Mary J. Blige, Mother’s Day and House of Yes: 16 things to do this weekend

By Joshua Encinias

It’s Mother’s Day Weekend and for you we have the best events for moms, people who have moms, folks who lost their moms and the mom-agnostic.

Mary J. Blige brings the Strength of A Woman Festival and Summit to New York Friday through Sunday, with a special night of performances at the Barclays Center on Saturday night. Also Friday, Björk plays a special DJ set at Under the K Bridge Park.

Saturday brings the Brooklyn Craft Brew Fest to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. House of Yes gets an early start to summer with Abracadabra, an eco-focused festival presented with ZERO at Industry City. Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s Open Stages festival returns with 15 stages of live music in Park Slope all-day long.

The Brooklyn Mother’s Day Half, 10K, and 5K will get your mom’s heart pumping on Sunday morning. The run raises funds and awareness to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, respectful and equitable for every mother.

After this, Memorial Day — and summer — are only a few weeks away.

Friday, May 10

Strength of A Woman Festival & Summit 2024
Friday through Sunday
Mary J. Blige hosts her Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit this weekend with the aim of empowering Black women from all over the city. The summit includes podcast tapings, motivational talks and performances from Blige, 50 Cent, Jill Scott, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Lola Brooke and Funk Flex on Saturday night at the Barclays Center. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets for the performance are $104.

The Final Weekend in Bloom at the Botanical Garden
Friday through Sunday
Treat mom to cherry blossom season at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Other spring blooms include bluebells, peonies and more. BBG’s Weekends in Bloom invites visitors to take in the beauty of nature while enjoying live performances in the garden by local musicians and dancers. Weekends in Bloom include pop-up performances, programs for kids and families, tours and more around the Garden — all free with admission. Entrances at 150 Eastern Parkway, 990 Washington Avenue, and 455 Flatbush Avenue. Tickets range from $12 to $18, and children 12 and under get in free.

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm
On view through August
Fifty years after the Beatles broke up and nearly 44 years since the murder of John Lennon, the band and all it stood for continues to be an object of fascination for millions. That passion, which sometimes borders on obsession, is the fuel behind “Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm,” a new exhibit set to debut at the Brooklyn Museum on May 3 and run through August 18. Displayed alongside video clips and archival material will be more than 250 photos taken by McCartney throughout the Beatles’ earliest years, between 1963 and 1964. 200 Eastern Parkway. General admission varies, up to $20.

The Makers Show at City Point
Opens at 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday and again next weekend
The Makers Show, a pop-up market platform founded by women with a mission to celebrate diversity and small businesses, returns to City Point with the addition of a Balloon Flower Shop featuring colorful sustainable balloon bouquets created for Mother’s Day by Angelica de la Paz. Plus, The Makers Show’s signature unique gifts and crafts designed by local makers and artisans will be on offer. 445 Albee Square West. Free.

Björk (DJ Set)
7 p.m.
Björk plays a DJ set alongside a curated lineup featuring Shygirl Club Shy Set, Eartheater DJ Set, Sega Bodega DJ Set, Jlin and Mun Sing, at Under The K Bridge Park. The Park is an event space in an industrial zone under the Kosciuszko Bridge that connects Brooklyn and Queens as part of the BQE. Gardner Avenue & Thomas Street, 11222. Tickets are $94.

Forest Claudette at Union Pool
7 p.m.
Alt R&B artist Forest Claudette’s music is like if Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy had a child in Australia that was raised by Prince. They’re coming to Union Pool on Friday night to play songs from their new EP “Jupiter.” Claudette says of the EP, “If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, maybe I could be from Jupiter,” Jupiter being a place of refuge for people who identify as nonbinary. 484 Union Avenue. Tickets are $18.50.

Kiki Ball-Change’s “Turn Back Time”
8 p.m.
Celebrate the music of the ‘80s with The Bimbo of Broadway, Kiki Ball-Change at C’mon Everybody on Friday night. Dance to the sounds of Whitney, Madonna and Janet, and enjoy performances by Vicky Vee, Muscles Monty, and Vanity Levain. 325 Franklin Avenue. Tickets are $10.

Saturday, May 11

Park Slope Open Streets
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Park Slope’s Open Streets season continues on Saturday, and this year, they’re only blocking car traffic along four blocks of Fifth Avenue every Saturday, down from 16. Open Streets runs through October, with a brief break in August. Expect live music and other events planned for the afternoons. The truncated version of Open Streets will run between President and Second Streets. Free.

Brooklyn Craft Brew Fest
1 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 9:30 p.m.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard Building 77 will host an eclectic variety of superbly fermented beer and cider in all styles on Saturday afternoon. Choose from two start times and enjoy some brewskis from 100 different breweries. The Fest combines the best elements of a beer garden with an array of choices found only at a craft beer festival. Guests will enjoy samples for the entire evening paired with live entertainment, food and games. 141 Flushing Avenue. Prices vary.

Mom and Me: Bracelet Beading Workshop
2 p.m.
Get artsy and crafty with Mom on Saturday at The Craft Studio Brooklyn for a fun and engaging arts and crafts session. Make matching bracelets, keepsake heart boxes, and unforgettable memories. 295 Atlantic Avenue.

Wheels of NYC
2 to 6 p.m.
Wheels of NYC is a media and event platform dedicated to classic car enthusiasts in New York City, celebrating the city’s vibrant and diverse car culture through unique events and immersive experiences. Their Spring Classic Car event happens on Saturday afternoon at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the Agger Fish Warehouse, Building 269. Come for an afternoon filled with classic cars, live music, food and drinks. Kids under 12 years old enter free. 2nd Street, 11201. Tickets are $30.

Open Stages 2024
3 to 7 p.m.
Stretching across the most popular avenues of Park Slope, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s Open Stages festival returns on Saturday. With 150+ musicians, 40 genres of music, and 15 different stages on stoops, schoolyards, parks and local cafes, the festival has something for all ages: Attendees can practice their waltz, contra and salsa moves, or go rock out to an Amy Winehouse cover band. There will be plenty for the kids to enjoy, like a Wizard-of-Oz-themed singalong at J.J. Byrne Playground and teen rock bands on the festival’s Gen-Z Fren-Z stage at Milk Bar. Meet at Old Stone House of Brooklyn, 336 3rd Street. Free.

Abracadabra NYC at House of Yes
4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
House of Yes and their partners ZERO are throwing Abracadabra, a big festival at the Industry City courtyard on Saturday afternoon. It’s an event created by HOY’s favorite eco-conscious electronic music artist BLOND:ISH. Abracadabra kicks-off HOY’s summer season of parties by bringing their signature magic to this corner of Sunset Park. 220 36th Street. Tickets begin at $45.

Sunday, May 12

Brooklyn Mother’s Day Half, 10K and 5K
9 a.m.
Join Every Mother Counts at this Mother’s Day Run to raise awareness and funds to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, respectful, and equitable for every mother. For many women and pregnant people around the world, distance is one of the greatest barriers to receiving lifesaving maternal health care. In the average time it takes a runner to complete a marathon, approximately 150 women will die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. The closest access point to race start is from Parkside Avenue by the Peristyle, also known as Grecian Shelter, located inside Prospect Park between Park side Avenue and Parade Place. Registration begins at $60 for the 5K and goes up.

Brooklyn Museum Pop-up Market
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., every Sunday through mid-November
Brooklyn Pop-up happens this Sunday for its weekly artisan market with 30-plus vendors at Brooklyn Museum. Hosted at the museum’s front plaza, this year the pop-up expands its food offerings and will offer new activations and other initiatives to bring Brooklyn together. Oh, and there’s a DJ set every afternoon. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free.

Lynn Nottage’s ‘Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine’
2 p.m. on Sunday and continues through May 19
The award-winning “Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine” is a satirical tale set in New York City following successful African-American publicist Undine Barnes Calles as she stumbles down the social ladder after her husband embezzles her hard-earned fortune and suddenly disappears. The production of Nottage’s classic comedic play celebrates the acclaimed playwright’s Brooklyn roots as well as her rich history with The Billie Holiday Theatre. 1368 Fulton Street. Tickets are $60.