Urge June to warm up already and get outdoors this weekend for cook-outs, interactive art exhibits, museum visits, and egg rolls upon egg rolls–all for free!
FRI 5 Annual Red Hook Fest Cook-Out & Dance Party
PS 15, 71 Sullivan St., Brooklyn; 6pm-8pm; FREE
Get your weekend started with live music, DJ dancing and free food off the grill at this annual neighborhood bash. Watch the sun set over the Brooklyn waterfront then stick around Saturday as the party continues with free kayak rides in the New York harbor and trivia rounds for prizes. Plus, catch lively performances from local bands to flamenco dance all celebrating the next generation of Brooklyn artists.
SAT 6 Figment NYC
Governors Island; 10am-6pm; FREE
Loved Jeppe Hein’s “Please Touch the Art”? Then hop on the ferry to Governors Island for an afternoon of art, celebrated and created by you. Rain or shine, this free annual interactive exhibit invites you to play with sculptures, musical performances, theater shows and dance. Bring anything playful and creative from chalk to water guns and hula hoops to leave your mark, pack a picnic, and go Instagram-crazy.
SUN 7 Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Festival
Museum at Eldridge St., 12 Eldridge St.; 12pm-4pm; FREE
This signature LES fest brings together its cultural communities over Jewish egg creams, Chinese egg rolls and–new this year!–Puerto Rican empanadas. Learn Yiddish, Mandarin and Spanish. Make Hebrew art and Puerto Rican masks. Play a game of mahjong, dance to salsa music, or listen to Chinese opera. And, of course, fill up on the traditional festival treats. It’s a global block party not to be missed.
SUN 7 Housing Works Open Air Street Fair
Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby St.; 10am; FREE
If your Sundays were made for major sidewalk sale-ing, hit up Housing Works this weekend (and for a good cause!) This shopping bazaar features thousands of books, records and CDs for $1 each, sweet finds from SoHo’s thrift shop, food specials from the Bookstore Cafe, and ice cream treats by Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream. You can even tune into live performances from Two Boots’ Americana Jamboree while you shop. All sales proceeds go towards helping pay for housing services for low income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.
MON 8 Latin Mondays at Taj
Taj Lounge, 48 W.21st St.; 7pm; dance lessons FREE, after party $8
Named one of the top NYC dance parties by Time Out New York, these Monday night bashes have been rocking Taj for 9 years and counting. Start with a free salsa dance lesson at 7 hosted by Talia Castro-Pozo, as seen on The Today Show, then enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and special mojitos all night for $8. Savor the lounge’s tapas deals then dine and dance to live music and spinning DJs all night.
TUES 9 Museum Mile Festival
Fifth Ave. from 82nd-105th Streets; 6pm-9pm; FREE
Living by some of the greatest museums in the world and still haven’t been to half of them? Take this evening to tour 9 of them, absolutely free. From the MET and the Guggenheim to The Jewish Museum and the Museum of the City of New York, sink your teeth into art, history and culture galore. In between exhibits, enjoy live musical performances, street art and interactive activities along 5th Ave.
WED 10 Northside Festival
Locations, times and prices vary
Yes, Brooklyn probably has too many festivals already but this one is worth checking out. Catch the last day of the fest’s film segment then peruse what the Innovation and Music line-ups have planned. Talk design and co-working spaces, data and the future of fashion, and capitalizing the moment. Listen to speakers from Eamonn Store from The Guardian to Ben Wilson from Refinery 29, then dig into this schedule of musical performers too sweet to even begin listing.
THURS 11 Learn an Instrument Together!
The Unicorn Music Studio, 105 Henry St.; times vary; $75/hour
We love this date night idea! Grab a cutie and learn something new together with a night of studio lessons, wine or beer, and an assortment of sweet munchies. Whether you’ve been dying to strum a ukulele or run your fingers on a keyboard, instructors are on site to provide instrumental rentals, sheet music, and one-on-one tutorials. For $15 more, you can even choose a romantic spot or surprise location. Aww.
