12 things to do this weekend: Vic Mensa plays Prospect Park, the Giglio returns

By Joshua Encinias

The weekends after Pride month and July 4 are usually quiet as people leave the city to beat the heat. Brooklyn is moving a bit slower this weekend, too, but there’s still plenty to do if you need a night out.

You can visit the New York Aquarium, fully reopened in Coney Island for the first time since 2012; celebrate Brooklyn Bowl’s 13th anniversary with their annual Soulive concert; learn what a Gigilo is and watch some dudes hoist it up in Williamsburg (hint: it might not be what you’re imagining); see over 300 improv comedians; or party at the Tiki Disco!

If you need something Thursday night: come to the inaugural “Showtime in the Park” as Brooklyn Magazine partners with Showtime, the borough president, Fort Greene Park Conservancy and Prospect Park Alliance for two months of free flicks. Tonight we’re showing Steven Spielberg’s 2021 reimagining of “West Side Story” in Fort Greene Park. The movie kicks off at sundown.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend in the borough:

Friday, July 8

New York Aquarium fully reopens 
Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday – Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A decade after Superstorm Sandy heavily damaged the New York Aquarium, it has finally fully reopened. The Coney Island attraction celebrates the reopening with their newest exhibit, “Sea Change,” designed to give you an up-close view of the underwater life of seals, sea lions, penguins, and otters and how climate change affects their ecosystems and ocean life. 602 Surf Ave. The aquarium is open daily with tickets for adults, seniors and children ranging from $22.95 to 29.95.

Bowlive ft. Soulive – Brooklyn Bowl 13th Anniversary Party
Various times, July 7 – 9
This weekend, the band Soulive celebrates having Brooklyn Bowl’s longest running residency with Bowlive, their ninth in the venue’s 13 years in operation. Bowlive is meant to celebrate Brooklyn Bowl’s history of performances influenced by rock, soul, jazz or funk and studded by outstanding surprise sit-ins. This year’s Bowlive is the band Soulive’s only scheduled performance, plus it’s double billed as Brooklyn Bowl’s Thirtheenth Anniversary Party, so you never know who might show up. 61 Wythe Ave. $30

Giglio Festival
Friday 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Giglio is a four-ton, 70-foot-tall tower topped by a lifesize statue of Saint Paulinus. Every summer for the past 135 years, young men from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg parade the obelisk throughout the 12-day festival. Italian immigrants created the festival to hold onto their food, culture, religion and tradition of their homeland. You don’t have to be Italian (or Catholic!) to join the community for free live music and dancing, and all kinds of Italian concessions and treats are available for purchase. Buona festa!

Celebrate Brooklyn: Vic Mensa
6:30 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show
An evening of music featuring featuring rapper and activist Vic Mensa with aja monet. Mensa is among the more socially conscious artists in hip hop – outspoken and engaged on issues ranging from gun violence to racial justice to mental health. He’s teaming up with his friend, the poet and musician aja monet, for a night celebrating the power of art to make sustainable change. Lena Horne Bandshell, Prospect Park. Free, RSVP recommended.

Fun & Dumb Improv Festival
July 8 – 10, 7 p.m. start times
The Brooklyn Comedy Collective hosts over 300 improv comedians this weekend from Los Angeles to Berlin and everywhere in between. You can see more than 80 improv groups at this East Williamsburg festival, including New York’s own musical group Baby Wants Candy, with stars like Jeff Hiller from HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” and Amber Ruffin from her self-titled show on Peacock. The festival schedule is online and includes improv workshops on Saturday and Sunday. Day passes for the shows are $20 and weekend passes $40.

SummerCon 2022
July 8 – 9
SummerCon is America’s longest-running hacker convention. Keynote sessions include topics like lessons learned from cybersecurity gone wrong, how to fend off other hackers, geopolitical influence in the digital space, and something called “Introduction to ATM Penetration Testing,” which we don’t think we endorse, but sounds fascinating. Presumably some of the best hackers in the world will be on hand, including Columbia University grad Dr. Ang Cui and Grant Seltzer Richman, which could be a real name or not; there’s only one way to find out: go! SummerCon will be held at Littlefield, 635 Sackett Street. $100.

Saturday, July 9

Local Roots Drag Brunch
Seatings at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Local Roots Cafe & Market is celebrating one year as a bring and mortar gathering space in the most Local Roots way possible: with NYC’s best AAPI queens taking center stage. Bibingka Mama and Miss Juicy Liu will entertain as you enjoy hyperlocal Chinese farm-to-table brunch fare and drink specials. 398 Court Street. RSVP in advance. $70.94.

Fandango at the Wall
7 p.m.
Fandangos are jam session-like celebrations in the Veracruz tradition of son jarocho that take place at the U.S.-Mexico border. Musician Jorse Francisco Castillo has been organizing this particular fandango since 2008. When Former President Trump began cracking down on border crossings in 2017, Grammy-winning pianist Arturo O’Farrill gathered musicians from across the world to write a suite for his 18-piece Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. He reached out to Castillo and brought the suite to his Fandango Fronterizo Festival, where the musicians performed it on both sides of the border wall in protest. This Saturday, the musicians reunite for an outdoor performance of the suite, presented by St. Ann’s Warehouse and held at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1. Free.

Celebrate Brooklyn: Crumb and Slauson Malone 1
6:30 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show
Brooklyn native Lila Ramani’s band Crumb headline Celebrate Brooklyn this weekend at the Lena Horne Bandshell. Drink some psychedelic water and come hear Crumb’s psych rock, lo-fi dream pop, and spaced-out free jazz grooves. Slauson Malone 1 is a performance piece created by artist and musician Jasper Marsalis that bridges the gap between performance art and popular music. Free, but RSVPs are encouraged for the latest updates. First come, first served.

Sunday, July 10

Ana Fabrega & Julio Torres: An Hour of Your Time
6:30 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show
“Thirty minutes for Julio. Thirty minutes for Ana. One hour of your time.” That’s how the comedians describe their upcoming show at The Bell House. Torres is a writing alum of SNL, and current children’s book writer. The second season of his show “Los Espookys” comes to HBO soon. Fabrega writes for, acts in, and is the showrunner for “Los Espookys.” The Bell House, 149 7th Street. $20.

Tiki Disco
3 to 10 p.m.
Party on the rooftop of Elsewhere, a community based on inclusivity and creativity. Tiki Disco is a New York event focused on “music for people who like music for people,” so bodies of all shapes and sizes are invited to throw on their best Hawaiian shirts and come get sweaty. Originally started in 2009, the event exists today as year-round happenings with resident DJs Eli Escobar, Andy Pry, and Lloydski. 599 Johnson Ave Brooklyn. $23.98.

Visit Bushwick Inlet Park
Open daily 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Shake off your summertime sadness and visit our newest park. Two new acres have opened at Bushwick Inlet Park, located at 50 Kent Ave., on the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront. In the comings weeks the park hosts “Movies Under the Stars” and at the 86 Kent section of the park there’s a weekly gardening group on Wednesdays. Break in new greenery this weekend on the park’s new bike path or explore the forest grove. Free.