Nick Cave, SZA and some great pumpkins: 20 things to do this weekend

By Joshua Encinias

You know it’s fall again when Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch is back at the corner of Bedford and Broadway. Pick out your favorite gourd now through Halloween.

Then get ready to start the party early this weekend with a Taste of Red Hook on Thursday. Nip and nosh from Red Hook’s own purveyors of food and drink in support of the Red Hook Initiative‘s investment in local youth.

Friday brings Aussie musician Nick Cave to Kings Theatre and SZA’s first of two nights at Barclays Center. The night wraps up with an ABBA drag show at C’mon Everybody.

Start Saturday in a healthy way with the East Brooklyn 5K/Walk in the morning, then cool down at the Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival in the afternoon. Don’t miss dancehall legend Sister Nancy at Baby’s All Right that evening. Sunday sees the return of the New York Film Festival at BAM.

Find these and so much more in our weekend roundup:

Thursday, October 5

Taste of Red Hook: Rooted in Red Hook
6 to 9 p.m.
Brooklyn Magazine is a proud media sponsor of Red Hook Initiative’s Taste of Red Hook: Rooted in Red Hook on October 5 at The Liberty Warehouse. The event will bring together Red Hook Initiative friends, neighbors and partners to recognize the impact of RHI participants who have become leaders in the Red Hook community and beyond. Celebrate the power of a community investing in its youth with delicious food and drinks from Red Hook’s acclaimed restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries. Take advantage of this opportunity to support RHI’s mission, and join us for Taste of Red Hook. 260 Conover Street. Tickets start at $175.

Empire State Music and Arts Festival
Various times through October 8
The Empire State Music & Arts Festival has returned for its ninth year, now through October 8 at multiple venues throughout the borough (Nublu, Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Music Kitchen, Starr Bar and others). Promising to “transcend the boundaries of your average NYC festival,” the event comprises two seven-day ticket tracks: one for artists (that includes artist development, network building, and studio time) and one for the fans. The lineup includes Convict Julie, alongside panel speakers such as DJ and tastemaker I Still Love H.E.R. and producer and influencer Sabrina Seidman. 

Friday, October 6

Oktoberfest in Brooklyn
Various times and locations all weekend
Oktoberfest, everyone’s favorite annual beery bonanza is back. There will be no shortage of steins, sausages, lederhosen and feats of strength on display all over the borough. Here’s a taste of the events in Brooklyn this weekend:

• Oktoberfest comes to The Brooklyn Mirage on Saturday, October 7. Expect authentic German beer (as well as non-German beers), brats and giant pretzels. There’s also a dance floor, Oktoberfest-style seating with picnic tables, live music, yard games and an Oktoberfest-themed setup.
• Zum Schneider’s famous annual Oktoberfest Tent returns to Brooklyn for their final weekend. Their theme is “Munich in Brooklyn” at host venue 3 Dollar Bill with a pricepoint for every budget, so check out their Eventbrite for tickets.
• Brooklyn Crab celebrates Oktoberfest, too, with a fun-filled day of beer and Bavarian vibes on Saturday, October 7. Featured beers include Weihenstephaner, Hofbräu beer and brews from Montauck Brewery.
• Both of Black Forest’s Brooklyn locations (Fort Greene and Cobble Hill) are hosting Oktoberfest parties on weekends through October 21.
• Radegast Hall will also have a brass band, stein-holding competitions and a ceremonial keg-tapping.

Greg’s Great Pumpkin Patch
Every day through Halloween
Need a pumpkin? Browse Greg’s collection of gourds in all shapes and sizes, including fancy gourds and tons of Halloween decor. Every Saturday, Greg’s hosts Hoppy Hallowine with something for the whole family. Visit anytime between 2 and 8 p.m. for pumpkin carving and painting with all supplies included. Located at Pollyn, 115 Broadway at the corner of Bedford and Broadway.

Nick Cave at Kings Theatre
8 p.m.
The maestro of melancholy will grace the stage of Kings Theatre on Friday night for a solo performance of songs from his 40 years in music. While he’s at it, Cave may also share some of his wit and wisdom from the stage. If he doesn’t, you can always check in on his site, The Red Hand Files. 1027 Flatbush Avenue. Tickets start at $142.

SZA’s ‘SOS Tour’
8 p.m.
Maybe you want to leave melancholy behind for the night? SZA’s “SOS Tour” stops at Barclays Center in October with opener d4vd on Friday and Saturday nights. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets start at $238.

The ABBA Tribute Show
10 p.m.
Take a chance on The ABBA Tribute Show at C’mon Everybody. Your host Chiquitita will be your drag Mamma Mia for a night featuring performers Kiki Ball-Change, Dynasty, Paloma, Esther and Rify Royalty. It’s only $20, so you don’t have to live in a rich man’s world to enjoy this night of Swedish pop. 325 Franklin Avenue.

Saturday, October 7

‘Spike Lee: Creative Sources’
Opens Saturday and runs through February 4
Brooklyn Museum presents “Spike Lee: Creative Sources,” a rare glimpse into the world of filmmaker Spike Lee. The exhibit opens October 7 and runs through February 4, and will showcase items from the Brooklyn auteur’s personal collection — and reveal the connections between the people, places and ideas that have fueled Lee’s four-decade career. 200 Eastern Parkway. Public tickets for adults begin at $25.

East Brooklyn 5K Run/Walk
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
East Brooklyn 5K Run/Walk happens rain or shine on Saturday morning. Stick around after for games and fitness activities for the whole family, plus music from DJs and refreshments. Start at Spring Creek Park at Gateway Mall, 395 Gateway Drive. Registration is $25.

CiderFeast NYC
12 to 4 p.m.
Sample hard ciders and snacks at Food Karma’s annual CiderFeast in Industry City. The Feast kicks off Cider Week New York with tastings from 20 cider makers, including Brooklyn’s Kings Highway Fine Cider. The event also features snacks like bread, cheese and apple pie, plus a 24-month-old ham from Dakota Hams. 220 36th Street Brooklyn. Tickets are $48.

Fort Greene Park: Jazz Festival
3 to 7 p.m.
Listen to some soulful sounds at the Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival on Saturday. Fort Greene has a rich history of jazz, claiming residents from Max Roach to Randy Weston to Wynton and Branford Marsalis, among many more. The fest features The Kentucky Parkis Quartet, The Eric Frazier Band and featured vocalist Patsy Grant.

BAHAGHARI: Filipino Drag Dinner
6 to 11 p.m.
Discover the beauty of Filipino culture, food, and music, through a night of Filipino drag at Hana House. Get ready to dance and sing with the best Filipino drag queens, including “Drag Race” contestant Jiggly Caliente. Dinner is catered by Jam and Sakanto Snacks. 345 Adams Street. Tickets are $38.

Sister Nancy at Baby’s All Right
8 p.m.
Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” is an indelible classic — Lauryn Hill is among the countless to have famously sampled it (on her 1998 hit “Lost Ones”) — and on Saturday night, you have the chance to hear the original live at Baby’s All Right. The original Queen of Dancehall, Sister Nancy, is coming straight from Jamaica for a night of soul-cleansing Reggae music from one of the icons of the genre. 146 Broadway. Tickets are $25.

Sunday, October 8

The New York Film Festival at BAM
Sunday through Tuesday
The New York Film Festival returns to BAM October 8 through 10 for another year of cinematic treats on Lafayette Avenue. Among the six movies coming to Brooklyn are “Priscilla,” Sophia Coppola’s antidote to last year’s “Elvis,” and “The Taste of Things,” which explores the meaning and textures of food in late-19th-century France — and won Trân Anh Hùng the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. 30 Lafayette Avenue. Members tickets are $25 and $30 for general admission.

Jean-Michel Othoniel: The Flowers of Hypnosis
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
There’s still time to catch French artist Jean Michel Othoniel’s “The Flowers of Hypnosis” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a series of six new “bead-like sculptures that dance among the sprawling complex’s Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, Fragrance Garden and Lily Pool Terrace,” writes Brooklyn Magazine’s Vittoria Benzine. Bring the little ones or the whole family to escape reality in the garden for a bit on Sunday. On display through October 22. 150 Eastern Parkway. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Children under 12 attend with an adult for free.

Brooklyn Museum Pop-up Market
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., every Sunday through mid-November
Brooklyn Pop-up meets every Sunday for a weekly artisan market with 30-plus vendors at the Brooklyn Museum. Hosted at the museum’s front plaza, this year the pop-up expands its food offerings and will offer new activations and other initiatives to bring Brooklyn together. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free.