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Fri 1
Affordable Art Fair Metropolitan Pavilion; 11am; $18
For an $18 ticket, you can shop original paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures from more than 50 galleries, priced at $100 to $10,000. Now you can upgrade your flat without downgrading your wallet.
Shakespeare vs. Mozart: A Library Debate New York Public Library; 7pm; free
Before Captain America vs. Iron Man and Batman vs. Superman, there was an endless debate over which Victorian artist did the most for the human race: musical savant Mozart, or everyone's favorite bard, Shakespeare. Witness sparks fly among experts from the New Yorker, the Shakespeare Society, the Mostly Mozart Festival and the Mozart Society of America at this historically comprehensive debate night.
Saved by the 90s: A Party with the Bayside Tigers Webster Hall; 11pm; $20
Clinton-era nostalgia looks like it's here to stay, and the Saved by the ’90s: A Party with the Bayside Tigers is a great bash to revel in it. Check out the Bayside Tigers—a four-piece cover band that specializes in songs of all genres (well, as long as they're from the ’90s)—as the group makes Webster Hall's dance floor feel like a genuine house party. Dressing up is encouraged: snap bracelets, Converse, big hair and overly baggy JNCO jeans—you name it, somebody will probably be wearing it.
Linda Loves Bingo Le Poisson Rouge; 6:45pm; free
Bingo host and wisecracking drag queen, Linda Simpson, gives away a treasure trove of prizes, from discount-store delights to a cash jackpot. Players can buy drinks and eats off the menu, including happy hour prices from 6:30-7:30pm and drink specials determined by spinning the "Wheel of Chance."
Lucius + Pure Bathing Culture Webster Hall; 7pm; $30
Led by the euphoric harmonies of singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, Lucius is an indie-pop revelation. Tonight the group celebrates its sophomore LP, Good Grief, with a pair of sold-out shows.
Sat 2
MoCCA Arts Festival Ink48; 11am; $5
This excellent comics and cartooning festival welcomes more than 300 publishers—major and minor—to display their wares. Hear a lineup of expert cartoonists, illustrators and creators, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl creator Phoebe Gloeckner, Lumberjanes artist Noelle Stevenson and more discuss their creative process and the future of their craft.
Furball NYC 12 Year Anniversary Santos Party House; 11pm; $15, at the door $20
Joe Fiore's dance for the husky, hirsute set and those who love them has been happening for a decade now—so long that more than a few people who identified as twinks when it started now qualify as bears. Join over 500 men as they shed, sweat and spin all over Santos' spacious dance floor.
The Dogist at Kikkerland; 1pm; free
This beloved shop celebrates the release of Elias Weiss Friedman's book of stunning dog photography, The Dogist: Photographic Encounters with 1,000 Dogs, with a book signing and doggy photo shoot! So make sure you bring your furry friend into the store (doggie treats will be provided) for his or her close up. Kikkerland will be accepting donations for the Liberty Humane Society of Jersey City and Best Friends.
Smorgasburg East River State Park; 11am; prices vary
The epicurean extravaganza returns to the great outdoors, with Saturdays in East River State Park and Sundays in Prospect Park. More than 75 vendors from Kings County and beyond sell food and drink as varied as oysters, artisanal sodas, gluten-free baked goods and caramel apples. Both the Seaport District and Coney Island have smaller outposts for the foodie mecca daily all summer long.
Pillow Fight NYC Washington Square Park; 3pm–6pm; free
Forget all your stress and adult worries as you (softly) pummel strangers. At New York’s annual International Pillow Fight Day, the flash mob—which has attracted over 5,000 participants—turns Washington Square Park into the city’s bedroom, and the only rules to this favorite slumber-party activity are to not hit hard, avoid smashing cameras and leave weapons of the feather variety at home (down pillows create a mess). After the fun is over, donate your cushion to Dare2B, which provides care and shelter for homeless children in the city. Note: This event is not officially sanctioned by the NYC Parks department.
Sun 3
Brooklyn Flea Dumbo Pearl Plaza; 10am; free to attend
After five brilliant years in Williamsburg, Brooklyn flea is moving further down the waterfront to Pearl Plaza in DUMBO, just beneath the Manhattan Bridge. A new location isn’t the only major change—the market has shrunk down to include approximately 75 vendors, but you’ll still find a kick-ass and familiar assortment of antiques, vintage, furniture, clothing, art work and jewelry. Don’t weep too much, Williamsburg residents—Smorgasburg still has boatloads of tasty food options presented at the East River State Park every Saturday (11am–6pm) as well as a residency at Prospect Park every Sunday (11am–6pm).
The Orchid Show New York Botanical Garden; 10am; $10–$25
The New York Botanical Garden explodes into a tropical floral extravaganza for the 14th annual Orchid Show. Take in the thousands of blooms on display, and don't forget to make a pit stop by the Shop in the Garden for your very own orchid to take home.
Bushwick Flea; 10am; free to attend
Tired of all the tourists snatching the best retro threads at well-known fleas before you even have a chance to dig? Bushwick Flea joined the area’s market scene last year, and a few vendors from Brooklyn Flea sell their goods, so you can sift through their prime loot and avoid the masses. Other sellers run the gamut from Julie's Vintage and Zingara Vintage as well as antiques and collectibles by Dave. Bonus: There's live music every Sunday!
Senor Frogs’ Froggy Style Brunch; 12:30pm; free
Considering the fact that Drag is in season year-round, there's never a bad time to embrace total Times Square-tackiness and watching some crazy, cackling queens perform at Senor Frogs'. With acts from Suggah Pie Koko, Epiphany, Bootsie LeFaris and more, this brunch promises to be outrageous.
Sleep No More McKittrick Hotel; 3pm or 11pm; $85–$170
To untimely rip and paraphrase a line from Macbeth: Our eyes are made the fools of the other senses, or else worth all the rest. A multitude of searing sights crowd the spectator's gaze at the bedazzling and uncanny theater installation Sleep No More. Your sense of space and depth---already compromised by the half mask that audience members must don---is further blurred as you wend through more than 90 discrete spaces, ranging from a cloistral chapel to a vast ballroom floor.