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School may be back in full swing, but this week brings plenty of chances to enrich your mind outside of a classroom too. You can take in Pulitzer-winning images at Photoville, learn to make lanterns at the Morningside Lights festival, or have a revelatory theatrical experience at the much-discussed play “This Is Our Youth.” As always, don’t forget to check Groupon for more things to do in New York City. This Is Our Youth Midtown West | Ongoing Kenneth Lonergan’s caustic coming-of-age comedy—about a teen deciding what to do with the $15,000 he’s stolen from his abusive father—has plenty of complex emotional terrain to explore. Luckily the cast is up for the job: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, and Tavi Gevinson have all received raves for their performances. (Cort Theatre, 138 W. 48th St.; $89–$96 on GrouponLive; buy tickets here) Morningside Lights Morningside Heights | Saturday, September 20, to Saturday, September 27 This weeklong art event has quite the payoff: participants in its daily workshops will produce more than 100 lanterns, which will then be displayed during a grand procession on the final day. The process is collaborative and takes the entire week, meaning you may start a lantern someone else will finish or pick up where someone else left off. (Morningside Park; free) Photoville Brooklyn | Thursday, September 18, to Sunday, September 28 Repurposed shipping containers serve as the display space for this large-scale photo exhibition, which will show off such works as Jeff Bauman’s acclaimed Boston Marathon photo essay “Beyond the Finish Line.” When you’re not browsing the exhibits or attending the hands-on workshops, you can grab a bite at the Smorgasburg Beer Garden. (Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park; $3 suggested donation) Rock of Ages Midtown West | Ongoing One-time American Idol semifinalist Constantine Maroulis recently returned to the jukebox musical that earned him a Tony nomination in 2009, but he won’t be back long. If you want to catch him in character singing “I Wanna Rock,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and other ‘80s hits, you’ll have to do it by October 26. (Helen Hayes Theatre, 240 W. 44th St.; $49–$99 on GrouponLive; buy tickets here) The Haunted Pumpkin Garden Bronx | Saturday, September 20, to Friday, October 31 Kids in costumes populate the daily parade during this family-friendly festival, which features some of the most intricate gourd-based sculpture you’re likely to encounter this fall. Certain weekends promise special events, such as a live-bat animal program and a display of gigantic pumpkins from all over North America. (New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd.; $8–$25; buy tickets here)

Cutie Pies NYC is a one-woman show. “I do just about everything except churn the butter right now,” says Alice Cronin, the baker behind the Brooklyn-based confectionery. Cronin has been familiar with the ways of the oven since age 5, when she mastered her grandmother’s chocolate-chip cookie recipe. Since then, however, she’s moved on to more sophisticated desserts, having honed her skills while maintaining the cookbook section of a Montclair, New Jersey, bookstore. Working to a soundtrack of Cibo Matto, Los Amigos Invisibles, and fittingly, Cake, she now rolls cream-cheese rugelachs, laces peach pies with thyme, and gels vegan cream pies using agar. Of all the desserts that she makes, Cronin’s favorite is her coconut cream pie. She’s not alone: the dairy-rich dessert took home first place at the City Reliquary’s pie contest in 2011. “I’m not sure if it has anything to do with nostalgia—I watched loads of Gilligan's Island reruns when I was little—or the way it riffs on the rich, steeped-in-diner-chic desserts that harken back to old-school decadence,” she says of her fondness for coconut flavor. “It tastes rich and creamy, but the texture is surprisingly light.” Cronin crafts myriad variations on sweet and buttery flavors, and she experiments with savory elements, too. Soon, she’s set to unveil a savory guacamole and corn-nut-crust pielette. Taste Cronin’s gourmet baked goods for yourself by placing a custom order, or look for her at these New York City markets: Smorgasburg Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in East River State Park at N. 7th St. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Tobacco Warehouse at 30 Water St. Bust Magazine Craftacular and Food Fair Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Pearl Street Plaza (Pearl Street at Water Street)

On this week’s agenda: thought-provoking video art, an all-food market, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Greil Marcus, and Mamma Mia! on Broadway. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in New York City. Nam June Paik: Becoming Robot Upper East Side | Opens Friday, September 5 Sure, you could go see the Matisse cut-outs at the Museum of Modern Art, but for an art exhibit that's colorful and relevant to modern concerns, look no further than the Asia Society Museum. Considered the father of video art, the late Nam June Paik was fascinated by the manipulative power of technology. As funny as they are thought-provoking, his artworks on display here include a TV you can sit on to be reminded of the shrinking gap between human and machine. (725 Park Ave.; $7–$12) Smorgasburg Williamsburg | Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you haven't visited Smorgasburg yet this summer, do yourself a favor and plan a trip to East River State Park on Saturday. This all-food pop-up market features 100 vendors from across the boroughs, all converging on the Williamsburg waterfront to dole out packaged and prepared treats. (Kent Ave. and N. 7th St.; free) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Madison Square Garden Midtown Manhattan | Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m. The World's Most Famous Arena will host one of America's most enduring rock bands when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers roll into town with special guest Steve Winwood. The band's latest studio album, Hypnotic Eye, marks a return to their rollicking '60s form, and the bluesy guitar riffs in tunes like ''Fault Lines'' and ''Power Drunk'' sound like they were written to rock the rafters at MSG. (4 Pennsylvania Plaza; $56–$137; buy tickets here) Greil Marcus and Sasha Frere-Jones Talk Rock 'n' Roll Clinton Hill | Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m. Greil Marcus is considered by many to be the founder of modern rock criticism, and Sasha Frere-Jones is one of the many writers who have benefitted from his influence. Frere-Jones, who writes for the New Yorker, will sit down with Marcus at St. Joseph's College on Wednesday to discuss the latter's new book, The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs. The price of admission includes a copy of the book, which attendees can have signed after the discussion. (245 Clinton Ave.; $25; buy tickets here) Mamma Mia! at Broadhurst Theatre Theater District | Through Saturday, September 13 A lighthearted romp of a musical, Mamma Mia! chronicles a daughter's quest to find her true father before her wedding day. It all happens to the sparkling sounds of ABBA, the Swedish pop group behind such hits as ''Dancing Queen,'' ''Knowing Me, Knowing You,'' ''The Winner Takes It All,'' and of course, the title track. (235 W. 44th St.; $49; buy tickets here)