Best Things To Do In NYC This Weekend
As February creeps to a close, you can head out to music festivals, film festivals, and theater festivals. There's even a dance festival, where amateurs and professionals dance like someone is watching. Below are our picks for the best in eating, drinking, and merrymaking in New York City this weekend. By Jessica Allen.
This festival only sounds cold. During the city's chilliest months, FRIGID New York features more than 150 performances by 30 independent theater companies over the course of 19 days. It's definitely worth bundling up for. Now's your chance to watch Emily Dickinson investigate paranormal activity, to discover a punk grandpa, and to see Little Women reimagined as a rap musical. Tuesday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, March 6, see schedule for details, tickets required.
Now in its fifth year, the all-volunteer Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival puts the spotlight on diversity in independent film, with a particular focus on emerging minority and women filmmakers. This year, you'll have the chance to see 80+ official selections, ranging from horror films to web series to animations, representing 25+ countries. You might not be able to see any of these at your local cinema, so come see them here. Thursday, Feb. 18, through Saturday, Feb. 27, see schedule for details, tickets required.
The Avant Music Festival gives contemporary American composers the chance to "experiment with long-form concerts and the full programmatic experience of their work." This year—the festival's seventh—includes a new opera by John King, collaborative percussive performances by Adrian Knight and TIGUE, and the world premiere of a "drone/video Epic" by Randy Gibson. Be sure to check out the installations too. Saturday, Feb. 20, through Saturday, March 5, see schedule for details, tickets required.
The New York Dance Festival is an annual competition held in all 5,696 square feet of a glorious ballroom in midtown. Presented by Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova, US National Dance Sport Champions and renowned teachers, the festival celebrates Latin and ballroom dancing. Professionals and amateurs alike are welcome, and there are various categories of competition based on style (rhythm, ballroom solo, etc.) and age (seniors, under 21, etc.). Thursday, Feb. 25, through Sunday, Feb. 28, see schedule for details, tickets required.
If you've got a young person in your life, you'll want to go ahead and rearrange your schedule for the hugely popular International Children's Film Festival, the largest kid-focused film festival in North America. Since 1997, this festival has shown "thoughtful, provocative, and intelligent film for children and teens ages 3–18." This year, that means you can see 100 movies from 35 countries in 15+ languages over the festival's four weekends. Go, go, go! Friday, Feb. 26, through Sunday, March 20, subscribe for updates, tickets required.
