What to do on Saturday in New York City: 50 great ideas

Uncover NYC’s musical past with Rock Junket

Music industry vet Bobby Pinn takes you through New York’s rock & roll glory days—or what’s left of them, anyway—on his music-themed Rock Junket tours. The East Village Rock ’n’ Punk tour stops at music landmarks, including the apartment fronts from Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti cover and the club where the Velvet Underground made its NYC debut. 212-209-3370, rockjunket.com. $35.

Enjoy a free flick at Sony Wonder Technology Lab

• Free

Every Saturday at 12:15 and 3pm, this education center’s high-def theater hosts gratis screenings of classics and new hits. With only 73 tickets available for each show, you’ll want to call to reserve yours two weeks before the film is scheduled. Free.

Paint, booze, repeat

Find out whether alcohol is a creative boon or bomb for you at the Painting Lounge’s regular BYOB workshops. Inspired by the masters, these no-pressure classes invite attendees to re-create some of art history’s greatest hits. Past facsimiles have included Monet’s The Cliff, Etretat, Sunset; Van Gogh’s The Starry Night; and Lichtenstein’s Drowning Girl. 212-518-1803, paintinglounge.com. $50–$65, includes painting materials.

Explore Brooklyn Bridge Park

• Free

The BBP project has transformed a chunk of the Brooklyn waterfront into a nearly 85-acre expanse. Several sections house unique attractions such as Jane’s Carousel, a restored 1920s merry-go-round, and riverside esplanades with gorgeous Manhattan views. Its latest addition, Pier 5, designed specifically for “active recreation”—sporting leagues and events—further cements the space as the city’s premier urban playground.

Find your own kind of circus at Floating Kabarette!

Galapagos Art Space reclaims the circus at this weekly cabaret night, which features an array of burlesque artists, chanteurs and chanteuses, aerialists, trapeze swingers, cabaret acts, vaudevillians and more blowing your mind with their sundry talents. Galapagos’s 1,600-square-foot indoor lake contributes to the surreal mystique. $20.

See competitive theater at #serials@theflea

This late-night competition pairs up-and-coming playwrights with members of the Bats, the Flea’s resident acting company, to create a series of original episodic works. The pieces are pitted against one another to gain the audience’s favor, with the winning productions returning for the next installment. Your ticket is only $10, and it comes with a free beer to boot. Visit theflea.org for more information.

Roller-skate in Central Park

In the heart of the park, under a grove of blossoming cherry trees, you’ll find the Central Park Dance Skaters Association’s skate circle. Come early April, you can bring your own quads and bust a move with people of all ages to disco classics, contemporary hits, throwback R&B, house and dance music spun by a rotating roster of local DJs. If you’re not a skater, there’s space to dance without colliding with those on wheels or you can just watch the old hands do their thing. Visit cpdsa.org for details. centralparknyc.org

Free your inner bedazzled sex god at Glamdammit

The glittery strains of glam, punk and good ol’ rock & roll androgynously waft their way through the Grand Victory as Twig the Wonderkid and his pals spin tunes by the likes of David Bowie, Queen and the New York Dolls; you can also catch live bands like the Brats and Semi-Precious Weapons, or late-night cabaret acts. Show up between 11pm and midnight, and you’ll be rewarded with a PBR open bar—just the thing to make you feel great about that big red lightning bolt you drew on your face. glamdammit.com. $5.

Spend a day at Spa Castle

This expansive, wonderlandesque Asian-meets-European spa in College Point, Queens, has taken on near-legendary status in NYC. It’s partly thanks to its quirky layout and partly because it attracts a diverse following, from frat boys to families and everyone in between. On its first floor are separate nude bathing and showering areas for men and women. To meander through the rest of the complex, you’ll don special—and super comfy—“uniforms.” On the second and third floors, you’ll find a coed, year-round outdoor water park (bathing suits compulsory) with all manner of heated jets, whirlpools and showers. Inside, there are seven themed saunas; one might have healing minerals in it, while another may feature colored lighting (you select the therapeutic illumination yourself). Bring some friends and make a day of it; once you pay the entry rate, you can have a crazy adventure while snacking on dumplings ($10) and corn ($3) from the on-site food court, or you can go for a shiatsu massage (60mins $75, 90mins $130) and simple scrub (40mins $80), followed by a delicious meal ($12–$20) in the third-floor Korean restaurant. All-day admission Mon–Fri $35; Sat, Sun $45.

Play cowboys and cowboys at Big Apple Ranch

Even the greenest cowpokes and cowgirls are welcome to take a twirl on the floor at this beginner-friendly country & western hoedown. The gay party begins with an hour-long lesson to help newbies get up to speed with basic two-step and line dances, including the Georgia Winder and the Bayou City Twister. Dancing shoes with smooth (preferably leather) soles are recommended, so leave your sneakers—and your spurs—at home. bigappleranch.com. $10.