Best Things To Do In New York This Weekend
By Jessica Allen
This weekend you dance to live music, hang out with Dad, and commemorate one of the most banned books of the 20th century. You can march along Coney Island, dressed in your weirdest wardrobe, or practice mindfulness in the middle of Central Park. Read on for details, and have fun!
River to River
Various venues
New York, NY
(212) 219-9401
lmcc.net
Looking for the latest, the hottest, the hippest, the coolest on the culture scene? Look no further than River to River, which offers 12-nonstop days of creative programming with "forward-thinking, boundary-blurring artists across all disciplines" along the waterfront on Governors Island and in Lower Manhattan. There will be dancing, singing, art installations, storytelling, acting and unicorns. Yes, unicorns. What can we say? It's magical. Now, through Sunday, June 25, see schedule for details, events are free, but some require RSVP.
Bloomsday on Broadway XXXVI: One Book Called Ulysses
Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York, NY 10025
(212) 864-5400
www.symphonyspace.org
Bloomsday, otherwise known as June 16, commemorates the life of writer James Joyce as well as his most famous novel, "Ulysses" (which takes place on June 16, 1904). The 36th annual celebration at Symphony Space brings together a ton of famous folks, such as Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon, who'll offer a super-fast overview of the dense work; author Kevin Birmingham, who'll explain what made "Ulysses" so polarizing back in the day; and actors like Amanda Quaid and Harris Yulin, who'll bring the pages to life. Friday, June 16, show starts at 7 p.m., $26, tickets required.
Adventures NYC
Central Park
Enter at 72nd Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 501-7809
www.nycgovparks.org
Get ready to get outside! Adventures NYC promotes the great outdoors right in the heart of the city. The free events (!!!) planned for this year's celebration include yoga, outdoor survival training, obstacle races, mountain biking, zip lining, rock climbing, and "surfing virtual reality experience"—no doubt the next best thing to paddling actual waves. If you ride your bike, you can totally partake of the free valet bicycle parking. Saturday, June 17, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free, but all activities require a waiver and participants under 18 must have a legal guardian present.
2017 Mermaid Parade
West 21st Street and Surf Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11224
www.coneyisland.com
Regardless of what the calendar says, summer really starts when the Mermaid Parade lets loose. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the parade will be hosted by Blondie's Chris Stein and Deborah Harry, and will feature devilish, delightful, and delicious characters strutting, floating, and sashaying around Coney Island. More than 1,500 people participate each year, with tons and tons more coming out to watch. (Go early to secure a good spot.) Anyone who claims the city has gotten too tame hasn't attended the Mermaid Parade. Saturday, June 17, parade begins at 1 p.m., free.
Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Festival
Museum at Eldridge St.
12 Eldridge Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 219-0302
www.eldridgestreet.org
Perhaps the only constant in New York is the rapid pace at which the city changes. Restaurants and stores open and close, neighborhoods evolve, and communities come together and disperse. The annual Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Festival recognizes the city's dynamism by spotlighting three unique cultures that have made a significant impact on the Lower East Side over the years. Highlights of this year's festival include lessons in making dumplings and braiding challah, mah jongg, and Puerto Rican bomba. Sunday, June 18, 12 to 4 p.m., free.
