Pie and poetry: 10 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend

July 25, 2019 Scott Enman

See below on how to spend a perfect summer day on Governors Island. Photo by Trey Pentecost

1. Go shopping

FAD Market. Photo courtesy of FAD Market

Often overlooked for the more mainstream Brooklyn Flea, the FAD Market periodically operates inside The Invisible Dog Art Center in Cobble Hill and showcases goods from Brooklyn’s creatives. This weekend’s edition is the last one of the summer, so don’t miss out.

Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Invisible Dog Art Center. Free. More info here.

2. Listen to poetry

Governors Island. Photo by Trey Pentecost

The Ninth Annual New York City Poetry Festival is coming to Governors Island, and it’s bigger and better than ever with 250 poets reading on five stages over two days. Roughly 14,000 people are expected to descend on the isle to hear writers like Robert Pinsky and Dorothea Lasky read excerpts at the historic Colonel’s Row.

Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Governors Island. Free. More info here.

3. Eat and drink your way through Red Hook

Tour Red Hook's best restaurants and bars this weekend at the Red Hook Crawl. Photos by Kathi Littwin Photography — Tour Red Hook’s best restaurants and bars this weekend at the Red Hook Crawl. Photos by Kathi Littwin Photography

Steve’s key lime pie, Widow Jane whiskey and live music at Sunny’s Bar. Could a Sunday get much better? Probably not. Red Hook’s first restaurant and bar tour hosted by Tastes of Brooklyn will be taking the neighborhood by storm this Sunday. Patrons can eat and drink at some longtime staples, as well as try out newer eateries.

Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. in Red Hook. From $20. More info here.

4. Eat some more

A spicy taco from Zona Rosa. Eagle photos by Scott Enman — A spicy taco from Zona Rosa. Eagle photo by Scott Enman

From Williamsburg and Park Slope to Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill, lots of Brooklyn eateries are taking part in New York City Restaurant Week. Take advantage of great deals like a two-course lunch for $26 or a three-course dinner for $42.

From July 22 through Aug. 16 at multiple locations. Prices vary. More info here.

5. Hang out in a cemetery

Green-Wood Cemetery. Photo by Steve Acres.

Two of Brooklyn’s most iconic institutions, Pioneer Works and Green-Wood Cemetery, are teaming up for a new series called Graveyard Shift. The two groups want to change the stigma surrounding graveyards as morbid places, and instead present them as lush green spaces to relax in. In an effort to do so, musician Yonatan Gat and the Eastern Medicine Singers will be performing at Green-Wood.

Saturday at 7 p.m. at Green-Wood Cemetery. $25. More info here.

6. Rethink masculinity

Amos Mac (left) and Rocco Kayiatos. Photo by Alex Schmider

Amos Mac and Rocco Kayiatos, founding editors of Original Plumbing, a quarterly magazine devoted to trans male culture, will discuss at the Brooklyn Museum what the future of trans masculine representation will look like in the media and in culture in general.

Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Brooklyn Museum. $16. More info here.

7. Take a tour of Brooklyn’s wilder side

Police officers are looking for a group of five men who have been wreaking havoc on parkgoers. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan — Prospect Park. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

Take a walking tour and learn historical tidbits about Prospect Park. The fourth Sunday of every month features an animal-oriented tour where you can learn about the critters that call the park home. Plus, the event includes a ticket to the zoo as well as a ride on the historic carousel.

Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Prospect Park. Free. More info here.

8. Discover the history of burial garments

Head down to Green-Wood Cemetery to hear death educator Amy Cunningham discuss how we should dress the dead. She will “explore present-day, eco-friendly shroud making, including the work of several clever designers who hope we’ll start taking our final outfits as seriously as we select what we don every day,” the event page reads.

Saturday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Green-Wood Cemetery. Free. More info here.

9. Drink exotic liquor

One of the entrances to Industry City. Photo by Paul Frangipane.

Wormwood, normally found in absinthe and vermouth, was once banned for 100 years. Luckily, it’s now legal to drink, and it’s making a comeback. Head down to Industry City to taste the spirit and meet Standard Wormwood Distillers, a soon-to-be tenant of the waterfront facility.

Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Industry City. Free. More info here.

10. Dance the day away

A DJ performs a set in Brooklyn. Photo by Ross Figlerski

At Mr. Sunday, a weekly dance party in the backyard of Nowadays, all ages are welcome — and so are dogs. Drink sangria, eat from food trucks and pretend like you don’t have work the next day.

Sunday from 3 to 9 p.m. at Nowadays. From $10. More info here.

Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.