Parades, premiers and prizefights: 13 things to do this (long) weekend

By Ethan Jakob Craft

We’re on the cusp of a rare three-day weekend with near-perfect weather to boot, but whether or not you get Monday off work, there will be plenty of activities to keep you busy over the next 96 hours, give or take: think reggaeton dance parties and trolley-based cemetery tours and urban birdwatching courses, just to name a few.

Here’s the rundown:

Friday, May 27

Go see a movie
Whenever it’s playing, I guess
The weatherman is calling for rain this Friday, making the perfect day for a trip to the movie theater (or other similarly weatherproof activity). Moviegoers aren’t short on options: animated comedy “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” is hitting screens this Friday, joining a roster of other titles like horror flick “Men,” period drama “Downton Abbey: A New Era,” and more. We’re also amid the debut weekend of Hollywood’s latest blockbuster, “Top Gun: Maverick”; starring Tom Cruise himself, it’ll be showing at theaters across the city, including nightly screenings throughout the weekend at Greenpoint’s Skyline Drive-In.

Attend a variety show in an ice cream parlor
8 p.m.
Readers of this weekly “things to do” series will know that the borough is not short on comedy shows in unorthodox venues, but Friday’s stand-up show at an ice cream parlor might just take the cake—er, uh, cone. Held at The Social in Prospect Heights, the monthly variety performance boasts a line-up of five local comics and is technically free to attend, though there is a $5 suggested donation plus the cost of any frozen dairy treats you’d like to indulge in from your seat.

Listen to Brooklyn artists’ original songs
9 p.m.
If you’re a fan of small-time local musicians—or if you’re a Brooklyn-based singer with an original repertoire—then head to Nook for the latest iteration of its Songwriters Showcase this Friday night. A staple of this Bushwick café-slash-craft beer bar, the show kicks off at 9 p.m., with each singer able to perform up to two original songs. Admission is free and open to the public; check out Nook’s Instagram for additional details of the Songwriters Showcase and its other weekly events.

Groove to some reggaeton beats
10 p.m.
If reggaeton is your musical genre of choice, then you may be happy to know that the Reggaeton Party is back at Lot45 in Bushwick, featuring the DJ stylings of Dana Lu, Dos Flakos and others. A limited amount of presale tickets are available online for $10 each, but don’t worry: once those sell out, the venue will continue selling tickets at the door on the night of the 21-and-over event. Early arrival is highly recommended, according to Lot45’s listing, but feel free to stay late, because the Reggaeton Party doesn’t wind down until about 4 a.m. Saturday morning.

Saturday, May 28 

Tour Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery
10 a.m.
In honor of those who died serving our country, the borough’s historic Green-Wood Cemetery will be hosting a special Memorial Day trolley tour this Saturday, visiting the graves and hearing the true stories of some of its most heroic residents. Led by cemetery historian Jeff Richman, tickets for this two-hour Honoring Our Veterans Trolley Tour are available for $30 each; it begins from the cemetery’s main Sunset Park entrance, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 25th Street.

Score some free Vitaminwater
11 a.m.
Mercury is in retrograde, apparently, which has spurred Vitaminwater to host “an immersive, interactive experience design [sic.] to nourish every side of you during this period of high annoyance.” Based on a new ad campaign of theirs, the pop-up event is happening from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Domino Park, right beside the Williamsburg Bridge, and it’s free and open to the public, regardless of whether you believe that mumbo jumbo.

Watch the Davis vs. Romero fight
6 p.m.
Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero will be entering the boxing ring Saturday evening to claim the World Lightweight Championship, and it’s happening right in our own backyard (a.k.a., Barclays Center). The undercard bouts leading up to Davis vs. Romero start at around 6 p.m., and if you’re a serious fan of the sport, you can still snag tickets to be there in person; the cheapest tickets still available, found in the stadium’s 200 level, can be had for $150 each. Though if you’re a more casual boxing fan, or ring-side seats simply aren’t in your budget, bars and restaurants around town will also be screening the fight, like Cheri’s Bedstuy.

Dance the night away at House of Yes
10 p.m.
House of Yes in Bushwick is hosting its Prohibition Disco on Saturday night, and you’re invited to “get gussied up in glamour” and “drown your inhibitions in the seediest speakeasy this town has ever seen” at the event, according to the venue’s listing. Attendees should come dressed to the nines in vintage attire and be ready to dance to the music of Lloyd and Aidan Kennedy all night long, because the party’s going until the wee hours of Sunday morning. Remaining tickets are $40 each, or $20 if you enter after 1:30 a.m.

Sunday, May 29

Try birdwatching at the Brooklyn Bridge
9 a.m.
If you’re looking to experience the great outdoors and “discover the wonders of Spring Migration,” head to Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sunday morning—and bring your binoculars, if you have them—to explore some of the borough’s best birding sites. Hosted by NYC Audubon guide Gabriel Willow and “Birding at the Bridge” author Heather Wolf, this world-class, three-hour birding course is $40 per attendee. Or, if you’re passionate about birds but are looking for something a little more budget-friendly, there’s also a free beginners bird hike at Shirley Chisholm State Park starting at 11 a.m.

Imbibe with a rooftop drink or two
11 p.m.
Billed as New York’s largest Memorial Day rooftop event, Polygon Brooklyn in East Williamsburg is hosting a two-level rooftop bash all night long—including a free open bar sponsored by Casamigos and Hennessy, available to attendees until midnight. Consult Polygon’s event posting for details on how to register for a free ticket to the party or for additional details on food, hookah and bottle service offerings.

Monday, May 30

Attend the 155th annual Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade
11 a.m.
For over a century and a half, a major Memorial Day parade has taken to the streets of Brooklyn, and this Monday will be no exception. Starting off at 11 a.m. at Third Avenue and 78th Street in Bay Ridge, the procession will then head down Third to Marine Avenue, swing over to Fourth Avenue, and then conclude at nearby John Paul Jones Park for a memorial service that’ll feature bagpipes, flag raising and wreath laying ceremonies, and a 21-gun salute by the Veteran Corps of Artillery. Leave your house early to get a prime spot along the parade route.

Soak up a Caribbean street fair
12 p.m.
Kokomo, a Caribbean restaurant in Williamsburg, is hosting its annual Memorial Day Street Fest this Monday from noon to 9 p.m., featuring street vendors, Caribbean cocktails and live entertainment. The street festival is free to attend and open to the public, though guests are encouraged to check out Kokomo’s web listing for additional details on pre-registration or to make dining reservations in the restaurant itself.

Enjoy a Memorial Day concert in a cemetery
2:30 p.m.
After a two-year pandemic hiatus, Green-Wood Cemetery’s beloved Memorial Day concert returns to Brooklyn this Monday, so bring a picnic blanket and some friends to listen to the New York City Symphonic Band perform a number of works by those who served in the armed forces, as well as a few pieces by Green-Wood’s permanent residents like Leonard Bernstein and Fred Ebb. The two-hour performance is free to attend, though Green-Wood suggests a $10 donation per registered person to help support its free programs throughout the year.