The Brooklyn Half, Jacob Collier and cherry blossoms: 18 things to do this weekend

By Joshua Encinias

There are more concerts to see, cuisines to taste and cherry blossoms to smell this week than this column could possibly include. Here is the best of the best.

The Audobon Center in Prospect Park highlights Arbor Day on Friday with an afternoon of botanical exploration for the entire family. Lynn Nottage’s “Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine” is being performed at the Billie Holiday Theatre all weekend and through May 7.

On Saturday night, The Red Pavilion hosts Studio Ghibli + Anime Jazz, an evening of your favorite anime music performed as jazz in collaboration with aerial artists Subtle Asian Polers. Waxahatchee performs at Brooklyn Paramount and Jacob Collier will do his thing at Kings Theatre.

Sunday night brings an all-star benefit concert to Brooklyn Bowl for HR, of hardcore D.C. punk legends Bad Brains.

Friday, April 26

Earth Rocks!
Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum turns Earth Day into Earth Week with its Earth Rocks! festival during Spring Break. Bring the kids for a weekend of STEM-inspired activities and performances taking place in its brand-new maker space, Nature’s Engineers. The week is organized around four overarching themes: Grow, Sustain, Care, and Explore. 145 Brooklyn Avenue. Tickets start at $14.

College Days at Luna Park
Open Friday through Sunday at 11 a.m.
Enjoy Coney Island’s Luna Park this weekend with special discount pricing for college students. You can have a day at the beach and glizzy or two (ideally after you ride the Cyclone). 1208 Surf Avenue.

Arbor Day at the Audubon Center
12 to 4 p.m.
Explore Brooklyn’s last remaining forest on Arbor Day this Friday at the Audubon Center in Prospect Park. The Prospect Park Alliance has an entire afternoon planned for exploration that will allow families and kids to interact with the park in new ways. Later in the afternoon, there will be guided walks where you’ll learn about the role trees play in the park’s wildlife and how trees help fellow vegetation in the habitat. 101 East Drive. Free.

LGBTQIA+ Youth Art Contest & Showcase
5 to 7 p.m.
CAMBA’s Brooklyn YAS (Youth against Substance Misuse) Coalition will hold its 3rd Annual LGBTQIA+ Youth Art Contest and Showcase. Brooklyn YAS is partnering with Open Source Gallery to provide five participants with an arts mentorship with renowned Queer & Brazilian Artist Zé Kielwagon. Open Source will also feature all submissions in their online gallery, and Brooklyn YAS will provide space at the upcoming Brooklyn Pride Festival on June 8th for artists to sell their work. The top three finalists will also receive cash prizes. Brooklyn Community Pride Center, 1561 Bedford Avenue, Suite A.

Varietopia with Paul F. Tompkins
7:30 and 10 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday nights
Varietopia is a modern variety show hosted by Paul F. Tompkins. The sharp-dressed comedian brings his show to The Bell House with urprise guests, music, and all forms of live entertainment. 149 7th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Ave). Tickets are $35.

Lynn Nottage’s ‘Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine’
Friday through Tuesday, May 7, nightly at 7:30 p.m. 
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 denotes a homecoming celebrating the acclaimed playwright’s Brooklyn roots as well as her rich history with The Billie Holiday Theatre. 1368 Fulton Street. Tickets are $60.

DeKalb Market Hall Monthly Night Market
9 p.m. to 12 a.m.
The last Friday of the month is DeKalb Market Hall’s Night Market. Expect special menus and beats from their DJs, and an expanded dance floor. Local artisans will also be on hand to showcase their unique creations. Come out for an evening of bites, beats, and the opportunity to support local talent. 445 Albee Square West.

Saturday, April 27

Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl
All weekend
Twenty-five bookstores across the borough welcome you to experience the true variety of literature culture in our streets and neighborhoods, and win prizes too. How it works: Pick up your passport from any participating store. Get your stamp or signature from every participating store you visit all week. Visit 5+ stores and get a $5 off coupon good at all participating stores through end of May. Then come to the Bookstore Crawl Afterparty, at Center for Fiction on Saturday at 5 p.m., 15 Lafayette Avenue.

Weekends in Bloom at the Botanical Garden
April 27 to May 12
Cherry blossom season is in full swing at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, with other spring blooms soon to follow including bluebells, peonies and more. BBG’s Weekends in Bloom invite visitors to take in the beauty of nature while enjoying live performances in the garden by local musicians and dancers. Over three weekends from April 27 through May 12, Weekends in Bloom includes 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.

Smorgasburg
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Marsha P. Johnson Park
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday Breeze Hill in Prospect Park
The weekly seasonal outdoor food market takes place on Saturdays at Williamsburg‘s Marsha P. Johnson State Park and on Sundays at Prospect Park’s Breeze Hill, with 70 vendors in all. Read our preview of this year’s best newcomers.

All-you-can-drink Saturdays at the Brooklyn Cyclones
2 p.m.
The Brooklyn Cyclones will offer “BasebALL You Can Drink” tickets at every Saturday home game this season. You can get absolutely smashed in Coney Island on Saturday afternoon while they play the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The special package offers two hours of an open bar starting 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch and running for 90 minutes. You can pick up your drinks at The Backyard, with a menu featuring beer, wine, hard seltzer, mixed drinks, and soft drinks. 21+. 1904 Surf Avenue. Tickets are $63.

Studio Ghibli + Anime Jazz
6 p.m.
Victor Lin and friends bring Studio Ghibli and other classic anime covers to The Red Pavilion for a night of live music on Saturday. Prepare to be spirited away as you listen to your favorite themes from many of Studio Ghibli’s beloved movies live in concert. The show features aerial artistry from Subtle Asian Polers. 1241 Flushing Avenue. Tickets begin at $17.

Waxahatchee at Brooklyn Paramount
6 p.m.
Katie Crutchfield is one of the hardest-working singer-songwriters in the game and you can catch her at the Brooklyn Paramount on Saturday night.. She was born in Alabama and grew up near Waxahatchee Creek, hence her artist name. While her sound has evolved from lo-fi folk to lush alt-tinged country, her voice remained the same. Honest and close, poetic with Southern lilting, determined in her desires and convictions, and ready to tell whoever will listen. 385 Flatbush Ave Ext. Tickets start at $95.

Jacob Collier at Kings Theatre
8 p.m.
Recognized by audiences, critics and fellow musicians alike as one of the most gifted young artists today, 29-year-old Jacob Collier already boasts a seemingly endless list of achievements including six Grammy wins. Collier brings his eclectic and revolutionary sound to Kings Theatre on Saturday night. 1027 Flatbush Avenue. Tickets start at $72.

Sunday, April 28

NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon
7 a.m.
The NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon route starts in North Brooklyn and winds around the waterfront, taking you under the historic Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges while delivering eye-popping views of Manhattan. Runners will receive the official 2024 NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon race t-shirt when you get your race bib and you’ll be awarded with a well-earned medal at the finish. As you pass through the finish line, you’ll receive bottled Smartwater, fresh Brooklyn bagels, NYS apples and more. Plus, first through tenth place will receive cash prizes.

Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views Of Edo (feat. Takashi Murakami).
The museum opens at 11 a.m. and the exhibit is on display through August 4
The Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit brings together a legendary 19th-century printmaker and a contemporary artist, both of whom have created some of the world’s most recognizable Japanese art. This exhibition showcases one of the museum’s greatest treasures, a rare, complete set of 118 prints by the famed Japanese printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige, where he depicts beautiful scenes of springtime in Japan. The print series is displayed alongside a special installation of 121 never-before-seen paintings by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, created in direct response to Hiroshige’s works. 200 Eastern Parkway. General admission tickets are $20 for adults and $14 for seniors, children, and people with disabilities.

Artland: Drop-in art making
12 p.m.
Take a trip to Artland, an installation by Do Ho Suh and children at the Brooklyn Museum. During drop-in art-making hours, guests are welcome to imagine, create and contribute their own figures and structures to the installation. 200 Eastern Parkway. Free with museum admission.

An All Star Benefit for HR of Bad Brains
8 p.m.
Paul “HR” Hudson, the legendary singer and frontman of Bad Brains, who has inspired countless fans and musicians across generations needs your help. Since 2014, HR has been suffering from SUNCT, a rare debilitating and career-threatening condition, causing constant stabbing headaches and requiring brain surgery to reduce the pain. You can help at Brooklyn Bowl’s all-star fundraiser to support and celebrate HR through this perilous time. The event brings together a jaw-dropping lineup of heavyweights including members of Bad Brains, Fishbone, and Living Colour (collectively dubbed Living Fish Brains). There are special soundsystem sets by Subatomic Sound System ft Screechy plus legendary NY DJ, visual artist, and educator Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky. 61 Wythe Avenue. Tickets begin at $35.