Ringling Bros., Ryan Beatty and Bongo’s Bingo: 18 things to do this weekend

By Joshua Encinias

Spring may not be here yet, but at least the weekend is.

On Friday, The Park Slope UMC Book Sale celebrates 30 years with two weekends of shopping for Brooklyn’s bibliophiles. Wind the night down at the Bell House where Off Book will bring their improvised musical podcast.

The Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler returns to Prospect Park bright and early on Saturday morning. The Black History Month Family Cook-Off takes place that afternoon, Dirty Projectors perform an intimate set at Union Pool and singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty serenades Brooklyn Steel in the evening.

The Knockdown Center gets Snowed in with Tiki Disco on Sunday for an afternoon of tunes, good vibes and dreams of summer. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey bring their new animal-free Greatest Show on Earth to Barclays Center for the best stupid human tricks since Letterman.

Have a great weekend.

Friday, February 23

Book Sale at Park Slope United Methodist Church
Friday through Sunday and again next weekend
The Park Slope UMC Book Sale celebrates 30 years with two weekends of sales. Book lovers of every age will discover treasures of all kinds, prices at $3 and under. Peruse contemporary and classic fiction, poetry, plays, mysteries, essays, art, theater, bio and memoir, history, general non-fiction, philosophy, cookbooks, graphic novels, reference books and more. A children’s area will be stocked with hundreds of picture books, board books, chapter books, games, and puzzles. 410 Sixth Avenue. Friday is a preview day and entry is $25. Entry is free on the other days.

Myrtle Avenue Restaurant Week wraps up
Through Sunday
Myrtle Avenue Restaurant Week winds down with 15 participating restaurants in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Each restaurant offers a three-course, sit-down meal at price points to meet every budget. Sample cuisines from Cambodia to Mexico, Italy to Nepal, and everywhere in between. See the full list of restaurants and menus.

NYICFF in Your Neighborhood
Through Sunday
Free children’s films are playing across the five boroughs this weekend and they’re coming to nine venues across Brooklyn this weekend. It’s part of NYICFF in Your Neighborhood, a project of the New York International Children’s Festival. They’re showing short movies suitable for ages 3 to 8 and they’ll screen several times in the two-hour window. The screening is free, and so are the exhibits and activities on site.

Black Future Festival: We Da People
Through Sunday
Join The Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a week of reflection and future-forward fun inspired by the national celebration of the African Diaspora and Black History Month. They will present workshops, dance performances, storytelling, and more with their guest curators Kendra J. Bostock and STooPS. 145 Brooklyn Avenue. Free for members, $15 for everyone else.

The Dumbo Projection Project: Voyeurism
Dusk to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday
The Dumbo Projection Project is a neighborhood-wide, outdoor video art exhibition projected onto the Manhattan Bridge — on both the Pearl Street and Adams Street sides — and along the BQE in Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park. The current projection plays off New Yorkers’ love of voyeurism, with chaotic and poetic works presenting the rhythm and patterns of everyday life, exploring themes of anonymity, homemaking, and intersectionality. See their website for artist and project descriptions.

Bongo’s Bingo
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
After a sold-out debut last weekend, Bongo’s Bingo is back on Friday and Saturday nights with a double whammy of dates at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Bongo Bino is England’s favorite crazy mix of traditional bingo, dance-offs, rave intervals, audience participation and countless magical moments. Bongo’s Bingo is a wild extravaganza and a night of pure nostalgic escapism, with the chance to win prizes from giant pink unicorns to karaoke machines. 66 North Sixth Street. Tickets start at $47.

‘Off Book’ Live at The Bell House
7:30 p.m.
Musical improv masters Jess McKenna and Zach Reino bringing their live improvised musical “Off Book” to The Bell House on Friday evening. Off Book is a completely improvised musical attempting to combat the notion that musicals should be “carefully crafted” or “thought out at all.” After releasing 300 episodes of their fan-and-critic favorite podcast, Jess and Zach are touring Off Book as a live show. 149 Secenth Street (between Second and Third Avenues). Tickets are $25.

Saturday, February 24

Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler
8 a.m.
The New York Road Runners host the “Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler,” a four-mile race on Saturday morning in Prospect Park. Gordan was an NYRR board member who started running marathons in his 80s and exercised until he passed in 2009 at 107. Register and lace up. The race will start on Center Drive and take runners over a full counter-clockwise loop of the park before turning back onto Center Drive toward the finishing stretch.

Black History Month Family Cook-Off
11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The Black History Month Family Cook-Off promises a delightful mix of food, fun and cultural celebration. Activities include a Gambo Cook-Off to show off your culinary skills and compete for the title of the best Gambo chef. You can learn the art of healthy cooking with health and healing transformation coach Lature Van Duren. The cook-off will immerse you in African American cultures where you will learn about the historical significance of food in the Black community. 1011 Utica Avenue. Free.

Black History Month Concert at Brooklyn Public Library
4 p.m.
Enjoy works by Black composers at “Classical Interludes: Harlem Chamber Players Black History Month Concert” at the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. This concert will feature The Harlem Chamber Players performing pieces from Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and Carlos Simon, among others. The concert is free, though RSVPs are required.

Dirty Projectors
6 p.m.
Catch the Dirty Projectors’ first performance since 2019 — twowarmup shows prior to their March 2 extravaganza with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The indie rockers promise selections from from David Longstreth’s “Song Of The Earth,” as well as a number of Dirty Projectors favorites, performed acoustically and without orchestra. “A very special work-in-progress performance that will never be repeated,” they promise. Union Pool, 484 Union Avenue. $43.26

Beethoven/Harrison
7 p.m.
The Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra will perform Beethoven/Harrison at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church on Saturday night. The evening blends musical sounds and inspirations with performances of the musical works by Beethoven and Mahler. The Orchestra will also perform the New York premiere of Lou Harrison’s rare “Concerto for Piano with Javanese Gamelan.” 157 Montague Street. Student tickets are $20 and general admission begins at $40.

Ryan Beatty at Brooklyn Steel
9 p.m.
“Ryan Beatty was set to be the next Bieber – then he realised he was living a lie,” writes The Guardian about singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty. After an epiphany on a plane, the L.A. singer-songwriter came out and found the freedom he needed. Since then, he’s released solo albums and worked with the likes of BROCKHAMPTON and Tyler, The Creator. He brings his unique R&B with their woozy production and multi-tracked vocals to Brooklyn Steel on Saturday night. 319 Frost Street. Tickets begin at $55.

Brooklyn Mardi Gras
9 p.m.
Dance your beads off to killer brass bands and enjoy authentic NOLA cocktails all night at the Gemini & Scorpio Loft. Find the baby in the King Cake, and be king for the night: you get a crown, mask, beads, and a drink ticket. Wear your glittering best and take advantage of the Sassy Selfie Station, with boas, masks, and other fun props, plus temp tattoos by HONK NYC. 267 Douglass Street, third floor. General admission tickets begin at $25.

Sunday, February 25

Artland: Drop-in Art-Making
12 p.m.
Take a trip to Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children at the Brooklyn Museum. During drop-in art-making hours, guests are welcome to imagine, create, and contribute their own figures and structures to the installation. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free with museum admission.

Snowed in with Tiki Disco
3 p.m.
Snowed in with Tiki Disco is an indoor winter day party from the kings of summer. Eli Escobar, DJ Lloyd and Andy Pry take over the Atrium at the Knockdown Center, outfitting the room with summery flair to counter winter’s chill. 52-19 Flushing Avenue. Free with RSVP.

16mm Cartoon Carnival #111: Fleischer Festival
3 p.m.
It’s time for another big batch of archival 16mm (no digital!) animated cartoons from the 1920s through the 1940s, straight from the Tommy José Stathes Archives to Rubulad’s silver screen. For the 16mm Cartoon Carnival’s 111th program, the presentation sheds the spotlight on beloved classic animation producer Max Fleischer and the ever-enjoyable films from Fleischer Studios. In addition to showcasing Fleischer’s well-known characters, they’ll include some early rarities and obscurities as well. Come and enjoy the likes of Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Bimbo, Popeye, Color Classics, Superman, and others. And yes — there will even be some singalongs with the famous bouncing ball! 389 Melrose Street. $10 to $15.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents The Greatest Show On Earth
7 p.m.
The reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (no animals are involved) comes to Barclays Center and invites people of all ages to a spectacle of superhuman feats, pushing the limits of possibility and thrilling families and fans of all generations. Get closer to the action than ever before. Feel part of the show with an immersive, 360-degree environment and new technology that creates real connections between you and unforgettable performers from all over the world. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets begin at $20.