After a stretch of warm weather, it’s finally cooling down in Brooklyn. And while the week didn’t go as many of us had hoped it would, there’s a lot going on in Brooklyn this weekend, and possibly something to take your mind off the past few days.
The 20th Annual New York Comedy Festival kicked off this week and runs through November 17. You can catch shows at Brooklyn venues like Kings Theatre, the Second City New York, and the Brooklyn Comedy Collective.
On Saturday afternoon, Secret History of Black Punk Fest II—a showcase of Black contributions to punk with Minority Threat and Soul Glo on the bill—goes down at the Brooklyn Monarch.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Brooklyn Fall Half Marathon gets moving in the morning.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, November 8
Big Apple’s Littlest Bites: Coming of Age on Film in NYC
Ongoing through November 14
The films in BAM’s Big Apple’s Littlest Bites capture coming of age in New York City. The experiences, aesthetics, and ideas in these movies—among them The Central Park Five, The Squid and the Whale, Fame, Crooklyn—illustrate what growing up in the city can be like across many walks of life. 30 Lafayette Avenue. General admission tickets are $17 and member’s tickets are $8.50.
The 16th Brooklyn Folk Festival
Various showtimes Friday through Sunday
The Brooklyn Folk Festival celebrates its 16th edition this weekend at St. Ann’s Church. This event each year draws American and world folk talent, so you’ll catch the best of both. 157 Montague Street. Single-day tickets begin at $17.50 for kids and $35 for adults.
The 20th Annual New York Comedy Festival
Ongoing through November 17
Some of the country’s biggest comedians descend on the city each year for the New York Comedy Festival, and Brooklyn is in the center of it, with shows at almost a dozen spots in the borough. Don’t miss Gabriel Iglesias at Kings Theater and Second City New York’s festival debut.
Magnetic Me Hosts the Minis Market Pop-Up Shop for Families
Ongoing through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day
Catch children’s brands Magnetic Me, Coterie, Stage Bags, Halo, aden + anais, Lilies and Roses, and Auggie at the Invisible Dog Art Space for a pop-up shopping adventure for the whole family. The Minis Market will feature curated collections from brands that are all about making the most challenging parts of rearing children—like, say, dressing one—easier for parents and kids. 51 Bergen Street. Entry is free.
Rikers Timeline Opening Reception
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Join the Rikers Public Memory Project on Friday night to mark the opening of the Rikers Timeline installation in the Recess lobby. The Rikers Public Memory Project is releasing a historical timeline of Rikers Island and its place in NYC history—from the early Riker family’s connections to enslavers to the use of Rikers Island as a landfill and jail complex and the current movement to close the jails and repurpose the land for sustainable energy. 46 Washington Avenue. Free.
Thus Love at Elsewhere (Zone One)
7 p.m.
All Pleasure, the sophomore album from Thus Love, is available on Captured Tracks, and on Friday night, the band is playing a celebratory show at Elsewhere, an esteemed venue for emerging artists, on the Zone One stage. Robber Robber opens. 599 Johnson Avenue. Tickets are $20.
Saturday, November 9
The Secret History of Black Punk Fest II
2 p.m.
The Brooklyn Monarch hosts the Secret History of Black Punk Fest II on Saturday afternoon. The festival celebrates Black punk bands, highlighting the often overlooked presence of Black artists in the scene. Performers include Soul Glo, Minority Threat, Ache, MAAFA, Soji, and Lake Lanier. 23 Meadow Street. Tickets are $36.57.
Joel Kim Booster: Rude Little Pig
7 p.m.
Joel Kim Booster is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who was named one of the queer young comics redefining American humor by the New York Times. He made the TIME100 Next list, as well as The Hollywood Reporter’s 50 Most Influential People in Comedy in 2022, and on Saturday, he brings his newest set to the Bell House. 149 7th Street.
Battle of Jollof
Leaning into the decades-long playful rivalry between Ghanaians and Nigerians, the Battle of Jollof is a highly anticipated basketball competition between the African countries that brings the diaspora together for an evening of fun, culture, and sport. The event includes a Ghana-vs.-Nigeria basketball game, a jollof rice cook-off between several different African countries represented by local vendors, musical performances, and more.
FlipPhone presents: BEARyoncé at 3 Dollar Bill
10 p.m.
It’s getting cold out, so find yourself a Brooklyn Bear and warm up at BEARyoncé at 3 Dollar Bill on Saturday night. Hosted by Lucy Stoole and featuring “RuPaul’s Drag Race” queen Latrice Royal and Brooklyn royalty Thee Suburbia, this Beyoncé party is for bears and their admirers. 260 Meserole Street. Tickets start at $20.
Sunday, November 10
Brooklyn Fall Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
9:30 a.m.
Registration for the Brooklyn Full Half Marathon has closed, but if you haven’t signed up, or wouldn’t have run in the first place, you can still hang out in Prospect Park and cheer the actual runners on. Prospect Park at Greek Shelter or Peristyle. Entrance at Parkside Avenue and Ocean Avenue.
Brooklyn Museum Market
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Brooklyn Museum Market pops up every Sunday, with 30-plus vendors coming together at the Brooklyn Museum. Hosted in the front plaza, this year’s market expands its food offerings and offers new activations and other initiatives to bring the borough together. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free.
Eighteenth Annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair
11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The Brooklyn Museum’s annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair is back on November 10. Highlights include books in Hindi and Mandarin, along works on topics like Mars, trains, the ABCs, Prince, and poetry. Throughout the day, children and their companions can meet authors and illustrators, listen to readings, and watch artists sketch. 200 Eastern Parkway.
The post Weekend Guide: The New York Comedy Fest and the Secret History of Black Punk appeared first on Brooklyn Magazine.
