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Best Things To Do In New York City This Weekend

April marches on, and as it does so come several film festivals, a folk festival, and a celebration of women in the food biz. Read on for details about our picks for the best eating, drinking, and merrymaking events this weekend. By Jessica Allen

TribecaFilmFestival
(credit: Tribeca Film Festival / Facebook)

Hoping to revitalize lower Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff created the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. These days, it receives more than 6,000 submissions each year, with almost 450,000 people attending screenings of accepted films, which range from mainstream movies you'll be able to catch at your local cinema to arthouse documentaries to foreign films looking for a distributor. Wednesday, April 15, through Sunday, April 26, see schedule for details, tickets required.

BadFilmFest
(credit: Bad Film Fest)

The Bad Film Fest . . . because they can't all be good, or liked by everyone. OK, so that's not technically this festival's tagline, but it could be. The third annual festival celebrates the best of creative endeavors, from a 16mm film shot in the kitchen of the dining hall at Hampshire College set to the song "Nose Art" to a "musical introspection into the dark, fantastic world of divorce and hula hoops." Thursday, April 16, through Saturday, April 18, see schedule for details, tickets required.

BrooklynFolkFestival
(credit: Brooklyn Folk Festival / Facebook)

Here's what's fun about the seventh annual Brooklyn Folk Festival: everything. For three days, you'll be able to watch movies, take workshops, jam, listen, and hear. Concerts abound. So do dances, especially square dancing and swing dancing. Did someone ask about musical genres? How about this: folk, bluegrass, old-time string-band music, blues, traditional Irish and Balkan music, etc., etc. Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19, see schedule for details, tickets required.

CarlaHall
(credit: Chef Carla Hall / Facebook)

"Taking a Bigger Bite" is the theme of this year's Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Conference, the 22nd annual such get-together, open to professionals and enthusiasts alike. Participants include Carla Hall (pictured), Missy Robbins, Kat Kinsman, Christina Tosi, and Amanda Cohen, while activities range from parties and breakout sessions to lectures and discussions to head-to-head food battles. Saturday, April 18, through Monday, April 20, see schedule for details, tickets required.

Tree
(credit: Howard Walfish)

Earth Day isn't until April 22, true, but bumping the celebration up a few days certainly won't hurt the planet any. In fact, celebrating Earth Day every day of the year wouldn't be such a bad thing at all. The Union Square festival includes activities and entertainment for the kiddies, reps from local green and sustainable businesses, live music, and a "sharing economy" exhibition, with information about the so-called collaborative economy. Check out the on-site book swap! Sunday, April 19, 12 to 7 pm, free.

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