A Maker’s Show, a free movie and a Middle-earth fantasy: 11 things to do this weekend

There’s also a comedy show about death that’s hosted in a Greenpoint funeral home, if you're into that sort of thing

The official onset of spring has brought with it weekend activities galore, from a guided nature hike in Shirley Chisholm State Park to a free screening of “The Batman” to a fantastical tavern experience straight out of a Tolkien novel, replete with costumed elves, paladins and noblemen.

Here is what’s going on in your backyard this weekend:

Friday, March 25

Get an insider’s take on the Brooklyn Museum
1 p.m.
If you want the inside scoop on some of the Brooklyn Museum’s premier works, head to its Rubin Lobby on the north side of Prospect Park on Friday afternoon for its “A Few of Our Favorite Things” tour. Hosted by A.R.T. (Art, Research and Training) volunteers, this highly personal one-hour tour winds its way through the museum as each guide dives into their own favorite works. It is 100 percent free, excluding the actual cost of admission.

Swing by an ice cream social
6 p.m.
Featuring a range of ice cream flavors, a live DJ, a dance space, herbal mocktails and an on-site cannabis vendor, this event is not your grandma’s ice cream social. Popping up in the Plot Lot in Bushwick—a vacant lot at 1321 Myrtle Avenue, to be exact—the three-day ice cream fête runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; tickets are $10.

Roast your résumé
8 p.m.
Well, not your résumé, but the résumés of a line-up of comedians who will take to the stage to laugh about their professional qualifications, previous work history, and doing what it takes to survive in New York. Featuring “Daily Show” writer Randall Otis, Funny or Die’s Dang Yang, “My Name Is Poop” author Ben Katzner and more, this show is free to attend at the Pine Box Rock Shop bar on Grattan Street in East Williamsburg.

Live out your Middle-earth fantasies
8 p.m.
An evening of “comedy, camaraderie, and song” is in store for those who visit Crystal Lake Brooklyn bar in Williamsburg on Friday, which is hosting its 21-and-over “Fantasy Tavern Night” from 8 to 10 p.m that it describes as an immersive theatrical performance with actors and musicians playing the parts of medieval bards, warlocks, paladins and more. The Dungeons & Dragons-esque event is open to all folk of the realm (New York) for the meager fare of six shillings ($25 per person); donning ye olde garb (a costume) is encouraged, but not required.

Saturday, March 26

Go see ‘The Batman’ for free
Doors at 9:30 a.m.
Starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz and Paul Dano, director Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” has opened to mostly solid reviews—and this Saturday it’s showing for free at the Kent Theater in Midwood, just a few blocks over from the Q Line’s Avenue H stop. Organized by a local high school sophomore Elliott Pierce, who’s researching the pandemic’s impact on movie theaters, the 10 a.m. “Batman” showing really is open to the public free-of-charge—all he asks of patrons is to consider buying some concessions to support the theater.

Support women-owned businesses
11 a.m.
The annual Women’s Makers Show is back in Brooklyn this weekend to cap off Women’s History Month, taking over a space at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday and Sunday to showcase dozens of local female vendors, entrepreneurs and leaders from across the city. Running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days, the main showcase is free to attend, though there are also a handful of extra-cost workshops running throughout the weekend that focus on topics like cross-stitching, T-shirt design and “upcycling”; those are $12 each and require pre-registration online.

Laugh about death in a funeral home
8 p.m.
Comedian Ben Wasserman lost his father, grandfather, uncle and four friends in the span of three years, but has since turned his experiences with that crushing grief into a positive thing: “Live After Death,” an interactive stand-up show that explores loss and how we deal with it. Featuring an opening set by Devon Walker, a writer on Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” this show can be found at Sparrow, a “contemporary funeral home” in Greenpoint. Advance tickets are $10, or $15 if purchased day-of-show.

Free your inner Dancing Queen
10 p.m.
The “Ultimate ABBA Glitter Disco” is coming to the borough this weekend, reviving the glamor of Studio 54 at the Quantum Brooklyn nightclub in Gowanus. Featuring everything from the Bee Gees to the Grease soundtrack to Sweden’s most popular musical export themselves, the all-night party has sold out online, though plenty of tickets are still available at the door for $20 per person; ’70s disco attire (think silky jumpsuits, platform boots, bell bottoms, all that jazz) is required.

Sunday, March 27

Watch the Oscars
Times vary
The 94th Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood this Sunday, but there is no shortage of viewing parties in Brooklyn for die-hard local film junkies: At 6:30, Littlefield art space’s Oscars event begins in Gowanus, featuring a free glass of champagne with your RSVP; then starting at 7 p.m., there’s a watch party at the Time Out Market in Dumbo; and at that same time, there’s also one for $40-a-head at Stuart Cinema & Cafe in Greenpoint, which includes unlimited popcorn and an open bar. The actual ceremony kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern time, but check individual event listings for their respective details.

Usher in spring with a nature hike
10 a.m.
With the first full weekend of spring upon us, and to make the most of what’s forecasted to be a sunny Sunday morning, head out to Shirley Chisholm State Park in East New York for a two-hour guided hike to spot birds warbling, trees budding, and other signs that spring has sprung. The hike is free and open to all ages, though is limited to 20 participants, so pre-register online ahead of time.

Make your own vegan soap
4 p.m.
On the 27th of every month, NerdDNA hosts this popular vegan soap-making event, giving beginners all the tools, materials and knowledge they need to craft their own sudsy bars—as well as why using strictly natural ingredients in soap may be helpful for their bodies. Running out of NerdDNA’s Bushwick storefront at 16 Cypress Avenue, the two-hour workshop is open to all, regardless of experience level; admission is by donation.