A supper for Ukraine, Timberdoodles for you—and 10 other things to do this weekend

By Daniel Karel

From searching for Timberdoodles in the Green-Wood Cemetery to learning an ancient Japanese drumming technique, there’s enough happening in the borough this weekend to keep you happily entertained from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. And don’t worry, we didn’t know what a “Timberdoodle” was either

Here’s the rundown:

Friday, March 11

The New York International Children’s Film Festival
The New York International Children’s Film Festival is the largest event dedicated to kids’ movies in North America—and, luckily for us, it goes down in our backyard. Over the festival’s 25-year history, more than 30,000 films have been submitted, with 38 securing Oscar nominations. This year’s highlights include “Where is Anne Frank” by Oscar-nominated director Ari Folman, and Richard Linklater’s animated feature “Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood.” The event runs from March 9 to 19. General admission for in-person screenings costs $17; virtual passes begin at $65.

Hiatus Kaiyote at Brooklyn Steel
8 p.m.
The Australian jazz/funk band Hiatus Kaiyote has been cranking out groovy tracks for almost a decade. Many of their songs have racked up tens of millions of Spotify plays, and for good reason—the band’s music is uniquely relaxing and uplifting. Catch them at 8 p.m. this Friday at Brooklyn Steel. Tickets at the door cost $45; tickets bought in advance are a few bucks cheaper.

Comedians You Should Know
9 to 11 p.m.
Free comedy shows are a gamble. When they’re bad, they’re among the most grueling entertainment experiences out there—but when they’re good, they can be sublime. Comedians You Should Know, despite having an under-the-radar roster, has been serving consistent laughs for years. Stop by The Gutter, located at 200 N. 14th Street in Greenpoint, this Friday, to hear David Drake, Mike Lebovitz, and Carmen Lagala do their thing.

Saturday, March 12

Timberdoodle Time at Green-Wood Cemetery
9 to 11 a.m.
A Timberdoodle (also known as the American Woodcock) is a bulbous little bird with a long beak. Every year, around this time, they migrate through the city, and can be found in parks rummaging for grubs beneath bushes and trees. The Feminist Bird Club will be on the lookout for these little guys between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., this Saturday at Green-Wood Cemetery. Tickets are going fast.

Women Who Walked Ahead Trolley Tour
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Timberdoodles not your thing? For the permanent residents of Green-Wood Cemetery, the days of long, meandering strolls through Brooklyn are, sadly, over. But on the “Women Who Walked Ahead” tour, guests can relive the glory days of many of the cemetery’s pioneering women—from Isabella Goodwin, NYC’s first female detective, to entrepreneur Elizabeth Gloucester, who helped fund the raid on Harpers Ferry—all while seated in an old-fashioned trolley. The tour begins at 10 a.m., with tickets going for $30.

Japanese Taiko “Thunder Drum” Workshop, Demo, and Jam Session
2:15 to 3:30 p.m.
Smacked hard, Taiko drums produce a sound reminiscent of thunder. When many of these drums are placed in a room—i.e., inside of a Brooklyn dojo, say, located at 781 Kent Avenue—the effect is multiplied, powerful, and profound. Spend your Saturday afternoon learning about, and practicing, this 1,500 year old drumming art, led by master drummer Hiro Kurashima. Tickets are going for $39.

Data Through Design: Ground Truth IRL
2:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Cities produce a lot of numbers: arrests in a given month; CitiBike stations installed on a block; the ratio of commercial to residential buildings in a borough. In New York, many (though not all) of these figures are available through NYC’s Open Data Portal. The artists featured in Ground Truth IRL took these datasets and used them to make interdisciplinary artwork. A handful of projects will be on display at The Hall (9 Hall Street, Building J) this Saturday, from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Free to attend.

Dirty Circus Variety Show
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
House of Yes! (located at 2 Wyckoff Avenue) has earned its reputation as a safe space for debauchery. And Dirty Circus Variety Show, which is “not for the faint of heart,” epitomizes their unique programing. Created by House of Yes co-founders Kaie Burke and Anya Sapozhnikova, the show will feature some of the best talent in the entire city for a $30 ticket. Get there early for a shot to be seated in the vintage clawfoot bathtub—“the best seat in the house.”

Sunday, March 13

Skate & Play at Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Artrink
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Has spring sprung? It was 70 degrees the other day, and within 48 hours snow was falling. Regardless, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and ArtRink is holding onto winter with 60-minute skating sessions on their 3,200 square foot outdoor rooftop rink, featuring art exhibitions and “winter-themed activations,” geared for children between infancy and 10 years old. Bundle up and bring your kids. Tickets are $23 for everyone 1 and over.

Brooklyn Nets vs New York Nicks
1 p.m.
Despite the rollback of the indoor mask ban, Kyrie Irving is still ineligible to play at Barclays. That said, the Nets will still have a superstar on the court worth the price of admission. This Sunday at 1 p.m., they will take on a scrappy Knicks team in a hometown showdown that both squads are eager to win. On Seatgeek, tickets start around $100.

Drink & Draw at Non Sequitur Beer Project
2 to 4 p.m.
Tell us if you think the person who wrote this blurb for the Non Sequitur Beer Project, a drinking and drawing event this Sunday, was already deep into six pack: “Come spend an afternoon doodling what you’re drinking or what inspires you to drink or drink til you wanna draw the cool map of ideas you’ve got swirling around!” Yeah! We’ll have what they’re having. Free to attend, though donations are encouraged, at 8 Wilson Avenue.

A Supper For Ukraine
5 to 9 p.m.
On their own, the restaurants Gertie, Dacha 46, and Huertas are all powerhouses, but this weekend they’re joining forces to cook a delicious array of “Ukrainian Jew-ish food” at 357 Grand Street in Williamsburg, from 5 to 9 p.m. The menu features zhuzhed-up staples including pelmeni, borscht, latkes with caviar, kievsky torte, “fancy vodka drinks,” and more. All proceeds from the event will be sent to Razom, a nonprofit sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s frontlines.