Things to Do in North Arlington

Artist Peter McGouran opened his screenprinting studio and school to fulfill his passion for creating 2-D images layered with emotion, nuance, and color unattainable by computers. Featured on BushwickBK, the artist has worked with Alternative Apparel, American Apparel, Fruit of the Loom, and Hanes to emblazon fashion with artful images and exuberant hues. The pro teaches workshops for learners from beginner to advanced, infusing them with an enthusiasm for the eclectic art form via increasingly complex lessons, hands-on art projects, and freeze-frame group high-fives at the end of every class.

Most painters don't have a body count on their website. Danny Setiawan is the exception—he’s artfully slathering 292 people with paint in 2012. He's been painting traditionally since he was a child in Indonesia, but after graduating from Parsons The New School For Design in New York, he shifted his brush from synthetic to living canvases, layering participants’ skin with lush koi fish, patterns, and re-creations of famous masterpieces. As he told The Today Show, Setiawan became a body painter to imbue his artwork with more relevancy. "You cannot ignore a piece of art if it's painted on a human body," he said, echoing the sentiments Da Vinci expressed when Da Vinci added a miniature Mona Lisa to the forehead of the Mona Lisa.

Since he began filling his portfolio with body paintings, Setiawan's work has been far from ignored. In addition to visiting with Kathie Lee and Hoda, DenArt Studio has been recognized by Last Call with Carson Daly, as well as American Airlines, American Express, and Stoli. Many of his clients are not only attracted to the studio's colorful portfolio but also by its unique services. Guests can commission an artist to paint them clothed or unclothed as individuals or couples, expectant moms can opt for a maternity body-art session, and Halloween celebrants can enlist the studio's help bringing their costumes to life with body paint. At the onsite photo studio a photographer captures the resulting images in dramatic detail. Attendants can also paint each other at a casual Art on Live Canvas workshop, and ambitious artists looking to become the next Danny Setiawan can enroll in a body-painting or makeup course.

Two people step off a nearly 30-foot scaffolding. If this were a television show, an authoritative voice would sound the warning, "Do not try this home." But this isn't a television show. This is Hollywood Stunts NYC, an operation helmed by stunt professionals who teach students how to safely and believably pull off gasp-inducing spectacles for film, television, stage, and theme park audiences.

Inside a 4,000-square-foot facility that rises to 40-foot ceilings, experienced stuntmen and staged-violence choreographers run training programs ranging from weekly classes to three-week intensives. Beneath instructor supervision, students learn the art of leaping, tumbling, falling, and fire stunts through using apparatus such as trampolines, air rams, and flying harnesses. The training facility also spans greenscreen and bluescreen studios. And since New York possesses one of the world's most vibrant production scenes, teachers place emphasis on industry etiquette so students know the right way to throw a chair at agents, casting directors, and stunt coordinators. Beyond training burgeoning stunt professionals, Hollywood Stunts NYC's team stages kids' birthday parties, as well as rents its facilities and equipment for production work.

Founded by Queens native and the Late Late Show vet Steve Hofstetter, Laughing Devil Comedy Club lobbed its inaugural laughs in late 2011. Its debut on the city's comedy scene came after weeks of anticipation and attention in the New York Post, the Queens Courier, and Queens Tribune. Within its intimate, 70-seat venue, bartenders draw from a top-shelf drink menu to forge potions such as The Andy Kaufman's blend of St. Germain, Patrón tequila, and pineapple or pour drafts of Chimay Triple, brewed in the traditional manner by Belgian prop comics.

A cavalcade of pink shoes will march through the InterContinental Milwaukee, all in support of the American Cancer Society’s Stomp Out Breast Cancer. Guests are encouraged to don pink shoes, attire, and accessories as they enjoy tasty eats and brews—from local sponsors such as Leinenkugel, Blue Moon, and Batch 19 breweries, Kil@wat, Bar Louie Milwaukee, Maxie's Southern Comfort, and Blue's Egg—amid live crooning from Eric Ortiz of Rendition, a Chicago-based band that covers favorites such as The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and a blues rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus.” Guests will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets throughout the night or slip in bids for various items during the silent auction.

All proceeds from the event will go to the American Cancer Society, a volunteer-based program that reaches 3,400 communities nationwide. Though the ACS supports research, education, and advocacy for all types of cancer, it helps a large number of breast-cancer patients, offering phone counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When it came time to name her business, Pamela Parisi looked to her own nickname: The Elegant Tightwad. She earned the moniker during 20 years spent in the fashion industry as a clothing designer, manufacturer, and mannequin guidance counselor. Parisi developed a reputation for her conflicting loves for designer clothes and fiscal responsibility. Always a problem solver, she quickly learned to marry her two passions by developing extensive knowledge of designer showrooms and the wholesale prices they charge. Today, she uses her nose for bargains to guide tour groups to the best deals on designer clothes and accessories. Her cash-saving tours have even garnered the attention of CNN and Elle magazine. In addition to her Garment District Diva tours, Parisi has also extended her expertise into the world of food. Her tasting excursions explore some of the most tempting eats in Hell's Kitchen, from Italian and Greek specialties to sweet treats from bakeries and ice cream shops.