Arts and Entertainment Brooklyn Boro

Canine couture and craft beer: 10 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend

August 22, 2019 Meaghan McGoldrick
A model pup at a past doggy fashion show at Freddy's. Eagle file photo by Mary Frost
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The summer might be almost over, but your weekend is just beginning. Looking for something to do? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. There’s a doggy fashion show, DIY boat races in Red Hook, a craft beer festival and so much more.

1. A good old-fashioned art-off

House of Yes. Photo by SASHABPHOTO
House of Yes. Photo by SASHABPHOTO

Artists will duke it out at Bushwick’s House of Yes Thursday evening at an event dubbed the “Art Battle.” The night of “live, raw, underground art” begins at 6:30 p.m., after which artists will have just 20 minutes to take their canvases from “blank to beautiful,” battling the clock — and each other. The crowd picks a winner. Afterwards, audience members can bid on their favorite pieces in a silent auction!

Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at House of Yes. $20-$25. 21+. More info here.

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2. A doggy fashion show at Freddy’s

Eagle file photo by Mary Frost

Fashionistas and pet-lovers alike can head to Park Slope Saturday where the annual Doggy Fashion Show at Freddy’s Bar will have the spotlight. Part of the neighborhood’s yearly summer stroll, the canine-friendly event will feature a red carpet and “free pup portraits” in front of a step-and-repeat. Your pooch will feel like a celebrity!

(It should also be noted that this weekend is the end of Dog Restaurant Week. Yes. You read that right.)

Saturday from 5-7p.m. (pup portraits end at 6:30 p.m.) at Freddy’s. Free. More info here.

3. Go back in time

A Red Coat re-enactor astride a fine horse paraded to Battle Hill at Green-Wood Cemetery during a past Battle of Brooklyn re-enactment. Photo by Eugena Ossi
A Red Coat re-enactor astride a fine horse paraded to Battle Hill at Green-Wood Cemetery during a past Battle of Brooklyn re-enactment. Photo by Eugena Ossi

You can go back in time all weekend long as the borough heads into its second set of Saturday and Sunday Battle of Brooklyn events. Here’s a list of all the happenings, including a bike tour and a neighborhood walk this weekend.

Multiple places and times throughout the weekend. More info here.

4. Roller skate in Prospect Park

Photo by Michael Moran

Party like it’s 1975 at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center where, from now through October, you can rent a pair of roller skates and tear it up. Kids, tweens and adults alike can skate to the sounds of pop music, while taking in the sights of Prospect Park.

Various days and times through early October. $10 admission, $7 skate rentals on weekends. More info here.

5. Drink craft beer at Brooklyn Navy Yard

The bustling expanse of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane

Oktoberfest is coming early. Samples from over 30 breweries will be up for grabs Saturday at the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Craft Beer Festival. The all-day affair (split into two sessions) will showcase a variety of eclectic beers and ciders and feature live music, food and games. It’ll all go down on the waterfront promenade behind Building 77.

Saturday from 1-4:30 p.m. or 6-9:30 p.m at Brooklyn Navy Yard. $50. More info here.

6. Get your groove on at Afropunk

FKA Twigs. Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP

The Afropunk music festival will return this weekend to Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park with a hearty mix of musical acts (from local artists to big name hip-hop stars like Santigold and FKA Twigs) as well as food trucks, live art and more.

Saturday and Sunday from 12-10 p.m. at Commodore Barry Park. Tickets start at $70. More info here.

7. Catch the last weekend of rooftop films at Green-Wood

You know spring has really arrived in Brooklyn when the cherry trees blossom beside Green-Wood Cemetery’s landmarked gateway. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan
Green-Wood Cemetery. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

This weekend will mark the end of Rooftop Films’ summer season with a stacked lineup of short films you can sit through at Green-Wood Cemetery. Six short films will be screened, “from stories of hazy nights to friendships lost and found,” and it’ll be “kinda weird,” according to Rooftop Films’ website. It’ll be followed by a performance by Alsarah & The Nubatones.

Friday at Greenwood Cemetery. Doors open at 7:45 p.m. Free. More info here.

8. Watch people race homemade boats in Red Hook

Louis Valentino Jr. Park and Pier is a fine sight at the end of Coffey Street. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

The fifth annual Red Hook Regatta — a community event where hundreds of people gather on Valentino Pier to watch homemade boats race in the harbor — is happening this Saturday, complete with emcee, free food and even a halftime performance. The annual event highlights the neighborhood’s rich history as a shipping harbor.

Saturday from 1-5 p.m. near the corner of Coffey and Ferris Streets. Free. More info here.

9. Get down for jazz icon Eddy Grant

Eddy Grant. AP Photo/KEYSTONE/Jean-Christophe Bott

Rock down to a Brooklyn avenue Friday night for the second-to-last installment of CUNY’s Jazzy Jazz Festival. This year’s event, held each Friday since July 5, pays tribute to the legendary Eddy Grant. This weekend’s installment will feature Davis Whitfield. Seating is first-come, first-serve, so get there early — and bring your dancing shoes.

Friday from 7-10 p.m. in front of 1638 Bedford Avenue. Free. More info here.

10. Admire a bunch of art inspired by the water tower

Brooklyn artist Tom Fruin’s solar-powered sculpture, “Watertower 3: R.V. Ingersoll,” is stationed at the roof of 334 Furman St., near Pier 5, in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo by Julienne Schaer
Photo by Julienne Schaer

Friday night, Arts Gowanus will present “The Tower,” a group exhibition at ShapeShifter Lab showcasing more than 75 artists — all of which created something based off the same image of the water tower. That’s right — that water tower. The iconic Brooklyn focal point doubles as Art Gowanus’ logo, and served as the starting point for each artist in the exhibition.

Friday from 7-10 p.m. at ShapeShifter Lab. Free to attend but art is priced. More info here.

Correction (Friday, 10:38 a.m.): This article has been updated with a minor correction.


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