Weekend Guide: 19 things to do in Brooklyn

By Joshua Encinias

For those of you who are dying to beat the heat with a festive flair, Brooklyn cocktail bar Leyenda has transformed itself into Sleyenda — their Christmas-in-July pop-up that runs through Sunday.

Not feeling quite that jolly yet? Friday brings the final weekend of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast where you can have an authentic taste of Italy right in your own backyard. Friday evening, Second City presents Ruthless Acts of Kindness, a new show about how fraught it can be to deal with other people. And for the night owls who don’t mind their fellow man, Gimme Gimme Disco comes to The Brooklyn Bowl at midnight to help you dance the night away.

On Saturday, The 2nd Annual AniTOMO Manga & Anime Convention comes to Japan Village, where you can hear from manga and anime leaders and participate in workshops all day. Or you can hit the water: there’s kayaking at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or you can hop on a ferry and check out the FAD Market pop-up on Governors Island.

Tompkins Avenue Open Streets Vendor Market comes to Bed-Stuy on Sunday where you can stock up on goods and locally made artisan creations. And while Sunday Funday in Coney Island is usually for adults, this weekend, the whole family can indulge with the Brooklyn Cyclones. They’ll have free ice cream, base-running for the kids and more.

Here are our picks for the weekend ahead.

Friday, July 19

Final Weekend of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast/ Giglio Lift
Continues through Sunday
Williamsburg’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Giglio Festival is officially underway. When early Nolani immigrants moved to Brooklyn, they brought the feast along, and this year the party goes through Sunday Insider tip: Visit on Sunday for Old Timer’s Giglio Sunday to witness the church elder’s Dance of the Giglio and Boat. And bring your dollar bills, because this lady accepts tips! 275 North 8th Street.

Christmas in July at Leyenda (a.k.a. Sleyenda)
Continues through Sunday
For some Brooklynites, it’s never too early to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Brooklyn cocktail bar Leyenda is marking the halfway point to Christmas with a limited return of their famed holiday pop-up Sleyenda. Stop by and cool off to enjoy themed drinks, festive glassware, cheerful decorations, and of course, Mariah Carey blasting through the speakers. 221 Smith Street.

The 2024 Nova Frontier Film Festival
Friday through Sunday
This weekend, The Billie Holiday Theatre is hosting the 2024 Nova Frontier Film Festival, now in its sixth year. Nova platforms thought-provoking films and art from and about the African diaspora, the Middle East and Latin America. The 2024 curated program includes a selection of acclaimed films, panels, conversations, and performances. 1368 Fulton Street. One-day tickets cost $20 and a weekend pass cost $50.

MoMA PS1’s Warm Up
4 to 10 p.m.
Yes, this is technically in Queens, but close enough. MoMA PS1’s signature summer music series, Warm Up, charts local, domestic, and international origin points for new innovations in electronic music. The 2024 program is anchored by an array of scenes active across New York City’s independently organized club and nightlife venues. Friday’s lineup features Paris-based soul-crushing electronica producer Nick León b2b DJ Python and Safety Trance. 22-25 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City. $20.55 in advance, $25.15 at the door.

Myrtle Avenue Summer Nights
5 to 8 p.m. and again on August 16
Myrtle Avenue Summer Nights are back for their monthly Friday night soiree. Join local business owners and artisans along the avenue for free activities for kids and adults. Myrtle Avenue Plaza is your hub for most events including crafts, games, caricature drawing, tarot card reading, wine tastings, raffles and a DJ playing your favorite hits from every decade. Myrtle Plaza and along Myrtle Avenue. Free.

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! with Joe Bataan, Meridian Brothers, Madame Vacile
Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7
East Harlem legend, Latin soul crooner Joe Bataan, headlines an incendiary evening of party music. Opening for the 1960s and ’70s salsa and R&B icon are the Meridian Brothers, whose boundary-pushing music infuses tropical Latin sound with an electro-futuristic twist. Opening the evening will be Madame Vacile, who will provide an Afro-Caribbean foundation for a night of great music outdoors. Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park, 141 Prospect Park West. Free.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ finale viewing party (part 1)
7 p.m.
RuPaul winds down “All Stars” Season 9 with a two-part finale and Bk Backyard will hold a viewing party on Friday night hosted by Thorgy Thor to celebrate. Grab your girlies, gays and theys to watch part one at Bk Backyard. 86 North 11th Street. Tickets are $13.

A Night At Niblo’s Garden
7 to 9 p.m.
Green-Wood Cemetery’s popular Victorian extravaganza is back for an enchanted evening of 19th-century showmanship. Staged under a starry summer sky around Crescent Water, you’ll experience fire eaters, musicians, contortionists, dancers and lots of surprises from Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. One of Brooklyn’s more unique events of the summer. 500 25th Street. Tickets are $40 for members, $45 for general admission, and grandstand seating is $75.

Second City Presents: Ruthless Acts of Kindness
7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday
The Second City improv institution opened their new outpost in Brooklyn — their first-ever in New York — and they’re performing “Ruthless Acts of Kindness” on Saturday night. The show is a hilarious romp through the most perilous dilemma of the modern era: Dealing with Other People. 64 N 9th Street. Ticket prices vary.

Chanpan at The Red Pavilion
11 p.m.
Since their start busking the streets of Chinatown and being the subject of viral videos, Chanpan been praised by Vogue, The New York Times’ T Magazine, and recognized by Live Nation’s Ones to Watch. In celebration of their new singles “❥attack” and “air ride,” the trio will perform a late-night set at The Red Pavilion. Be there for the bragging rights of seeing them before they blow up. 1241 Flushing Avenue. Tickets are $20.

Gimme Gimme Disco at The Brooklyn Bowl
Midnight
Calling Brooklyn’s dancing kings and queens! The Brooklyn Bowl is hosting “Gimme Gimme Disco” on Friday night into the wee hours of Saturday. If you can’t get enough ABBA and disco hits from the ’70s and ’80s, then this is the party for you. Disco attire is encouraged, so honey honey, take a chance on Gimme Gimme Disco. 21+. 61 Wythe Avenue. Early bird tickets are $22 and general admission is $29 at the door.

Saturday, July 20

Kayaking at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 2:30 p.m.
Glide along the water with free public kayaking at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. All levels are welcome including first-time kayakers — life vests and all equipment provided, as well as instruction. Children under 18 must have an adult guardian present. Advance registration is required; make a reservation here.

The 2nd Annual AniTOMO Manga & Anime Convention
11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The second annual AniTOMO Manga & Anime Convention comes to Brooklyn’s Japan Village on Saturday. This free con has panels, programs, and performances by guests from GKIDS Distributors of the film “The Boy & the Heron,” Crunchyroll and many more. 934 3rd Ave. Free with registration.

FAD Market pop-up on Governors Island
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday
Hop on a Brooklyn ferry for FAD Market’s pop-up on Governor’s Island. Get your fix of fashion, art, and design from more than 40 makers, designers, artists, and small businesses on hand to sell handcrafted apparel, jewelry, food and more. The pop-up’s other summer dates are August 17 and 18, and September 21 and 22, and October 19 and 20.

GDM Music Vol I
6 to 10 p.m.
Gotham Depot Moto, a members-only motorcycle facility and lounge space in Greenpoint, is hosting its first-ever concert and it’s open to the public. GDM Music Volume I features blues guitarist Ryan Lee Crosby, Lulu Lewis (former member of the Tom Tom Club) and Honeycrush. 51 Box Street. Tickets are $29.

Habibi Festival at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
7:30 p.m.
Created to give a snapshot of contemporary and traditional music of the South West Asia North Africa (SWANA) region, the Habibi Festival comes to the Lena Horne Bandshell on Saturday night for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! The festival’s line-up includes headliner Bab L’Bluz, an ensemble led by Yacine Boulares who will be joined by guests of NYC’s SWANA diaspora including Omar Offendum, Mona Miari, Felukah, Zafer Tawil, plus a DJ set by the Yalla! Party Project. 141 Prospect Park W. Free.

Sunday, July 21

Brooklyn Museum Pop-up Market
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., every Sunday through mid-November
Brooklyn Pop-up is a weekly artisan market at the Brooklyn Museum. Hosted at the museum’s front plaza, a revolving roster of 35-plus artisans, designers and makers will be on hand selling contemporary fashion, accessories, home goods, food, beauty, jewelry and more. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free.

Tompkins Avenue Open Streets Vendor Market
12 to 6 p.m., every Sunday through October 6
The Tompkins Avenue Open Streets Vendor Market is run by vendors, for vendors — to the benefit of you. Their outdoor market in Bed-Stuy maximizes exposure and profits for creators, so everything you buy has a bigger impact on their bottom line. On Sundays, they will host a mix of food, retail, and makers selling goods you won’t find anywhere else. Tompkins Avenue between Gates and Monroe Avenues.

Sunday Funday with the Brooklyn Cyclones
2 p.m.
Sunday Funday at Maimonides Park with the Brooklyn Cyclones offers fun for the whole family. Kids get to run the bases post-game and have a pre-game catch on the field. There will be special appearances from Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and CoComelon. It’s also Ice Cream Sunday and the first 500 kids 12 & under will receive complimentary Dippin’ Dots! 1904 Surf Avenue. Tickets start at $20.