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Fri 14
Psycheground The Paper Box; 10pm; $25, before midnight $30, after midnight $35
This all-night blowout for lovers of far-out trance and psychedelic music returns for its 14th anniversary, with beats from "audio shamans" Filterheads, K.I.M. Live and more. Better hope your Burning Man costume has some life left in it.
Nerd Nite Littlefield; 7pm; $10–$25
This merry night of dorky drinking features boozy TED-inspired talks and plenty of opportunities for guests to get cozy. The night opens with “hetero speed dating,” which pairs up Brooklynites before cuffing season. Then, watch presentations like “The Curious and Quirky Lives of Philosophers” and “Dating Do’s and Definite Do Nots.”
Farm to Turntable: The Culinary DUB edition; North Brooklyn Farms; 6:30pm; $85
Farm to Turntable is known for throwing amazing outdoor dinner parties gone turnt—and this one is no exception. Go ham on a four-course Jamaican-inspired dinner provided by emerging culinary mastermind Geoffrey Tulloch, followed by taking selfies near the Williamsburg waterfront. (Can you imagine how many Instagram likes you'll get with a gorgeous fall sunset as your backdrop?) Then, once you’ve had enough liquid courage in the form of wine and cocktails, kick your shoes off and get jiggy to live DJ sets by Michna and DJ Neil Nice. Sounds like a good way to spend a Friday night, right?
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival at various locations and times; various prices
For one weekend, the Brooklyn Horror Club is hosting a top-notch scary movie festival including spooky titles including We Are The Flesh, Fury of the Demon and Psychotic!. Just don't scream too loudly.
NYC Craft Beer Festival-Fall Harvest Lexington Avenue Armory; 7pm, 8pm; $45–$85
With 75 breweries, along with cider, mead and spirits, the NYC Craft Beer Festival - Fall Harvest 2016 at the Lexington Avenue Armory is one of the largest craft beer festivals in the city and showcases a craft beer list with over 150 beers. Meet industry experts and cicerones, brewmasters, attend seminars, shop vendors, play games, or just sample the wares; you don't need to be a craft beer aficionado to enjoy this beer-centric celebration.
The Treetops Mad Science Fair House of Yes; 10pm; Free with full costume or science exhibit, $25–$30
Get your life—and middle school revenge—at this brainy dance party, where you can bring your own bizarre experiments and show them off with no fear of judgment from your parents or those mean local fair judges. Whether you've invented the perfect backscratcher or created a sublime mixture of ice creams, you're likely to gain followers. If you're not down to tinker with a project, you can serve Dexter's Laboratory realness in your own manic mad scientist look. DJ Pierre will keep the party running, so make sure your lab coat looks good on the dance floor.
Sat 15
Open House New York at various locations and times; Free–$5
The Metropolitan Opera House is one of this year’s landmarks participating in Open House New York, the weekend-long festival where more than 250 fascinating sites across New York open their doors to the public. The incredibly popular two-day event offers glimpses into spaces that are usually off limits to the public, from sky-high rooftop gardens to palatial apartments.
NYC Cupcake Run Astoria Park; 11am; $50–$60
Need incentive to get through a 5K run? Participants of this sugar-fueled race stop to eat three cupcakes at various checkpoints, making the exercise aspect of this event totally worth it. A portion of event proceeds go to nonprofit volunteer organization New York Cares. Starting line at 18-33 Ditmars Blvd, Queens.
The Boogie Down Classic The Bronx Brewery; noon; free-$16
The Bronx Brewery opens up its backyard for a day of relaxed drinking, live performances and delicious street food. Enjoy barbecue from Brut Catering and Puerto Rican bites from MofonGO NYC, and go buckwild to DJ sets from Angel & Dren and DJ Lord Finesse. The New York Restoration Project leads clean-up projects earlier in the day, and volunteers get their first drink free.
Halloween Harvest Luna Park; noon; ticket package prices vary
NYC’ s largest amusement park has been transformed into a spooky fun zone with Halloween Harvest, a family-friendly festival going on at Luna Park on weekends through October 30. They'll be crafts, raffles, entertainment, and of course, the Luna Park rides that make the park so special. With the beach and the Cyclone set as the backdrop, the southern coast of Brooklyn makes for a great holiday experience.
Queens Beer Festival LIC Flea & Food; noon; $29–$68
How is it possible that Queens is throwing down for its very first beer-lovers' celebration in 2016? Some of the city's finest brewers will descend on the LIC Flea for a full weekend of curating boozing, with vendors including Singlecut Brewery, Queens Brewery and Flagship Brewing Co. offering their best batches.
The Witches Ball Andrew Freedman Home; 7pm; $25, two-day admission $45
The 9th Coven, a collective dedicated to providing financial and community support to artists, throws this massive Halloween bash, featuring panels, dancing and occult activities over two days of partying. Head to discussions on growth and creativity with Ida Divine, Azizaa Mystic and more; twirl around in your finest Stevie Nicks lace on the dancefloor; try devilish custom coven brews; and learn your destiny at reading with Tatianna Tarot.
Kingdom of YES Royal Ball House of YES; 10pm; $15, before 11pm free
Remember that scene in A Knight’s Tale when Heath Ledger teaches a medieval court how to dance to David Bowie’s “Golden Years”? Relive that glory at this decadent ball, where New Yorkers will show up in corsets, lace and armor, then grab a flagon and sweat through their britches on the dance floor. They’ll also enjoy juggling, aerial spectacles, magic, and jousting worthy of royalty.
Into the Veil: An After Dark Exploration Green-Wood Cemetery; 8pm; $75, member $70, VIP $150
Take a rare nighttime trip behind Green-Wood's cast iron fence on this mini-expedition, sponsored by both the cemetery and Atlas Obscura. But there's more to this evening than just strolling through the cemetery's 478 acres by flashlight: Musical events, live readings, stargazing gatherings and other cool activities are tucked away here and there, ready to be discovered at your own pace. And there's a cash bar, too! Just think: you could dance and drink with the dead! (What, too morbid? It worked for Lydia in Beetlejuice.)
Joke in the Box: An Introduction to Gag Cartooning Q.E.D.; 1pm; $40
If your favorite part of the New Yorker are the cartoons, then this class is for you! Join expert cartoonist Emily Flake for this intro to gag cartooning, where you'll complete a round of exercises with a focus on how to create funnies, dream-up characters and do some sketching. Don't worry if you can't draw like the pros, Q.E.D. says even some of the best illustrators "can't draw for shit."
Sun 16
Diwali in Times Square; 2pm; free
Diwali is the type of holiday everyone can get behind: The annual Indian festival celebrates the triumph of light over dark, and there’s nowhere more lit than Times Square. To ward off evil and kindle an awareness of our inner light, Hindus let diyas, or clay oil lamps, burn all holiday long. In the tradition of Times Square tackiness, this hallowed ceremony goes down with LED lights and digital fireworks on some of the square’s biggest and brightest screens. They’ll see this rager from space.
Morbid Anatomy Halloween Flea Market The Bell House; noon; $1
Browse occult books, darling taxidermied pets, insect and teeth jewelry, and more at this fabulously grim market.
Harvest Fest and Pumpkin Patch Queens Botanical Garden; 11am; $12
While haunted houses and ghost tours pop up all over town, Queens is keeping Halloween classic with this day of frolicking in the pumpkin patch. Head to the Botanical Garden and smell the fresh fall air in the arboretum, pinetum and circle garden, then join the shenanigans at this fest where you can check out live music, join nature walks and learn hipster-ready crafts like pickling. Hit up food vendors and a beer and wine garden to enjoy a cider on the crisp grasses. If you get tipsy, fear not! The only thing better than a petting zoo is a drunk petting zoo.