tour of historic housing on the Upper East Side will begin at 1 p.m. Participants will meet at the City and Suburban Homes Archive Room, 515 East 78th Street; (212) 388-0883.
Elastic City Walking Tour: Unchanged When Exhumed (Saturday) An innovative approach to the walking tour, participants will travel the route of Hamilton Grange’s move around Harlem using a smartphone application that transforms the walk into a virtual set; a smartphone — iPhone or Android — is required. At 4 and 6 p.m., meeting outside Cafe One, 1619 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan, elastic-city.org; free.
Flatiron District Walking Tour (Sunday) A free tour of the Flatiron district will meet at 11 a.m. on the southwest corner of Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Broadway, in front of the William Seward Statue. Sponsored by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership; discoverflatiron.org.
Green-wood Walking Tours: Scandals, Scalawags and Murder Most Foul (Sunday) A walking tour of the cemetery’s most nefarious deceased residents, including murderers, gangsters and con men, will meet at the Gothic arch inside the entrance at 1:30 p.m. 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, (718) 210-3080, green-wood.com/toursevents; $15.
New York Dynamic Tour: Hidden in Plain Sight: History Along Lower Broadway (Saturday) A tour with a focus on reading the historical values of the city through its architectural forms will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Custom House steps at Broadway, 1 Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan, (862) 226-1244, newyorkdynamic.com; $20.
NYC Discovery Tours (Saturday and Sunday) A history walk through Fort Greene on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.; also being offered is a Saturday scavenger hunt in Greenwich Village, at 5:15 p.m. The meeting place will be given with reservations: (212) 465-3331; $20.
Spanish Harlem Salsa Tour (daily) This tour focuses on the neighborhood’s cultural roots and includes stops at botanicas and the homes of noted musicians. Led by Jose Obando, an ethnomusicologist, the tour meets at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 110th Street; $25; reservations, [email protected].
‘Union Square: Crossroads of New York’ (Saturday) A tour focusing on the area’s political history meets at 2 p.m. by the statue of Lincoln in Union Square Park, near the 16th Street transverse. Sponsored by the Union Square Partnership. (212) 517-1826, unionsquarenyc.org; free.
Walking Tour: Newspaper Row (Saturday) This tour of Lower Manhattan will visit a variety of sites after meeting at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church on Broadway, between Fulton and Vesey Streets. (917) 515-1380, terrysnewyorktours.com; $20; $15 for students and 62 and over.
Recreation
Bike Tour of Historic Morningside Heights (Sunday) Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at St. John the Divine for this tour, which is being sponsored by the Morningside Heights Historic District Committee. 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, at 112th Street, Morningside Heights, morningsideheights.org; $10.
Shorewalkers: Union Square Shuffle (Saturday) This eight-mile, moderately paced walk to sites south of Union Square will meet at 9 a.m. in front of Whole Foods Market, Union Square South. Participants should bring water and food. Register by e-mail at [email protected]. (212) 330-7686, shorewalkers.org; a donation is suggested; free to members. SUNITA REDDY
