Rum and reggae: 10 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend

August 15, 2019 Scott Enman

Photo via Pexels

1. Eat your way into the weekend

Thursday and Friday are the last opportunities to take part in NYC Restaurant Week. AP Photo/Matthew Mead

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

Through Aug. 16 at multiple locations. Prices vary. More info here.

2. Stretch at sunset

Unwind from the week in Prospect Park’s Long Meadow North tonight with a free yoga class. Be sure to bring your own mat or towel.

Thursday at 7 p.m. at Prospect Park. Free. More info here.

3. Listen to some live music

Live at the Archway. Photo courtesy of the DUMBO Improvement District

Tonight is the third to last “Live at the Archway” free concert, and it’s not one to be missed. Brooklyn-based East-African retro-pop group Alsarah & the Nubatones will be performing at the iconic venue with dance group konverjdans starting the night off.

Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the DUMBO Archway. Free. More info here.

4. Learn something new

On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Historical Society hosted reporter for The Washington Post David Fahrenthold and Deputy Managing Editor of ProPublica Eric Umansky for a discussion titled “Transparency, Journalism, and the White House.” Photo by Josh Shayne — Brooklyn Historical Society. Photo by Josh Shayne

Head to the Brooklyn Historical Society for “Watched: Coming of Age Under Surveillance,” a screening and discussion with Brooklyn College students, journalists and a director about how the NYPD “increased the intensity and scope of its surveillance of Muslim communities in New York City” after 2001.

Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Free. More info here.

5. Honor a legend

Toni Morrison in Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, 2019, 120 min.), a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo: Courtesy of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Celebrate the life and legacy of renowned novelist and Nobel Prize-winner Toni Morrison, who passed away on Aug. 5, with a screening of “The Pieces I Am” at the Brooklyn Museum.

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

6. Celebrate history

In one of the highlights of the Battle of Brooklyn events, The Green-Wood Cemetery holds tours, ceremonies, reenactments with Redcoats and Patriots, horses, cannon fire and parades. Eagle photo by Andy Katz

More than a dozen events to commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn will be taking place from Aug. 15 to Aug. 27. Here’s a list of all the events, including a monuments tour and a Revolutionary War flag display this weekend.

Multiple times throughout the weekend. More info here.

7. Drink and play

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

Grab a beer (or two) and challenge your friends to drunken Jenga and Connect Four. There will be tournaments and prizes.

Friday from 7-9 p.m. at Industry City. Free. More info here.

8. Party for a cause

Initial fire damage to the outside of the Bushwick Food Co-op. Photo courtesy of BFC

The Bushwick Food Cooperative is hosting a fundraising party to help them repair their building, which was damaged in a fire. There will be a DJ, live bands, aerial performers, a live art show, a raffle and a silent auction.

Friday from 6-11 p.m. at The Muse. $20 suggested donation. More info here.

9. Stroll into another era

Take a seaside stroll from Coney Island to Brighton Beach and learn about the boardwalk, the former amusement park, Jackie Robinson and other tidbits about the People’s Playground.

Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Coney Island. $20. More info here.

10. Taste some rum

The flyer for the second annual Rum Festival. Photo courtesy of the Brooklyn Rum Festival

This weekend at the second annual Brooklyn Rum Festival — at the historic Weeksville Heritage Center — there will be rum from Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia, among other places. A ticket, starting at $35, gets you complimentary jerk chicken, two free cocktails and Caribbean deserts. After imbibing, dance the afternoon away to soca, reggae and afro beats.

Saturday from 3-8 p.m. at the Weeksville Heritage Center. From $35. More info here.

Follower reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.