Partying, printmaking and prepping for Valentine’s Day: 12 things to do this weekend

By Ethan Jakob Craft

It looks like we’re in for another weekend of chilly temperatures and socially distanced elbow-rubbing, but on the bright side, hopefully the rain in the forecast will wash away the snow and slush that’s still clinging from last week’s storm.

Until then, you know what to do: enjoy your weekend to the fullest extent possible with this handy to-do list:

Friday, February 4

Check out the Slamdance Film Festival
Daily, all weekend
Movies at Sundance’s truly indie film festival Slamdance are currently available to stream nationwide through the weekend. For a flat $10 fee, you can see every single movie at the festival. We’re not sure how that works but it sounds like a steal—pick up a ticket here. But first, check out our interviews with three local filmmakers about their excellent submissions.

Enjoy ‘Cuba Libre’ comedy
7 p.m.
On the “shores” of the Gowanus Canal, Brooklynites can find this weekly comedy show with a rotating line-up at the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse. Friday’s guests include comics Adam Mamawala, Vannessa Jackson and more. Reserved seats are $5 in advance, though standing room (and drinks) are by donation—and it’s also touted as the borough’s only comedy show staged in a boathouse, if that’s what floats your … whatever.

Smash some gender norms!
8:30 p.m.
At “Gender Critical,” a comedy-variety act hosted by the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, a “cabal of gendered individuals” will be performing their gender while an “Expert Panel™️”—trademarked, so don’t get any ideas—offers their critiques to help the cast find the best versions of themselves. Doors open 15 minutes prior to the show this Friday night at Eris, a club two blocks west of the Montrose Avenue L line subway stop.

Hear some original live music
9 p.m.
Nook Brooklyn is bringing back its local singer-songwriter showcase for 2022, welcoming all comers to perform abridged sets of two original songs each. The free-to-attend event is happening at this night owls’ coffee shop at 45 Irving Avenue, north of Maria Hernandez Park, on Saturday night; and if you’re a local musician who’d like to perform, Nook is encouraging sign-ups via DM on their social media channels.

Saturday, February 5

Get the low-down on glassblowing
11 a.m.
If you’re serious about glass working, or just curious about it and have some money to burn, this weekend you learn the basics hands-on: working with the tools of the trade, gathering molten glass from the furnace, and trying some simple color techniques, all under the tutelage of Brooklyn-based glass artist Malcolm Kriegel. Every student can expect to finish the intensive workshop with some of their own basics like paperweights, flowers, and a simple cup. The session takes place on both Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at $540 per person, it’s not fast or cheap, but is an unforgettable experience.

Cheer The Sill’s grand opening
11 a.m.
Join New York plant company The Sill this Saturday to mark the opening of its newest location: 461 6th Avenue, just over from the 7th Avenue F and G line subway station, in Park Slope. To celebrate, the store is offering a free coffee plant with every purchase at this location throughout opening week, and will also host a ribbon-cutting ceremony, offer free drinks and give hands-on repotting lessons during the day-long grand opening.

Printmaking inspired by Andy Warhol
1 p.m.
Channel one of pop art’s greats in this intimate studio art class that centers on Warhol’s printmaking techniques, starting with a Brooklyn Museum gallery walkthrough led by co-curator Carmen Hermo and followed by a hands-on print workshop led by members of Shoestring Press, a community printmaking studio based in Crown Heights. Tickets for this four-hour experience are $125, with a slight discount for museum members, and includes materials as well as admission to the museum’s “Andy Warhol: Revelation” exhibition.

Live your Olympic dreams vicariously
7 p.m.
This weekend marks the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. If you missed qualifying for Team USA but still yearn to compete in something, Saturday’s Wii Sports Olympics may be the event for you. Going down at BrookLAN video game bar in Bushwick, there’s up to $100 in gift cards up for grabs; the tournament’s entry fee is either abiding by the two-drink minimum, ordering a food entree with a soda, or picking up one of the venue’s unlimited gaming day passes for $20.

Party down at the Aquarius Showdown
8 p.m.
It’s Aquarius season, which means those bad vibes can take a hike! It’s all love and grooviness this February, or at least that’s the case at this weekend’s Aquarius Showdown party, which will welcome guest DJs and plenty of dancing while excluding negativity. Advance tickets start at $20 for early birds, while late birds may have to pay up to $40 each; it’s happening at 360 Jefferson Street, just down the block from House of Yes in Bushwick.

Sunday, February 6

Clean up for World Wetlands Day
8:30 a.m.
Join the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy and local State Assembly member Jaime R. Williams bright and early Sunday morning to spruce up Plumb Beach, helping an army of dedicated volunteers remove harmful debris from this nationally protected shoreline and wetland. Gloves, bags and the necessary tools will be provided, and it’s happening rain or shine (right now, it looks like shine, albeit in temperatures hovering right around freezing).

Prep for love’s favorite holiday
1 p.m.
You’ve still got over a week to gear up before Valentine’s Day, but if you’re looking to get a jump on shopping for—or with—your significant other, check out the local vendors gathering this weekend at Littlefield, an event space on Sackett Street in Gowanus. There’ll be more than just shopping, too; its 2nd annual Valentine’s Market is also offering hot drinks at the bar and festive tunes by DJ Empanadamn. Entry is free, both those who RSVP now will be entered into a raffle to win a dinner for two.

Toast to painting
4 p.m.
Wine and painting go together like a witty comparison of two complementary things, and Brooklynites can indulge in both at this Sunday’s “Sip & Paint” event at Mondays Hall Inc., a Fulton Street bar in the eastern reaches of Bed-Stuy. For $65, attendees will receive their own canvas to paint (and take home), all the supplies needed to paint their masterpiece, and strawberries and a glass of wine on the house. Music, gift bags and a raffle can also be expected, according to the event listing.