Your Ideal Week

October 17 - October 24

It’s Thursday again, y’all, and that means we’re back with another smorgasbord of ideas of stuff for you to do this weekend in the city that brought you noted epistolarian, diplomacist, and general exemplar of normal adult behavior Donald J. Trump. Remember 15,000 years ago when he crapped out some incoherent word jumble about how we’d all be tired of winning all the time? Well, one thing that’s true and that is that I’m thoroughly exhausted at this point.

Enough about that enduring embarrassment and lamest of ducks, though, because we’ve got some actually good things to talk about like the fact that we are fully in sleeping-with-the-window-open sweater weather mode. It feels grand, doesn’t it? And, there’s a lot happening this weekend that sounds fun in that elusive “distraction from the world being on fire” way we all crave nowadays. 

If you don’t have plans for this evening yet, Industry City’s Brooklyn Kura is hosting a sake basics class led by its sake sommelier. Tonight is also the first night of the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, which consists of dozens of spooky screenings at various movie theaters over the next week. On Friday night, check out the 3rd annual Octfest, Pitchfork’s “International Beer, Music, and Food Fest” at the Knockdown Center—Parquet Courts and Mogwai are headlining and Mission Chinese is the food supplier so you can’t really go wrong. I’m always sort of intrigued by the concept of a 24-hour long cultural event that you can hang out at as long as you want, and this weekend brings not one but two options like this to explore: Friday night’s US premiere of The Second Woman, an endurance theater piece starring Alia Shawkat performing the same scene 100 times in a row; and Saturday’s 8th annual Ragas Live Festival, which features 60+ musicians performing live at the newly-reopened Pioneer Works. 

On Saturday, Greenlight Bookstore is celebrating its 10th anniversary at the Fort Greene shop, with a storewide 20% discount all day and a party at night, so swing by if you’ve got a list of titles you’ve been meaning to pick up. Also on tap for Saturday, Williamsburg institution Crest Hardware is hosting its famous Pumpkin Carving Contest, and BAM is screening of The Lehman Trilogy, the Sam Medes play I was lucky to see live when it was here this Spring, from London’s National Theater. You might also head out to Ridgewood to check out Evil Twin’s new brewery and tasting room (it looks awesome), and you can read this preview to get excited about the Wegman’s that is finally opening at the Navy Yard on October 27. 

Not to be your mom or anything, but now’s a great time to get your flu shot so you can avoid a preventable Ideal Week-killer later on in the seasons and be a good citizen by helping to keep vulnerable populations safe. In the meantime, enjoy your weekend and take some time to unwind and do something just for YOU—you deserve it. However you spend your time this week, though, take this wise advice to heart: Don’t be a tough guy! Don’t be a fool! I’ll call you later.

—Kate Hooker

Thursday, October 17
INDUSTRY CITY, Barrow's Intense Tasting Room, Tasting and rye distilliation class, 6-8pm $10

Friday, October 18
South Slope, Camp Friendship, Contra Dancing, 7:30pm, $15

Saturday, October 19
GOWANUS, Neighborhood-wide, Gowanus Open Studios, noon-6pm, FREE

Sunday, October 20
BUSHWICH, Lot 45, Brooklyn Chowder Takedown, 2-4pm, $25 • GOWANUS, Neighborhood-wide, Gowanus Open Studios, noon-6pm, FREE

Monday, October 21
BUSHWICK, The Gradient, Halloween double feature, 8-11:30pm, FREE

Tuesday, October 22
GREENPOINT, Threes Brewing, Fear of Leisure talk, 7:30pm, $15

Wednesday, October 23
FORT GREENE, BRIC, Aretha Franklin documentary Amazing Grace screening, 7:30pm, FREE • WILLIAMSBURG, Thompson Brooke, Pour Writers with Daniel Handler, 8-10pm, FREE

Thursday, October 24
GREENPOINT, Archestratus Food & Books, Dinner with chef and cookbook author Whitney Otawka, 7pm $50

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