Marathons and movie matinees: 12 things to do this weekend

By Ethan Jakob Craft

Spring has (almost) sprung in Brooklyn, and if you can slog through your pounding St. Paddy’s Day and/or Purim hangovers after Thursday, a weekend of fun activities awaits you: think TikTok-inspired ice cream sundae giveaways, candle making workshops, ’90s dance parties, half marathons—if you call that fun—and, of course, a week-long celebration of David Lynch’s eeriest films at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Here’s your official Brooklyn Magazine weekend to-do list, so get planning:

Friday, March 18

Adopt a plant or two for your apartment
11 a.m.
The Sill nursery is kicking off its fourth annual Sidewalk Sale this Friday, bringing limited-time discounts on houseplants, planters, plant care accessories and more to the sidewalk outside its Berry Street location in Williamsburg. Running until 7 p.m. each day through Monday, the Sill’s botany bonanza will also feature recurring giveaways from businesses including Levain bakery, InBloom Beauty and more; and be prepared to wait, because the plant shop warns that they’re expecting a high volume of customers.

Enjoy David Lynch’s seminal works
Starting at 5 p.m.
Whether you’re already a David Lynch superfan or just Lynch-curious, check out “Lynchian,” a week-long celebration of the cult favorite filmmaker’s most notable creations. Starting Friday evening with screenings of “Eraserhead” and “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” this event hosted by the Brooklyn Academy of Music will run daily through March 24 as it showcases more than a dozen titles directed by Lynch and his contemporaries. General admission tickets are available online for $16 per person, per screening.

Try your hand at candle making
6 p.m.
Grab two glasses—one for your wine and one for your candle—before you sit down at Friday’s “Sip + Wick” event, which will guide attendees through making their very own eco-friendly coconut-soy candle. Hosted by Brooklyn Perk Coffee on Nostrand Avenue in Bed-Stuy, this workshop includes a free boozy beverage as well as a raffle ticket for a “four-piece gift set” valued at $56; tickets, which also include all the necessary candle-making materials, are available for $45.

Embrace your inner ’90s grunge
11:30 p.m.
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day and more ’90s favorites are on the agenda for Friday night’s “Come As You Are” alternative party at the Knitting Factory on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg. Promising “a night of ’90s alt, grunge and a little bit of pop,” this 18-and-over event starts late and runs into the early hours of Saturday morning; tickets are free to the first 50 people who RSVP—and at the time of writing, some of those slots are still up for grabs—or $10 for general admission entry for the 51st attendee and beyond.

Saturday, March 19

Watch (or run) the Brooklyn Spring Half Marathon
9 a.m.
Let’s hope the spring showers hold off on Saturday, because the Brooklyn Spring Half Marathon is back in the borough for another 13.1 miles of endurance foot racing. Kicking off at 9 a.m., the marathon’s course winds through Prospect Park, starting and finishing at the Peristyle off of Parkside Avenue; it’s free to watch from the sidelines and cheer on the runners, or if you’re up to participate, registration is available online for $99 per athletes—a price that includes a commemorative bib, T-shirt and participation medal.

Score some free ice cream
12 p.m.
Big Gay Ice Cream is partnering with a TikTok-inspired card game to give away free soft-serve sundaes in New York this weekend, and while Friday and Sunday’s events are located across the river in Manhattan, Saturday will see the beloved creamery bring its gamified giveaway right here to Brooklyn. If you don’t mind jumping through some hoops to order, check out its “Tell Me Without Telling Me: Ice Cream Experience” pop-up from noon to 7 p.m., which can be found on Bedford Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets in Williamsburg.

Support struggling Ukrainian families
6 p.m.
If you still haven’t made dinner plans for Saturday evening, consider heading to Roots Cafe in South Slope for a by-donation night of Ukrainian food, drinks and music. Organized by a chef by the name of Helen Sanya, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine in 2014, profits from the three-hour cultural feast will directly go towards assisting nearly two dozen people trying to work, pay bills or support their children in the war-torn European country.

See Bad Bunny live in concert
8 p.m.
Stadium shows are back in full swing, and reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny prepares to play two dates at Barclays Center this Saturday and Sunday as part of his “El Último Tour Del Mundo.” Remaining tickets for both concerts range from around $275 in the upper-level nosebleeds to over $1,000 for floor seats around the stage, though if you’re a major Bad Bunny fan, now may be the time to score a seat—his “World’s Hottest Tour,” scheduled for later this year, isn’t coming back to Brooklyn.

Sunday, March 20

Take the kids to a movie
10 a.m.
Time Out Market in Dumbo is inaugurating a new weekend tradition this Sunday: “Family Movie Matinees,” in which the venue will stream a family favorite film on its fifth floor while offering younger guests materials for arts and crafts during the screening. Tickets are $15 per person, which also includes free entry to the carousel in nearby Brooklyn Bridge Park; the schedule of what movie is showing when isn’t readily available (for some reason), but you can email shows.ny@timeoutmarket.com for additional information.

Support local Black businesses
3 p.m.
On the first day of spring, head to downtown Brooklyn for GreeneDreams’ Black Excellence Pop-Up Shop, which is taking over a space at 66 Willoughby Street with a wide array of local food and fashion vendors. Also featuring a live DJ, photographer, raffle, networking opportunities and a surprise guest speaker, this pop-up market is free to attend and runs until 8 p.m. Sunday night.

Laugh it up at Brooklyn’s newest comedy show
7 p.m.
Stupid Hot Comedy, a sketch comedy and stand-up act with roots in Manhattan, is taking baby steps to expand in the city’s four other boroughs with “Baby Steps,” its first-ever show in Brooklyn that’s all about “trying new things, babies, and making improvements,” according to the event’s web listing. Tickets for the 21-and-over show, which will take place at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective’s Graham Avenue space in Williamsburg, are available online for $10 each.

Learn to salsa dance
7:30 p.m.
At Salsa on Sundays, beginners are welcome to learn the basics of salsa dancing with a certified instructor—no experience, long-term commitments or dance partner necessary. Hosted by top-rated Nieves Latin Dance Studio in Williamsburg, at the corner of Grand Street and Manhattan Avenue, this 90-minute course is free to attend, though pre-registration is required.