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Best Things To Do This Weekend In NY: March 17 And 18

St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday this year, which will make the celebrations extra, um, intense. We've got plenty of recs for things to do this weekend, whether you want to join the revelry or bypass it altogether.

Asia Week
Various venues
New York, NY
www.asiaweekny.com

Now in its 10th year, Asia Week lauds Asian art with a huge range of events across several venues spanning 10 days. This year you can attend receptions and open houses at institutions like Korea House and Tibet House, tour unique installations at area museums, and hear authors and experts lecture about recent discoveries and innovations. Check out the auctions at Sotheby's and Bonhams too, if you're looking to add a little art to your life. Thursday, March 15, through Sunday, March 24, see schedule for details and ticket info

Queens World Film Festival
Various venues
Queens, NY
www.queensworldfilmfestival.com/festival

If it's a day ending in "y," then no doubt you'll be able to find a film festival around town. This weekend we heartily recommend the Queens World Film Festival, featuring films created in and about the fine borough of Queens, as well as locations around the globe. Among the themes at play in this year's festival are "Young and Out," with a focus on LGBTQ issues; "Kicking It," about addictions and addicts; and "Local Express," showcasing NYC. Industry panels, networking events, kid-friendly movies, and more. Thursday, March 15, through Sunday, March 25, see schedule for details, tickets required.  

SR Socially Relevant Film Festival
Cinema Village
22 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 924-3364
www.ratedsrfilms.org

Dedicated to promoting "socially relevant, human interest stories across a broad range of social issues," the SR Socially Relevant Film Festival will screen some 70 documentaries, shorts, narrative features, and—new this year—VR/360º videos, which rely on cutting-edge technology to put the viewer straight into the story. The scope is wide: works come from 35 countries, and the mission is clear: to help enact social change and create community through the medium of the movies. Friday, March 16, through Thursday, March 22, see schedule for details and ticket info.

St. Patrick's Day Parade
Along Fifth Avenue, from 44th Street to 79th Street
New York, NY
(718) 231-4400
www.nycstpatricksparade.org/parade

Purporting to be the largest such celebration in the Western Hemisphere, the annual St. Patrick's Day draws millions of visitors (in person and on television). The parade got its start in 1762, with a group of homesick Irish immigrants serving with the British Army in the New York colony. Today it evidences the same patriotic spirit with songs, flags, traditional garb, and merriment, and its 200,000+ marchers include military personnel, students, and politicians and community leaders. Wear green! Saturday, March 17, 11 am to 5 pm, free.

Sober St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Youth Center
268 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10012
www.soberstpatricksday.org

Want to wear green, laugh, sing, dance, and joke, minus the alcohol? The seventh annual Sober St. Patrick's Day is for you. The event's mission is as follows: "[t]o reclaim the true spirit of the day and to change the perception and experience of what St. Patrick's Day can be by providing family friendly, alcohol free events that celebrate the depth of Irish culture, as well as year-round educational and cultural activities." There will be singers, button accordion players, fiddlers, and Irish dancers. Saturday, March 17, 4 to 7 pm, $25, tickets required.

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