Marching bands and memes: 10 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend

August 29, 2019 Meaghan McGoldrick

The West Indian Day Parade is coming. Eagle file photo by Corazon Aguirre

1. Hit the beach one last time

As you step onto the sand, you get an eyeful of the Parachute Jump, one of Coney Island’s distinctive amusement-park landmarks. Eagle photo by Lore Croghan

New York City beaches close for the season next weekend, so why not hit one up while you can? (Sure, it’s probably going to be packed, and it’s already felt like fall for most of this week but what good is the last weekend of summer without a trip to the beach?) We recommend Coney Island — but Manhattan Beach is great, too.

And while you’re at it, take this Parks Department quiz to find out which beach you are. (Yes, we’re serious.)

City beaches close for the summer on Sunday, September 8. More info here.

2. Immerse yourself in immigrant history

A sneak peak of the exhibit. Image courtesy of Coney Island History Project

If you take us up on number one, be sure to schedule a stop at the Coney Island History Project. This is the last weekend of the nonprofit’s summer exhibition, “Salvation by the Sea.” The show— formally titled “Salvation by the Sea: Coney Island’s 19th Century Fresh Air Cure and Immigrant Aid Societies” — is packed with as much southern Brooklyn immigrant history as its name is with syllables. The free exhibition centers on Coney Island (of course) and its history as a place of salvation for European immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. T

Saturday and Sunday from 1-7 p.m. at 3059 West 12th St. Free. More info here.

3. Mull over a meme-inspired art exhibit

“Bipolar” by Kimberley Sampson. Image courtesy of Memeseum

To meme or not to meme? That is the question one Brooklyn art gallery will be asking all weekend at the Memeseum, a first-of-its-kind collaborative exhibit which, organizers say, reimagines the social phenomenon of — you guessed it —memes. They call it the “gif(t) that keeps on giving.”

Thursday and Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 5-9 p.m. at Court Tree Gallery. Tickets $10. More info here.

4. Welcome a new moon with some music

Freakquencee will perform at New Moon, New Energy. Photo by Young Hero

In celebration of this week’s “New Black Supermoon,” Greenpoint’s Good Room will play host to a “once-in-a-super-moon-cycle event.” The party — billed as New Moon, New Energy – will feature an array of “cosmic performances, other worldly DJ sets and caffeinated moments,” the latter courtesy of an energy drink called RUNA (hence the event name). And it all goes down as the new moon rises.

Thursday at 98 Meserole Ave. Doors at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15. More info here.

5. Greet the dawn at J’Ouvert

Despers USA steel drum orchestra rehearses in Bed-Stuy for Brooklyn’s J’ouvert. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

J’Ouvert, the early morning festival precedes Crown Heights’ massive West Indian American Day Parade, is held each year on Labor Day. The festival — a joyous celebration of Caribbean culture held for generations — begins at 6 a.m., borrowing from Caribbean tradition in which the parade itself begins as early as 3 a.m. Revelers are expected to start gathering as early as 2 a.m. for access.

Monday, starting at 6 a.m. along Eastern Parkway. Free. More info here.

6. Stick around for the West Indian American Day Parade

A scene from a past West Indian American Day Parade. Eagle file photo by Corazon Aguirre

If early mornings aren’t your thing, you can still check out the West Indian American Day Parade. The annual parade, now in its 52nd year, honors Caribbean culture through music, costumes and, of course, food. The parade is the culmination of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association’s New York Caribbean Carnival Week, beginning Thursday.

The parade happens along Eastern Parkway, with the route stretching from Schenectady Avenue to Grand Army Plaza, then down Flatbush Avenue. It kicks off at 11 a.m. Both J’Ouvert and and the parade will be under heavy security.

Monday, starting at 11 a.m. along Eastern Parkway. Free. More info here.

7. Channel your inner Leslie Knope (and hang with Perd Hapley)

Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope in the television show Parks and Recreation. Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File

Coney Island will transform into Pawnee, Indiana, on Saturday as the Brooklyn Cyclones take on the Staten Island Yankees during Parks and Rec Tribute Night. Jay Jackson, who plays the absurd newscaster Perd Hapley on the satire sitcom Parks and Recreation, will be there to pose for photos with fans and sign autographs. Fans who purchase a field box ticket package will also receive a limited edition Perd Hapley bobblehead.

Treat yo’self to a night at MCU Park you won’t forget. Also on the docket: a J.J.’s Waffle Toss, Snake Juice Flip Cup, a Lil Sebastian Race Around the Bases and more. It’s a Parks and Rec super-fan’s dream (believe me, that’s coming from one).

Added bonus: The first five real-life Parks Department employees to flash their business card will get to throw out a first pitch.

Saturday at 6 p.m. at MCU Park. Tickets start at $14. More info here.

8. Check out the seventh Brooklyn Wildlife festival

The seventh annual Brooklyn Wildlife Festival kicks off this weekend. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Wildlife

The seventh annual Brooklyn Wildlife Summer Festival will kick off this weekend, featuring more than 150 live performers over the course of the 10-day event. More than just a music festival, the colossal celebration includes 14 events over the course of the two weekends, starting with back-to-back dance parties, a barbecue and more. There will also be discussion groups, fine art shows, tech meet-ups and more over the course of the festival.

Friday through Sunday, September 8. Prices vary. More info here.

9. Catch some free comedy, with free beer

Who doesn’t love a free beer? Image via Pexels

Head to Williamsburg’s Pine Box Friday for a no-cover comedy show — and a free beer. KAREN, a show sponsored by New Belgium Brewing, will feature comics like Daniel Simonsen, Randall Otis, Kenis Mobley, Emily Winter and Mike Lasher. No tickets are required but your RSVP is encouraged so New Belgium knows how much beer to bring (and that sounds pretty important).

Friday. 8 p.m. at 12 Grattan Street. Doors 7:30 p.m. Free. More info/RSVP here.

10. A ’90s night in Williamsburg

Talib Kweli. Photo by Robb D. Cohen/Invision/AP

Head to Schimanski Friday for BOOMBOX, a special 1990’s hip-hop and R&B night at the industrial North 11th Street nightclub. The roster includes a special DJ set from rapper Talib Kweli.

Friday. 9 p.m. at 54 North 11th Street. Tickets free before 11:30 p.m. with RSVP. $10 general admission afterwards. More info here.