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Fri 11
Veterans Day Parade various locations; 11:15am; free
Salute the throngs of brave servicemen and women, and watch marching bands step in time up Fifth Avenue. The parade will be preceded by an opening ceremony and wreath-laying at the Eternal Light Monument (Fifth Ave at 24th St; 10–11am), and will honor the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11. Fifth Ave from 26th St to 56th St.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do in NYC this weekend
One Step Beyond American Museum of Natural History; 9pm; $25, at the door $30
This long-running series of nighttime planetarium soirees combines the moon, the stars and the love of dance with a party deejayed by wild and rowdy artists like Neon Indian and Airbird. A psychedelic multimedia demonstration about Earth and beyond, narrated by Liam Neeson, follows in the Hayden Big Bang Theatre.
Boy Band Sing-Along Union Hall; 9:30pm; $10
Revisit the cherubic voices of the late '90s and early aughts at this group-singing party. Serve up your finest boy band realness for the costume contest (any Carter brother will do) and prove how well you know "Pop" during the dance competition. This is a one-night only, judgment-free zone for any die-hard fan of 98 Degrees, Hansen and the rest of the boys.
House of Deveraux Presents: For Those About to Rock House of Yes; $30–$40
Sydni Deveraux invites her burlesque besties to spin, split and strip to some of the most epic hair ballads and rock bangers of the ’80s. Watch Nasty Canasta, GiGi LaFemme, Luna Tik Tok, Ivory Fox and other showstoppers give the likes of Journey and Poison a twirl.
Sat 12
Vintage Camera Day Alice Austen House; noon; free
Celebrate the history of the camera and bring your own during a day of activities inspired by pioneering female photographer Alice Austen. Held on the grounds of Austen's former home, the event includes image-making, artist talks and vintage camera displays.
Party Like It’s 1999 The Bell House; 10pm; free
If you’re a child of the ’90s, it’s a certainty that you listened to the Space Jam soundtrack on cassette until the tape spilled out in ribbons. In celebration of the iconic alien basketball movie starring Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny and Bill Murray, the Bell House invites you to get down to the seminal hits, including Monica’s slow-dance ballad “For You I Will,” R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly, along with other classics of the ’90s hip-hop and pop oeuvres.
Fall Forrest Weekends New York Botanical Garden; 11am; $20
Experience the colors of the season in the New York Botanical Garden's Thain Family Forest, a 50-acre thicket that boasts sweet gums, whose star-shaped leaves turn red and purple as autumn progresses, and tulip trees and hickories that display vivid golden yellows. During this annual series, gratis guided tours will point out seasonal foliage and birds, as well as offer free canoe trips, courtesy of the Bronx River Alliance. While you'll also see arborists demonstrating how to scale trunks, sign up in advance for a Recreational Tree Climbing class ($135, members $122) to try it yourself.
Fall Crawl at various locations; noon; $20
Set a few hours aside for merry revelry through three Brooklyn bars (Fawkner, Floyd and Union Hall) on this brisk autumnal crawl. Your ticket guarantees you a beer at each venue, along with a food item (like an irresistible fried chicken sandwich) at Fawkner and raffle entry to win tickets to upcoming shows at Union Hall and the Bell House. The dress code is fall-inspired, so dress up like you’re from the fictional town of Stars’ Hollow, and get ready to drink like you’re at Friday Night Dinner at the Gilmore house.
Squirrel Taxidermy Class with Divya Anantharaman Morbid Anatomy Museum; noon; $285
Stuffed Animals: A Modern Guide to Taxidermy author Divya Anantharaman seeks to bring the ancient art of animal preservation to Brooklyn. In this class, learn how to immortalize an acorn-loving mammal through dry preservation and other methods, and pair your squirrel friends with top hats, monocles and other props. Let the cuteness commence.
Jewish Comic Con Kol Israel Synagogue; 7pm; $15/day, weekend pass $20
Spider-Man, X-Men, Batman and other superhero icons were brought to life by broke Jewish creators in NYC. Celebrate their legacy while joining panels that include members of the tribe who have defined the contemporary age of comics, both on the page and beyond.
Brooklyn Crush Wine & Artisanal Food Festival Factory Floor at Industry City; 2:30pm; $69 per three-hour session
At this autumnal drinking extravaganza, fill up a souvenir wine glass with limitless samples of more than 200 wines from locales both near (Brooklyn Winery) and far (Australia, South Africa). Your ticket is good for three hours of nonstop sipping set to the sounds of a live jazz performance from Elon Trotman. To complement the vino, snack on gratis hors d’oeuvres (cheese, crudités), with more grub for purchase at the new Supper Section stocked with borough eats like subs, sandwiches and pastries.
Sun 13
The 240th Commemoration Battle of Brooklyn Fort Tryon Park; noon; free
Before gangsters, Ghostbusters and gentrification came to define it, NYC was a place full of possibility for colonists and the British to fight over. Tour the scene of an epic battle in the Revolutionary War, in which General William Howe captured George Washington’s Manhattan stronghold. A guide dressed as soldier Margaret Corbin leads you through a full reenactment.
Mean Girls Trivia The Dubliner; noon; free
Register a team of up to four plastics for this cut-throat trivia showdown, based on the definitive teen movie of the millennial generation. You’ll have to tackle questions about sweatpants on Mondays, whether butter is a carb and what Janis Ian’s wig is made of. Wear your most expensive hoop earrings, or your Mathletes letterman jacket.
Smiths Night Rumpus Room; 10pm; free
Acolytes of the ’80s and ’90s should check out DJs Dima Dubson and Benjamin Cho as they dust off oldies and hits by Britpop star Morrissey. Sure, you’ll cry during “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” but as soon as “Do Your Best and Don’t Worry” comes on, you’ll bump and grind like it’s 1995.
Generation to Generation Festival Museum at Eldridge Street; noon; free
In 1887, the Eldridge Street Synagogue opened as a haven for the nearly 2 million Jews who would immigrate to NYC to escape persecution in Eastern Europe. This weekend, return to the Lower East Side of the late 19th century as the Museum at Eldridge Street throws a throwback block party featuring old-school top hats, regional music, passed-down Jewish delicacies like kugel and blintzes, and performers in period garb.