Circuses and cemeteries: 10 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend

July 11, 2019 Scott Enman

'Movies with a View' at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo by Etienne Frossard

1. Movies with a view

It’s the 20th anniversary of Brooklyn Bridge Park’s “Movies With a View,” and the first film of the season is Dee Reese’s “Pariah,” telling the story of a Fort Greene teen coming to terms with her identity.

Lounge out on Pier 1’s Harbor View Lawn with the lights of Lower Manhattan in the background. There will be music preceding the film and vendors from Smorgasburg catering the event. Expect burgers, frites, dumplings, pizza, Venezuelan street food, and beer and wine.

Thursday from 6-10 p.m. at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Free. More info here.

2. A night at the museum

The Brooklyn Museum will host Nicole Dennis-Benn and T Kira Madden. Photo by Jonathan Dorado, Brooklyn Museum

Spend a night at the museum with readings and conversation from Brooklyn-based queer writers T Kira Madden and Nicole Dennis-Benn. Madden will be reading from her debut memoir “Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls,” while Dennis-Benn will share from her new novel “Patsy.” A book signing will follow.

Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the Brooklyn Museum. Free. More info here.

3. Coney Island Friday night fireworks

Fireworks in Coney Island. Photo by Jim McDonnell

Not sick of fireworks yet? Head down to the boardwalk to see Coney Island’s Friday Night Fireworks, or hop on the Wonder Wheel and view the lights up close.

Better yet, attend the Brooklyn Cyclones game beforehand and watch the pyrotechnic display from your seat.

Friday at 9:30 p.m. at Coney Island Boardwalk. Free. More info here.

4. A circus in a cemetery

Niblo’s Garden at Green-Wood Cemetery. Photo by Maike Schulz

Green-Wood Cemetery is hosting its seventh annual celebration of William Niblo (1789-1878), a former prominent theatre owner and a permanent resident of the graveyard. The space will be transformed into a “pleasure garden,” complete with fire-eaters, musicians, contortionists and performers on floats.

Friday and Saturday 7-9 p.m. at Green-Wood Cemetery. $40. More info here.

5. Journey to the stars

A man looks through a telescope in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo by Alexa Hoyer

It’s difficult to see the stars in New York City due to light pollution — but not if you have a super strong telescope provided by the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. Come down to Brooklyn Bridge Park to discover the wonders of the universe. It’s slated to be a mostly clear night.

Friday from 8:30-10:30 p.m. at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Free. More info here.

6. Jazz by the sea

Fantine and The French Horn Collective. Photo courtesy of On Stage at Kingsborough

Head over to Kingsborough Community College for a free outdoor concert to hear French gypsy jazz from multilingual artist Fantine. The acclaimed French Horn Collective will also be performing. Bring a picnic basket and enjoy the music as the breeze rolls off the ocean and the sun sets behind a lighthouse.

Saturday at 8 p.m. at Kingsborough Community College. Free. More info here.

7. A block party

Here's a look at the entrance to North Third Street Market. Photo courtesy of North Third Street Market — Here’s a look at the entrance to North Third Street Market. Photo courtesy of North Third Street Market

The North Third Street Market in Williamsburg is hosting a block party with a pierogi eating contest, music performances and balloon twisting. Plus there will be some seriously delicious food vendors selling Brooklyn Shave Ice, Vietnamese food, lobster and DiFara pizza.

Saturday from 12-4 p.m. at 103 N. Third St. Free. More info here.

8. Learn about your home

Learn more about your home and Brooklyn as a whole at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Historical Society

Learn the secret history of your block or home at the Brooklyn Historical Society’s intensive “If These Walls Could Talk” workshop in the beautiful Othermer Library. You’ll learn how to research and find archival images, records and documents.

Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Brooklyn Historical Society. $45. More info here.

9. Meet Green-Wood’s infamous residents

Learn about Green-Wood Cemetery’s most infamous women this weekend. Photo courtesy of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Take a tour of Green-Wood Cemetery, where you’ll learn about the graveyard’s fascinating femme fatales. You’ll get to visit the graves of notorious permanent residents like Fanny White, a courtesan and brothel manager, and Emma Cunningham, who was tried for the murder of dentist Harvey Burdell.

Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Green-Wood Cemetery. $25. More info here.

10. Drink beer in a cemetery

People tour The Evergreens Cemetery. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

Did you know that Bushwick was once the heart of the brewing industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries? Learn more about the neighborhood’s thriving beer trade by touring “Brewers Row” at The Evergreens Cemetery where many of the neighborhood’s beer barons lie in rest in extravagant mausoleums.

After the excursion, there will be a beer tasting featuring brews from Bridge and Tunnel Brewery.

Sunday from 12-1:30 p.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. at The Evergreens Cemetery. $35. More info here.

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