The Weekend Guide | 4-7 April 2019

Hey Brooklyn. Disco isn’t dead and neither am I and neither are you. So let’s celebrate by painting the town red and dancing ’til dawn and living and loving all over this amazing borough. I’ll show you how to do it, in your weekend guide.

Things to do in Brooklyn on THURSDAY

Lightyear 48: Digital Fairytales on the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO

Maybe I’m projecting here but I think you need to lighten up a bit. And I think you need to do it at DUMBO’s fantastic and totally lit projection performance, a story told has it’s flashed upon our iconic Manhattan Bridge. Since launching Light Year in DUMBO 2015, this “project” has become an international movement and will be moving right back to where it began for one night only. Come see Lightyear48: Digital Fairytales, Vengeance is Mine. It’s free and happening from 7-10pm. Info here. Best viewing spot is within the Pearl Street Triangle. 

Get a beer and a shot at the New Shayz (aka Magazine) in Greenpoint

I just want to thank every new place in Brooklyn right now for keeping the once thought dead disco ball manufacturers in business. The latest of which deserves you to pause and reflect beneath, or just you know, dance in the glory of thousands of bits of light dancing upon you unpredictably, is hanging from the ceiling of the old Shayz in Greenpoint, which you’ll barely recognize save for the beer-and-shot specials they kept on the menu. It just opened and is still cash only and stocked with a rather limited selection of booze, but go anyway. It’s a disco paradise. Check it out here first then head to

Things to do in Brooklyn on FRIDAY

Brooklyn Folk Fest, all over the Borough (but mostly Clinton Hill)

And the 11th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival descends upon our fair land with all of its plucky delightfulness. Come listen to some tunes, square dance your sassy little toes off, and participate in the Banjo Toss into the Gowanus Canal. (yep, not kidding). Despite the cheesiness, this festival attracts some of the most talented folks around right now and most shows are free. See the lineup here and get to it.

Spiritual Jazz with L’Rain at National Sawdust in Williamsburg

In contrast with the hastily-built “luxury” apartment towers and tasteless developments taking over this city, some places are built with such attention to detail and design, that to enter into them and sit within is something magical. Such is the case for National Sawdust, the nearly acoustically-perfect performance center built within a former sawdust factory. And what do you want to see and hear in such a space? The hypnotizing, dreamy, and avant-garde sounds of one of artist-in-resident L’Rain. She’ll be enrapturing the audience within this seductive soundscape Friday night at National Sawdust, and it’s where you want to be sitting, listening, feeling everything. Tickets are $20 and available here. Show starts at 7:30pm. 80 N 6th St.

Things to do in Brooklyn on SATURDAY

Celebrate Saison Day at Threes Brewing in Gowanus

What’s the best way to celebrate the day dedicated to this funky, hazy, barn-yardy, and tres Euro beer? To drink it, and to drink a lot of it, and to drink a lot of it at Brooklyn’s favorite Brewery. Threes brewing will be dedicating all 21 beer lines to the brew, plus will feature limited edition collaborations and other hazy little surprises. It’s the style of beer that Threes first brewed, so you know they’ll be showing it (and you) plenty of love. The party will be starting at noon. Also, I hear Saisons pair super well with hotdogs. Info here. 333 Douglass Street at Threes Brewing, I’ll try anything thrice!

Outdoor Racing at the Diamond in Greenpoint

You know whenever you say things like, “If I owned a bar, I’d throw crazy fun non-lame events all the time and everyone would love it.” and then you never get the chance and instead spend your time drinking at lackluster establishments? Here’s your chance to see what happens when someone does exactly that. Diamond Dave opened the Diamond 12 years ago and has created one of the best bars around, and to show you why he’s opening up the backyard and letting you race big wheels around it for cash prizes. Yeah. The course will go from the elevated backyard then into and around the bar. You really don’t want to miss it. 3-6pm, 43 Franklin St.

Savory Pie Party at Archestratus in Greenpoint

Pi Day might be over but it doesn’t have to be. Ever. Come see just how malleable this crispy, flaky pastry can be at Archestratus this Saturday. Pie experts Dria Antencio and Sadie Mae Burns will be cooking up some specialty pie, fancy-ass vegetables, and a sweet pie grand finale. Plus you get to hang with these two phenoms and learn all of their secrets. Which trust me, is way cooler than whatever the hell comes after .14. Tickets, $50 available here. 7-9:30, 160 Huron St.

Smorgasburg in Williamsburg and Prospect Park

Following suit (or maybe leading the way?) is everyone’s favorite waterfront food fest, a smattering of the city’s best pop-ups and old standbys to keep us well fed and our instagram feeds well boosted. Smorgasburg kicks off this weekend, and will be staying with us until things get dark again. (but let’s not think about that…) See the full lineup here, including this kid who is making french toast. Presumably with his mom. And with his GI Joes nearby in case he gets sick of making french toast for the masses after… say… 20 minutes? (ok ok I’m kidding, it’s awesome that he’s chasing his dreams and I believe in him, ok?) Every Saturday in Williamsburg and Sundays in Prospect Park. Info here.

Atlas Obscura Oddities After Party at the Brooklyn Bazaar in Greenpoint

If you’ve been to the amazingly spooky oddities flea market then you know it’s filled with larger-than-life(-and-death) blood paintings, used antique glass eye jewelry, human and animal bones reimagined in ways you didn’t want to imagine them, and other surprises I still can’t get out of my head. So what if they oddities market team up with local purveyors of the obscure, Atlas Obscura, for an odd little after party? Well, you should go. And don’t be scared. Expect immersive art installations, a performance from A Place to Bury Strangers, dark performances in even darker corners, and obviously, the unexpected. Tickets are $42 available here. 150 Greenpoint Ave.

Watch UVA lose at your Favorite Local Bar

My very favorite pasttime is watching UVA lose. And especially if there is a LOT on the line. Those little orange and blue tears will be shed all over the court this Saturday night against Auburn. Watch, laugh, and then cheer on Michigan State just afterwards. Games start at 6:09pm, which I still have never heard a decent explanation for. 

Things to do in Brooklyn on SUNDAY

Torst 6th Anniversary in Greenpoint

Must I keep reminding you how important it is to appreciate and embrace those established neighborhood haunts that maintain the dignity of our fair borough? Torst is one of those places. Forget what you thought about beer snobbery and get there to celebrate their 6th anniversary. All the best and most rare brews around, plus, a damn good hot dog. Info here, party starts at 10am. #breakfastbeers

Greenpointers Spring Market at the Greenpoint Loft

Leave it to the lovely people at Greenpointers to ring in the new season with a dreamy, psychedelic celebration at their annual Spring market. They’ll have local makers, movers and shakers, peddling their proud wares and helping you metamorphosize into the beautiful spring butterfly that you are. They’ll have rooftop yoga, a dreamcatcher making station, live poetry, 3-D avatar creations (not sure how that goes with the theme, but just go with it) and more. Info here. It’s happening from 1-7pm at the Greenpoint Loft, 67 West St. See you there baby.

Cabaret Latin Drag Brunch at Bizarre Bushwick

Brunch fucking sucks. If you know anyone in the service industry then you probably know that all of us share this sentiment. It’s a necessary evil, a shift everyone dreads. The same guest you had at dinner will be nearly unrecognizable at brunch. They require 4 different beverages at the same time (“ummm, could I get an iced coffee, sparkling water, orange juice only if it’s fresh squeezed, and a Bloody Mary with…mezcal?” [she’ll say that last part after a slight pause and mischevious grin so you and everyone else knows she’s a little dangerous]). We have to stand there and smile and get our asses kicked for a bunch of people who apparently aren’t capable of making two eggs, any style, in the comfort of their own homes. 

PHEW, sorry. I’m ok guys. I’m ok. Anyway, the weird and wonderful people at Bizarre Bushwick are making brunch less AND more of a drag this Sunday. The Cabaret Latin Drag Brunch is the only one I approve of, mostly because I can watch you get slapped around by some big fake boobies just after you feel good about being the only person at the table to come up with “poached” as your egg style. Cabaret Latin Drag Brunch is happening 11am-4pm. Info here. 12 Jefferson St.

Bloody Mary Festival at Grand Prospect Hall in Park Slope

 Get in the spirit of brunch’s favorite cocktail, get into the mood for sipping and sampling and listening, then get into character and practice pretending you’re not just there to get drunk. It’s ok! It’s ok. There are much lamer ways to get drunk on a Sunday afternoon and with much fewer people around. So get your $50 ticket here. Make your friends buy some too. Then get ready to fill in this blank… “The last thing I remember was…” Over 100 bloodies to sample, and thank god some food vendors too. More info here. 11-1:30pm or 5-3-5:30pm, although if you plan to use the bathrooms at all, I’d go to the first shift. 263 Prospect Ave.