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Fri 22
Art Battle NYC Le Poisson Rouge; 7pm; $15, at the door $20
The solitary art of painting becomes a spectator sport at this showdown, where live painters face off in front of a crowd for a chance to compete in the international Art Battle championships. Watch as 12 artists spray and splash an assortment of paint during timed rounds, with drinks and music to keep the audience screaming. Paint on.
Refugee Food & Art Festival Food Arts Center; 6pm; $70
Refugee chefs (which this fest lovingly calls "chefugees") from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen serve up dishes from their homes and share stories of their travels to the U.S. at this opening night celebration. Show up to enjoy delicious food and wine and support these brave and determined chefs.
Glitterati with Soul Clap All Night Long House of Yes; 10pm; $25
Don your shiniest getup and partake of glimmer goddess readings, glitter blessings, glitter baths and more at this dance party at House of Yes. Shimmy to the tunes of Soul Clap and David Kiss, then snap a glamour shot to capture yourself at your sparkly best. Thankfully this shindig is on Friday, so you'll have the whole weekend to scrub the glitter from your skin before heading back into the office on Monday. Good luck.
Queens Hip-hop Festival Queens Museum; 7pm; Fri free, concert $20, yoga $20, screening $15, weekend pass $50
Celebrate one of the most diverse places on the planet at this celebration of hip-hop culture. Events include an opening reception on Friday 22 at Queens Museum; a screening of Set It Off at Museum of the Moving Image and a concert featuring Meyhem Lauren at Aloha NYC on Saturday 23, as well as yoga, art and more.
Rosh Hashanah Service Squared Repair the World NYC; 9am; free
Observe the second day of Rosh Hashanah with the folks at Repair the World NYC. Gather at 9am for bagels and coffee and a quick prayer service, then hop on public transport and head to Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger for two hours of community service. The event is free, but space is limited so be sure to R.S.V.P. at werepair.org in advance.
Sat 23
Museum Day Live! at various locations; various times; free
Download a voucher from the Smithsonian museum to receive two free tickets to one of more than 20 New York City museums and cultural centers. Participating big-name institutions include the Jewish Museum, Asia Society Museum, Queens Historical Society, Fraunces Tavern Museum and more.
Queens County Fair Queens County Farm Museum; 11am; $10, children under 12; $5
Get a little rural living without leaving the city limits at the 35th iteration of this down-home festival. For two days, the Queens County Farm Museum will become even more agrarian than usual with livestock competitions, pie-eating contests, awards for the fastest corn huskers and pig races and Irish and German musicians to keep your feet stomping. While there, try to make your way through the Amazing Maize Maze, a three-acre labyrinth, or take a spin on carnival rides. Glean tips on fashioning your own farm-to-table fare at a colonial cooking demo, or knock back a few at a Bavarian beer garden. You can even register online to enter your own craft, vegetable, or baked or canned goods in one of the blue-ribbon contests.
Brooklyn Comes Alive: A Weekend of Musical Collaboration in Williamsburg at various locations; noon; single day $75, weekend pass $150
This annual fest aims to channel the energy of New Orleans' Jazz Fest with two days of jam sessions and collaborations. This year's lineup features members of Umphrey's McGee, the Disco Biscuits, Crystal Method, the Meters and Snarky Puppy playing alongside greats like jazz-rock guitarist John Scofield and hip-hop legend DJ Premier. A ticket gets you in-out access to all three fest venues (Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg and Schimanski). Kick off your day with a brunch show, then see where the groove takes you.
Sex Expo Brooklyn Expo Center; 11am; free
Immerse yourself in sex talks like “OMG-Spot” and “Erotica Writing 101,” check out cutting-edge toys, and learn about ways to step up your bedroom game at this open-minded con.
Batman: Dark Knight: The Master Race Barnes & Noble Union Square; 2pm; free with $20 book purchase
In celebration of Batman Day, Batman luminaries Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Andy Kubert and Brian Azzarello sign copies of the collection of the third chapter in the Dark Knight Returns epic.
Blues, Brews & Botany New York Botanical Garden; noon; $43, includes a sampling mug ($15) and all-garden pass ($28)
A few of your favorite things converge in the Bronx this weekend, when New York Botanical Garden invites you to grab a souvenir mug and sip on a variety of ales while wandering the grounds and learning about beer making at talks like “The Botany of Beer: Beyond the Hops.” Paul Josephs Blues Project performs all day to keep you relaxed.
Sun 24
Atlantic Antic at various locations; noon; free
NYC’s largest street festival takes over Downtown Brooklyn for its 43rd year, with 10 blocks of food, performers, art and more. Peruse dozens of Brooklyn-based food vendors, craft breweries and artisanal shops, and try to catch all the acts at performance stages while burning a hole in your pocket with all the provisions. Pace yourself.
Rupaul’s Drag Race Trivia Videology Bar & Cinema; 8pm; free
Prove your knowledge of Heathers, Boogers, backrolls and beyond at this epic fan faceoff for the beloved pop culture juggernaut. Memorize the names (and final lip syncs) of every queen to have graced the show's nine seasons (and two All-stars editions) to survive five rounds of glamazon fan warfare. Don't come ready; stay ready.
Brooklyn Bacon Takedown Arrogant Swine; 2pm; $20
Cook-off creator Matt Timms returns with a swine-centric battle among 15 cooks, who will conquer a heap of Cheshire Farms bacon to churn out creative cured-meat dishes and vie for the title of Best in Bacon. Pace yourself, you'll want to sample them all.