The 20 best cheap things to do this weekend

Bend some genders with Viktor Devonne (#) (pic by by Atticus Stevenson) — Bend some genders with Viktor Devonne (#15). Pic by Atticus Stevenson

[Ed note: Reminder, we now have a separate roundup for activism-focused events, which we encourage you to check out here.]

1. Experience international art at Expressions of Middle Eastern Culture, with a screening of The Iran Job, an artist talk by Tarik Sadouma, music from Meredith Monk and Malak el-Nasser, and belly-dancing by Malayeem. (Friday, San Damiano Mission, FREE)

2. Pay your respects to Big Poppa at the opening of 20 B.I.G. Years, three days of art in homage to the Notorious B.I.G. in his own neighborhood. (Friday, Bishop Gallery, FREE)

3. Play around daintily at Game Night: Feminist Politics, featuring interactive, creative games made by artists Rebecca Goyette, Desiree Des, and Željka Blakšić. (Friday, Soho20 Gallery, FREE)

4. Celebrate sex workers at Dirty Panties: The Musical, a collection of abstract, emotional vignettes and personal accounts from all aspects of the industry. (Friday & Saturday, House of Yes, $25)

5. Get smarter at Nerd Nite, with lectures on the first ever mechanical watch, quirky philosophers, and the rough-and-tumble origins of a popular North American sport. (Friday, Littlefield, $10)

6. Devour some difficult drama at the Black Theater Workshop’s Fruit, an unapologetic look at the makings of (and survival within) rape culture. (Friday, Brooklyn Commons, $6–$15 suggested)

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Get intimate at Dirty Panties: The Musical (#4) (pic by J. Dominati) — Get intimate at a musical about undies (#4) (pic by J. Dominati)

7. Brighten up your life at the 36th annual Making Brooklyn Bloom, a day of workshops, panel discussions, and films focusing on water wisdom, interconnectedness, and citizen action. (Saturday, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, FREE)

8. Gorge guilt-free at So It’s March: Vegan Shop-Up, with locally made food and goods from chocolate to burgers to cosmetics. (Saturday, Pine Box Rock Shop, FREE)

9. Get your Purim on at Semitic AF: A Whole New Megillah, which reinterprets the holiday by telling the story through live music, games, and interactive performances and installations. (Saturday, Space Heater Gallery, FREE)

10. Listen to some lyrical verse at the Post Mortem Launch Party, with a curated selection of 20+ spoken-word and multimedia performers throughout the night. (Saturday, Gamba Forest, FREE)

11. Laugh intersectionally at the Stay Woke Comedy Show, a showcase of stand-up comics, improv teams, and monologists using the power of comedy to engage with the issue of immigrants’ rights. (Saturday, Mayday Space, FREE)

12. Listen to lovely tunes for a good cause at the Brooklyn Folk Festival Benefit for St. Ann’s Church, featuring Eli Smith, Eva Salina, and Peter Stan, plus square dancing with Dave Harvey & The NYC Barn Dance. (Saturday, St. Ann’s Church, $20)

13. Stomp your feet and clap your hands at Brass Tacks, featuring Cocek Brass Band, Black Bear Combo, and Charles Mantis. (Saturday, Industry City Distillery, $10)

14. Spend a surreal evening at Rubulad Presents Ubu-Lad, with music, DJs, Bleu June of Magick Talismans Tarot, G Scopitronic’s Nonstop Fête du Filme, Norm Francoeur’s Cirque de Lumière Extraordinaire, and more. (Saturday, Rubulad, $10 before 9pm; $20 after)

15. Bend all the genders at Switch n’ Play’s Moxie, a night of drag, burlesque, and queer performance by Danny Brave, Viktor Devonne, Maximum Capacity, Sweet Lorraine, Zoe Ziegfeld, and Dorian Gaye. (Saturday, Branded Saloon, $7–$10 suggested)

16. Dance yourself into religious ecstasy at Holy Trinity, a late-night Beyoncé vs. Nicki Minaj vs. Rihanna dance party. (Saturday, Baby’s All Right, $10)

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Rock out with Underground System (#20) — Jam out with Underground System (#20)

17. Shop strange at Atlas Obscura’s Oddities Flea Market, a “curious, curated collection of the best purveyors of the odd and unique.” (Sunday, Brooklyn Bazaar, $2)

18. Grab your gragger: there’s three very different Purim parties at Brooklyn Bowl, Dumbo Loft, or Hinterlands Bar. (Sunday, FREE–$15)

19. Immerse yourself in art at Pioneer Works’ Second Sunday, with music from Underground System, a CRISPR workshop, video art, open studios, and more. (Sunday, Pioneer Works, FREE)

20. Learn about everyone’s favorite libation at The Spirited Pen: Writers Talk About Whiskey, featuring New York Times editor Clay Risen leading a distillery tour. (Sunday, Kings County Distillery, $14)

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