Another August weekend is *almost* upon us, and if you’re feeling paralyzed about what to do or how to make plans in light of the Delta variant, you’re in good company. As the great mask mandate debate continues in other parts of the country and vaccines are now required for most public indoor activities in NYC, children under 12 still aren’t eligible and breakthrough cases abound.
Within the past few days, two classic summertime Brooklyn events—the Coney Island Mermaid Parade and the West Indian Day Parade—have both been canceled for the second year in a row, presumably because there’s no way to enforce a vaccine mandate in either case.
By contrast, if you want to attend tonight’s Homecoming Week concert at Forest Hills Stadium featuring George Clinton & P-Funk, Too $hort, and Mobb Deep, among others, you’ll need to present proof of vaccination. Same with tomorrow’s all-star lineup event on the Great Lawn in Central Park, Saturday’s Action Bronson show at Coney Island, and Sunday’s Summerstage concert featuring Common, Rapsody, and Pete Rock.
At this point, it’s safe to assume that you’ll need your Excelsior Pass, or its equivalent, to do anythings that involves the masses, so make sure you have that thing ready to go if your plans for the rest of the summer include any events that are ticketed or taking place inside.
If I were in town (I’m currently in Maine visiting family), I’d probably plan to see Rooftop Films’ screening of Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed on Saturday night, because I’m never one to resist a “shockingly untold story” about a beloved PBS institution or an outdoor movie. Similarly, seeing In the Heights in Prospect Park sounds like a lovely way to spend Sunday evening.
All this, of course, is assuming I wouldn’t get a wild hair to head out of town, in which case I’d seriously consider a road trip to Barbes In the Woods, an eclectic live-music festival happening Saturday on a farm in Western Mass.
I did manage to get myself to an outdoor yoga class this week and cannot describe how much better it made me feel—as it turns out, months on end of sitting on uncomfortable chairs staring into screens has done a number on my back, and I’m in serious need of realignment. If you are feeling this way too, do yourself a favor and commit to Yoga On the Stoop at the Brooklyn Museum tomorrow morning and start your Saturday off right.
For later in the week, I’d love to attend Tuesday’s opening night of Caught Up in A Lockdown Affair, a new exhibition at the TW Fine Art Gallery featuring artwork created in the throes of this crazy pandemic, or Thursday’s Classical Music Supper Club focused on Japan, specifically its influence on European and American art and music, which is taking place at Industry City.
This week, I’m also committed to finding a worthy place to donate money to the people of Afghanistan and Haiti in light of recent events, and these lists I’ve linked to here seem like good places to start.
What are you all up to this week? I hope that whatever you do, it’s relaxing, rewarding, and safe. It feels like all this “we’re all in this together” business is getting old, but it’s also the truth, and it’s the only way we’re ever going to end up on the other side of this nightmare. Hang in there and please check back next week for more ideas of how to while away these long, hot summer days.
