13 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend: The Obama portraits have landed

By Daniel Karel

There is officially only one week left until Labor Day, and Hurricane Henri is firmly in the rearview, ergo this weekend is not one to squander. Luckily, the borough is bouncing back from the storm with a lively mix of events—Caribbean festivals, circus variety shows, stand-up comedy, creative classes for kids, guided meditations, and ‘90s themed block parties—to help you make the most of the waning season.

Here’s the rundown:

Friday, August 27

Hot Air Balloon Night
11:30 a.m.
Summer may be done, but it’s not too late to take your kids to CAMP—a retail store at 1 DeKalb Avenue—where the shop’s friendly employees will walk your child through the process of making a miniature hot air balloon (ingredients: paper lantern, paint, paper straws and a take-out container). Reserve tickets for $30. Class starts at 11:30 a.m.

Funky Fridays: Carnival on the Plata
5 to 8 p.m.
Caribbean culture is coming to The Plaza (at 300 Ashland) this Friday in the form of a carnival that will feature limbo dancers followed by a limbo contest, a soca/calypso show featuring traditional steelpan drums, moko jumbies (stilt walkers) and more. DJ Selector Shawn will be spinning tunes. Free to attend.

Live at the Archway: The Wild Goats
5 to 7 p.m.
The Wild Goats are a four-piece band from upstate that will be playing a rousing, boot-stomping two-hour set of Americana music beneath the Archway in Dumbo this Friday. This is the final performance of the Live at the Archway series, so if you haven’t made it out yet, time is your last chance. It’s worth the trip. The free show starts at 5 p.m.

Saturday, August 28

Dear Summer Vibes Festival: Back to School Edition
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dear Summer Vibes Festival is back this year featuring a 1990s-themed “back to school” all-ages event. The annual block party will be going down at Albee Square on the corner of Fulton and Bond. Check out some of the borough’s up-and-coming artists and brands, listen to live music, and play outdoor games with your family. Free to attend.

City Point Cirque
11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
The circus isn’t technically in town, but you can still watch the dazzling artistry of City Point Cirque as they practice their stunts—contortion, juggling, aerial, hula-hooping—between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. this Saturday. The variety show will be going down at City Point (445 Albee Square West). Tickets are free, but a $25 donation is suggested.

Six Foot Platform: Bravura Outbreak by Art in Odd Places
12 – 9 p.m.
The Bravura Outbreak is taking over the Six-Foot Platform stage this weekend in Dumbo. The stage has been host to a series of unexpected and provocative performances this summer, and this week is no different: an experimental and joyous runway fashion show. Free to watch.

A Family-Friendly Water Color Water Gun Fight at Fort Greene Park
2 to 6 p.m.
The Fort Greene lawn between the hospital and tennis courts will turn into a battlefield at 2 p.m. on Saturday, when 400 people armed with water guns loaded with watercolors will participate in a two-team tournament. The event is family-friendly (must be 12 years or older to enter the fray) and combatants will leave with a tie-dyed shirt. $40 tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite or Groupon.

The Obama Portraits Tour at the Brooklyn Museum
4 to 8 p.m.
Seeing Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald’s 2018 portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama in person alone should be enticing enough to get you to the Brooklyn Museum this Saturday. But the exhibition’s opening has been expanded into a celebration featuring “music, art-making, and poetry” by some of Brooklyn’s most talented writers and artists, beginning at 4 p.m. in the Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden. Don’t miss it. Free to attend but RSVP is required.

Street Curling at Vanderbilt Avenue Open Streets
5 to 8 p.m.
Don’t miss this opportunity to throw some stones and get your curling form into shape before winter arrives. The Brooklyn Curling Center will be hosting a street curling event on Vanderbilt Avenue Open Streets from 5 to 8 p.m., just outside of the bar BierWax. (We don’t understand how to play it either, but it looks cool.)

Edwin Vazquez at Creekers Jamboree
5 to 8 p.m.
The final event of Creekers Jamboree—a celebration of roots and Americana music that has been going down in Gowanus on the last Saturday of each month all summer—will feature Edwin Vazquez, a dynamic and spirited singer-songwriter who “fuses Rumba, Flamenco, Jazz, Bolero, R&B, Bossa Nova” with other rhythmic sound traditions. The outdoor event runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m., and will move indoors to the Gowanus Boathouse if it rains. Free to attend but seats can be reserved ahead of time for $10.

Sunday, August 29

SOCARIDE Bike Tour
6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This 25-mile bike tour through Brooklyn proceeds at a leisurely pace, and will pass a number of historic sites before ending with a Caribbean brunch experience. Sounds like a perfect morning. Check in around 6:30 a.m. before the group gets rolling at 7; the meet-up spot is the Parkside Ave entrance of Prospect Park. Tickets range from $35 to $65.

Morning Meditation at Prospect Park
10 to 11 a.m.
Spend your Sunday morning in Prospect Park meditating with the zenned-out staff of Brooklyn Meditation. This one-hour guided class runs from 10 to 11 a.m. and is free to attend.

Kings County Comedy at EastVille
8 to 9:30 p.m.
Laugh along with the Kings County Comedy crew, featuring some of the borough’s best up-and-coming talents performing alongside seasoned vets. The $20 show starts at 8 p.m. and will be hosted at EastVille Comedy Club, one of the boroughs finest venues, located near Barclays Center.