Stuff to Do

Foodie Events for Labor Day and the Weeks After

Labor Day weekend and the weeks beyond means all sort of fun foodie events in New York City. Here is a compilation of some that you might want to sample:

Pig Island, September 6, 11:30am-4:30pm; Showcasing the best of New York State local farmers, chefs, brewers and vintners all dedicated to bringing home the bacon, Pig Island returns to the Red Hook waterfront, a.k.a. home to exclusive beer provider, Sixpoint Craft Ales.

Pig Island pairs NY State hogs with NYC chefs to bring the best of New York State to NewYork City. http://www.eventbrite.com/e/pig-island-2014-tickets-11423697587 , Waterfront at Erie Basin Park, 1 Beard Street, Brooklyn

Taste Williamsburg Greenpoint, September 7, 1pm-5pm,; TASTE Williamsburg Greenpoint is an outdoor celebration of North Brooklyn’s local flavor. Featuring more than 40 of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries, along with live music and more all with beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop. http://tastewg.com/ , East River State Park, Brooklyn

Vendy Awards, September 13, 12:39pm-5pm; The Vendy Awards presents the 10th annual Vendy Awards at Governors Island. Cheer on and sample from New York City’s best food trucks. http://www.vendyawards.streetvendor.org/newyorkcity

Beer for Beasts, September 13, The 4th annual Beer for Beasts charity event hosted by BeerAdvocate and Sixpoint Brewery will take place at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY. The celebration will feature dozens of exclusive beers, some of New York City’s best food vendors, and creative entertainment to promote compassion toward animals. All net proceeds go to the Humane Society of New York. A day session and a night session are offered. http://www.beeradvocate.com/b4b/ 149 7^th Street, Brooklyn

Exploring Latin American Jewish Cuisine, September 14, 2:30pm-5pm; Latin American Jewish cuisine is heating up restaurants and kitchens throughout the Americas. Hear a lively and mouthwatering conversation about the cuisine’s journey from early Sephardic influences to the Jewish food landscape of today. Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, https://webformsrig01bo3.blackbaudhosting.com/898a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=a5870498-401e-4ac7-a135-287ffbe9eb16

Nordic Hot Dog Championship (part of the North Food Festival), September 15, 6pm-10pm; This is your chance to have some of the best chefs in the world cook up delicious Hot Dogs for you in the comfort of the bar at Brooklyn Brewery. At this first ever Nordic Hot Dog Championships, Chefs battle it out for the prestigious title of Nordic Hot Dog Champion.

Wash down the delicious dogs with equally delicious craft beer courtesy of Brooklyn Brewery and their Swedish sister brewery Nya Carnegiebryggeriet – and vote for your favorite creation. May the most creative, delicious and exciting dog prevail! 1 Brewer’s Row, 79 N 11^th St., Brooklyn, http://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-festival-hot-dog-championships-at-brooklyn-brewery-tickets-12434009457 Tickets include sampling of all participating hot dogs and open beer bar.

Beer Festival Takes on NYC: August 23-29

One Mile House

From August 23 – 29, Third Rail Beer will be introducing their craft brews throughout the city in a brew-centric party. Beer lovers should not miss these events which not only give you great drinks but also take you to some of the city’s finest watering holes. Third Rail Beer is a New York City-based craft brewery. http://www.thirdrailbeer.com/about-us.html

The itinerant schedule of events:

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23 | OFFICIAL THIRD RAIL BEER LAUNCH PARTY | 5pm on

One Mile House on the Lower East Side is the setting for Third Rail’s official launch party. Both Bodega American Pale Ale and Field 2 Farmhouse Ale will be tapped that evening. 10 Delancey Street (between Bowery & Chrystie Street).

The Pony Bar

MONDAY, AUGUST 25 | THE PONY BAR UES – 6pm

Move on up to the Upper East Side for day two of launch week at the Pony Bar. (1444 First Ave. at 75th Street).

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26 | THE JEFFREY NYC - 6pm

Third Rail’s Midtown launch takes place at one of the best beer curators in NYC, The Jeffrey (311 East 60th Street).

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27 | TOP HOPS BEER SHOP – 7pm

The launch takes on a different twist on its fourth day, as it meanders back to the Lower East Side. Enjoy Third Rail Beer and melt bakery ice cream sandwich pairings at Ted Kenny’s Lower East Side beer palace beginning at 7pm. Top Hops is located at 94 Orchard Street.

Pacific Standard

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 | PACIFIC STANDARD – 7pm

Third Rail Beer’s launch party ventures into Brooklyn at one of the County of Kings’ finest, Pacific Standard (82 Fourth Avenue), starting at 7pm.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 | JUDY & PUNCH – 7pm

The final event of Third Rail Beer’s aunch week takes to Queens to visit NYC’s newest beer bar, Astoria, Queens’ Judy & Punch (34-08 30th Avenue), also beginning at 7pm.

Free Site-Specific Dance Takes Over the Bronx: August 13, 14, and 16

Ni’Ja Whitson Adebanjo at Wave Hill

Here’s a wonderful way to enjoy dance in the city along with an evening in the some of the city’s coolest parks. Free! DANCING THROUGH THE BRONX is a site-specific dance festival about contemporary dance in three green spaces of varying size and topography. The programs, some choreographed by Bronx artists, follow a format of three consecutive 12-minute dances and conclude with a cipher (a free-style dance circle with audience participation). The program is supported by the National Endowment of the Arts. http://www.dancinginthestreets.org/#!dancing-through-the-bronx-8132014/c16aj

Performed on all three evenings, with nuances varying by location, are works by James “Cricket” Colter, featuring five hip hop dancers who will adapt a broad vocabulary of hip hop styles to each park’s terrain; and by Larry Keigwin, featuring 30 performers—six KEIGWIN + COMPANY members and 24 community members of all ages and abilities.

In addition, three artists will showcase their work on one evening each. Ni’Ja Whitson Adebanjo will create and perform a duet for herself with a sound artist, integrating ritual performance with the contours and textures of one of Wave Hill’s exquisite gardens. At Hayden Lord Park, Toni Renee Johnson explores the relationship between passivity and aggression in a work that guides the audience to follow a trio of dancers through different sections of the intimate park. Arthur Aviles resurrects his popular Ritual Dance with 15 dancers who will spread out through Owen Dolen Park, performing simultaneous solos to the same beat, which they will create by clapping their hands and an occasional shout.

The program is part of the 30-year legacy of Dancing in the Streets to bring free dance and culture to unusual locales throughout the city. www.dancinginthestreets.org 917-714-2221

The three-night schedule – August 13, August 14, August 16:

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 6:30pm -

Choreographers: Ni’Ja Whitson Adebanjo, James “Cricket” Colter, and Larry Keigwin

Location: Wave Hill, 675 West 252nd Street, Bronx (Riverdale)

James “Cricket” Colter at Wave Hill

Wave Hill, one of 33 New York City-owned cultural institutions, is a 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River. Historic Wave Hill House was built as a country home in 1843 by William Lewis Morris and has since been home to Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and Arturo Toscanini, among others. Its spectacular grounds include lush lawns; aquatic, herb and wild gardens; vine-covered pergolas; woodland trails and a broad variety of perennial and annual flowers. http://www.wavehill.org/

Directions: Subway: 1 train to West 242nd Street; Train: Metro North to Riverdale. For information regarding shuttle service visit: http://www.wavehill.org/events/categories/sunset-wednesdays/

Admission: The performance is free to all attendees. But if you’d like to visit Wave Hill starting at 4pm to enjoy the green space, a pre-performance picnic, or just chill, there is a small entrance fee of $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, and $4 for children 6-18 is required.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 4:30pm

Choreographers: James “Cricket” Colter, Toni Renee Johnson, and Larry Keigwin

Location: Hayden Lord Park, 1667 Andrews Avenue, Bronx (University Heights)

Toni Renee Johnson at Hayden Lord Park

Hayden Lord Park is a small park that was inspired by Gaudi’s artwork in Barcelona’s Park Güell. Opened in September 2013, and located between two Bronx Pro buildings, the park has transformed a formerly under-utilized urban space into a colorful oasis for community gatherings, art making, and quiet contemplation. http://dreamyard.com/city-officials-residents-join-bronx-pro-group-and-dreamyard-to-celebrate-the-opening-of-hayden-lord-park-in-the-bronx/

Directions: Subway: 4 train to 176^th St, or D train to 174^th-175^th St.; Bus: Bx3 & Bx36 to University Ave/174 Street; Bx13 & Bx35 to Edward L Grant Hy/University Ave.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2pm

Choreographers: Arthur Aviles, James “Cricket” Colter, and Larry Keigwin

Location: Owen Dolen Park, 2551 Westchester Avenue, Bronx (Westchester Square)

Owen Dolen Park is the hub of Westchester Square. It is located on the site of the historic Village Green, which was the center of the thriving 17^th-century Westchester Village. Rehabilitation of the park began in September 2011. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/owendolenpark/

Directions:

Subway: 6 train to Westchester Sq-East Tremont Avenue; Bus: Bx4 to Westchester Av/St Peters Ave; Bx21 to Westchester Ave/ Benson Avenue; Bx24 to Westchester Av – E Tremont Av.

THE CHOREOGRAPHERS:

James “Cricket” Colter is a world-known, respected professional street dancer. He is a founding member of Rennie Harris Pure Movement, and he performs, choreographs, and teaches at dance festivals worldwide. Cricket danced in the film Step Up 2 the Streets and in music videos with Will Smith, Boys II Men, and KRS-1 among others. He recently formed his own company Crazy-Natives with the goal of pushing the limits of hip hop dance and integrating it with other contemporary dance forms.
Larry Keigwin is a native New Yorker and choreographer who has danced his way from the Metropolitan Opera to downtown clubs to Broadway and back. He founded KEIGWIN + COMPANY in 2003; and has since created dozens of works for K+C, as well as for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Vail International Dance Festival, Dancing in the Streets, and the Broadway musical If/Then.

Arthur Aviles at Owen Dolen Park

Toni Renee Johnson is a performer, choreographer, educator and director. She is the Artistic Director of the Bronx-based Maverick Dance Experience and is currently the Program Director at Marquis Studios. Johnson creates bold work rooted in social commentary, blood memory and interpersonal relationships.
Ni’Ja Whitson Adebanjo is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and full-time lecturer at Lehman College who has performed and conducted research, residencies, and master classes in Africa, Brazil, Canada and the USA, including at the Apollo, Roulette, and at the Art Institute of Chicago. Whitson Adebanjo is a Movement Research Artist in Residence and a performer in the national tour of River See written and conducted by Sharon Bridgforth.

Downtown Activities for All Ages through August

If you’re not heading to the Hamptons this summer, downtown Manhattan with its cool river breezes is the place to be. Check out some of these wonderful, mostly free activities happening throughout July and August.

Join a drumming circle every Friday through August 22 in Battery Park City’s Wagner Park for Sunset Jam on the Hudson. Along with a master drummer, you can add your own rhythm to a mix of African, Caribbean and Latin pieces. Drums are provided. Wagner Park. 6:30-8pm. www.bpcparks.org

Board the ferry to Governors Island for a day outdoors and a chance to see an exhibit featuring Trisha Brown’s early career as an artist and choreographer. Located at the Manhattan Cultural Council’s arts center, “Trisha Brown: Embodied Practice and Site-Specificity” includes videos, photographs and installations, all highlighting Brown’s community of performers and artists, and the Lower Manhattan in which they lived and created. The exhibit shows Brown’s investigation of movement and performance occurring in non-traditional spaces. Through September 28. Friday and Sunday, 12 Noon-5pm; Saturday, 10am-5pm. http://lmcc.net/event/trisha-brown-embodied-practice-and-site-specificity/

Also on Governors Island, kids will love “From Drills to Drums: Civil War Life on Governors Island, ” a program specifically designed for them, with first-hand depictions of the lives of soldiers, civilians and prisoners on the island in the 19th century. No tickets or reservations required. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday throughout the summer, 10:20am and 11:20am. http://www.nps.gov/gois/planyourvisit/things2do.htm

For adults and kids alike, “Hike through History” is a comprehensive tour of Governors Island. No tickets or reservations required. Wednesday and Friday. Meet at Soissons Dock, 2pm. http://www.nps.gov/gois/planyourvisit/things2do.htm .

Another favorite for all ages with no admission charge, the National Museum of the American Indian is open daily from 10am – 5pm. The museum offers free films, docent-led tours of its exhibitions and premises, the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House designed by Cass Gilbert. The 1907 building is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One Bowling Green. 212.514.3700. http://nmai.si.edu/home/

The South Street Seaport Museum’s lightship Ambrose and its sailing ship Peking welcome visitors Wednesdays – Sunday, 11am-pm on Pier 16 (on the East River at Fulton Street). The Ambrose, launched in 1908, was used to guide large ships through the Ambrose Channel into New York harbor. Peking was launched in Hamburg, Germany in 1911 to carry goods from Europe to South America. The museum’s Visitors Services associates explain the importance of the ships to the history of New York as a port city. $12 (adults); $8 (students, 12-24 and seniors); $5 (children 2-11); under 2, free. http://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/tickets/?utm_source=May+Newsletter&utm_campaign=June+2014+Newsletter&utm_medium.

“Defining Lines: Maps from the 1700s and early 1800s” at the Fraunces Tavern Museum. Twenty-seven maps provide a perspective on the evolving nation’s place in history. A map from 1804, never before exhibited, shows the U.S. postal routes. Noon to 5pm, daily. Admission fees: $7; $4 (seniors, students with ID, children, 6 to 8 years old); active military and children 5 and under, free. 54 Pearl Street, 2^nd floor. http://frauncestavernmuseum.org/exhibits-and-collections/

Game on! Brings Fun and Games to Lower Manhattan Through Labor Day

Downtown Manhattan’s Water Street is turning into an outdoor playground this summer for adults as well as kids with its pop-up Game On! Series. Through Labor Day, Monday through Friday from noon to 7pm, you’ll never lack for fun if you head to the Financial District, between Wall Street and Whitehall. Follow the hash tag #gameonwater for updates on new programs, being added daily. In addition to the “games,” there’s a host of food choices, beach areas, and hangout spaces.

Some of my favorites are the Giant Connect 4 game located on Gouverneur Lane where you can feel like a four-year-old all over again as you play with your friends or with actual four-year-olds. I also love the Urban Beach Shuffleboard on Whitehall Plaza, a worthy competitor to all the shuffleboard action happening in Brooklyn of late, as well as the second shuffleboard location at 1 NY Plaza.

More intellectual types will be attracted to the Sudoku corner at Mannahatta Park, where you could also park yourself with your own chess board and score a feisty match (people love playing chess in this city). On Sundays, bring along your New York Times and invite a new friend to help you tackle the crossword puzzle.

If you’re thirsty, the beer garden at Coenties Slip will keep you satisfied while you play bean bag toss (cornhole), while the variety of food trucks will satisfy your hunger along Old Slip Park. Look for faves like Korilla BBQ and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.

Old Slip Park is also where you can engage in two favorite games from times past, Nok Hockey and Battleship.

And, for those craving the ultimate summertime family experience, there’s mini-golf on Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street. It’s only a three-hole course, but who cares? You can play it six times!

For a full schedule of activities and to sign up for the latest news, visit http://gameon.downtownny.com/. Water Street, between Whitehall and Wall Streets. Monday-Friday, noon-7pm. The program, sponsored by the Alliance for Downtown New York, is an effort to revitalize spaces and areas affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Bike Brooklyn, Baseball and Street Art Tours — Offered through July

Collage artist and founder of Gotham SideWalks tours, Rich Garr, spent this winter refining two tours that blend specific cultural history with the fabric of rapidly evolving neighborhoods. These mash-ups of art, history and architecture utilize local characters and props that are both new and old. The tours are similar to his art process: a visual representation of surroundings. But while his studio art is two-dimensional, the tours offer something for all senses. Sights, sounds, and smells of New York City mix with music (yes, there’s music on these tours) and voices from past and present. The results are extraordinary, and on display this through July. www.GothamSideWalks.com. For more details or to book, call 718-938-1400.

BIKE BROOKLYN BASEBALL: a history of baseball and Brooklyn

Sunday 6/8 * Saturday 7/12

11:30 am – 2:30 pm, $40

100 years of baseball in 10 miles and 3 hours of biking! Whether you’re from Brooklyn or not you’ve probably heard about the great local ball clubs of the 1950s. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants battled in New York to rule the major leagues. In fact, 14 of the 20 pennants from the 50’s belonged to a NYC team. But there’s so much more! Brooklyn alone holds an unprecedented place in baseball history. Far beyond Jackie Robinson and the color barrier, the quirks of Ebbets Field, or the meteoric rise of Brooklyn’s own Sandy Koufax lies the unbelievable roots of our nation’s pastime. The tour trips back in time into the mid-1800s and gentleman club “base ball” and explores into the modern era and the exodus of the Dodgers in 1957… all this while traversing along one of the finest circuits of urban bike paths in the country. Neighborhoods visited include Park Slope, Flatbush, Prospect Heights, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Cobble Hill, and Brooklyn Heights. The rolling greenery of Prospect Park is also in the mix.

STREET / ART, Lower East Side

Saturday 5/31 * Saturday 6/21 * Friday 6/27 * Sunday 6/29 * Sunday 7/13

1-3 pm, $30

Discover how the chaos of the Lower East Side has shaped—and continues to shape—the destiny of the art world. There’s an amazing amount of street art in New York City whether Banksy (English) or Invader (French) have “residencies” here or not. See and learn who and what inspired today’s fascinating mix of paste-ups, stencils, memorials, tags and throws. Get the context behind Banksy’s October street art blitz right here in the streets where hip hop and graffiti began. Besides the latest street art, the tour will also explore earlier art in and about the streets by talking early photography and painting. The tour stops into a half dozen art galleries along the way, comparing and contrasting street art and graffiti techniques with art on the gallery walls. In the areas visited, historic tenements mix with bold architectural innovation in this eclectic and ever-evolving neighborhood. This amazing morning ends at the edge of the East Village between two of NYC’s most famous street art sites. No tour is ever the same. In addition to the aforementioned street artists and samplings from contemporary art stars, we typically find Shepard Fairey, Stikman, LEE, Kenny Scharf, Nick Walker, Hanksy, and COPE pieces along the route.

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Recent Posts

About the author

Stuff to Do

Foodie Events for Labor Day and the Weeks After

Beer Festival Takes on NYC: August 23-29

Free Site-Specific Dance Takes Over the Bronx: August 13, 14, and 16

Downtown Activities for All Ages through August

Game on! Brings Fun and Games to Lower Manhattan Through Labor Day

Bike Brooklyn, Baseball and Street Art Tours — Offered through July

Pages

Recent Posts

Tags

About the author

Stuff to Do

Foodie Events for Labor Day and the Weeks After

Beer Festival Takes on NYC: August 23-29

Free Site-Specific Dance Takes Over the Bronx: August 13, 14, and 16

Downtown Activities for All Ages through August

Game on! Brings Fun and Games to Lower Manhattan Through Labor Day

Bike Brooklyn, Baseball and Street Art Tours — Offered through July