Things To Do In Piscataway

It’s always tempting to skip ahead to the end of what you’re reading, whether it’s a suspenseful novel or an especially gripping list of things to do this week. But try to stick it out for the whole list below: you’ll be rewarded with news of a deviled-egg contest, an art-centric block party, and concerts in genres from bossa nova to folk. We won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say it includes cold and frosty treats. If that’s still not a sweet enough conclusion, you can always check Groupon for more great things to do in New York City. Kegs & Kluckers at Brooklyn Brewery Williamsburg | Monday, July 14 As urban chicken-keepers know, hens love snacking on grains leftover from brewing beer. The Good Beer Month event Kegs & Kluckers celebrates this symbiotic relationship with festivities that benefit Just Food’s City Chicken Project. Unlimited Brooklyn Brewery drafts flow as guests enjoy complimentary snacks, Egg Olympic Games, and a deviled-egg competition emceed by Matt Timms, creator of The Takedowns. (79 N. 11 St., Brooklyn; $25; buy tickets here; 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.) Twin Forks & Chris Carrabba at Rough Trade Williamsburg | Wednesday, July 16, at 9 p.m. Best known as the breathy voice of emo band Dashboard Confessional, Chris Carrabba takes on a folksier twang in songs with his new band, Twin Forks. Though the down-home details are there—Carrabba spent three years learning fingerpicking guitar for the project—Twin Forks also brings a stadium-size bluster that reflects Carrabba’s arena-rock past. Don’t miss the upbeat orchestral pop of openers Miracles of Modern Science, who create danceable tunes with a cello, a violin, and a double bass. (64 N. 9th St., Brooklyn; $15 advance, $17 day-of; buy tickets here; Doors at 8 p.m.) Hear a playlist of Chris Carrabba’s favorite movie-soundtrack songs on the Groupon Guide. Bebel Gilberto at Prospect Park Bandshell Prospect Park | Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m. With its mix of samba rhythms and lilting classical guitar, bossa nova is the ideal soundtrack for a cool midsummer night. It can’t hurt to add the ethereal voice of Bebel Gilberto, the daughter of bossa nova legend João Gilberto, to the mix. Her free concert at Prospect Park Bandshell this Friday kicks off Brasil Summerfest, a monthlong celebration of Brazilian music and culture that runs through July 26. (9th St. & Prospect Park West; free) New Museum Block Party Lower East Side | Saturday, July 19, from noon to 5 p.m. Music and art abound at the New Museum’s annual get-together in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Visitors construct their own decorative maps, artwork-filled memory games, and other crafts at interactive workshops, while the music of performers like singer-songwriter Joy Askew and operatic impresario M. Lamar fills the air. Afterward, guests can head to the museum for free, family-family tours of Here and Elsewhere, a new exhibition of contemporary Arab art that fully opens on July 16. (Chrystie St. between Delancey St. & Broome St.; free) Ice Cream Social at Hester Street Fair Lower East Side | Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vendors might be local, but Hester Street Fair’s celebration of ice-cold sweets brings together flavors from all over the globe. Guests can sample La Newyorkina’s Mexican paletas, Lezzetli Ice Cream’s Turkish-inspired scoops, and Hello Halo’s Filipino shaved ice, among other frosty treats. A blind-tasting contest tests visitors’ ice-cream IQ, and the Street Fair’s other wares await browsing. As an added incentive, Uber users who use the promo code Hester30 get up to $30 off their ride to the event. (Hester St. & Essex St.; free) Can’t make it to Hester Street? Try a top New York ice-cream shop from this Groupon Guide list. Photo of Bebel Gilberto by Harper Smith. Photo of Twin Forks courtesy of Reybee Productions and Tristan Casey.

This week’s list of things to do includes an ‘80s classic coming-of-age film, an IRL appearance by Daily Show writers, and a 70-minute spectacle that has dancers flying in the air. Enjoy yourself, and as always, check Groupon for other great things to do in New York City. Hudson River Park Blues BBQ Midtown | Saturday, August 23 Tender, saucy barbecue from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Delaney Barbecue, and Mighty Quinn's Barbecue flavors this family-friendly festival, which has brought blues and roots musicians to Pier 84 for 15 years. It’s okay to eat your weight in brisket—just give yourself time to digest before the high-energy funk of headliners Big Sam’s Funky Nation calls up your best dance moves. The BBQ also kicks off the Hudson River Park 550 (#HRP550) fundraising initiative: visit the campaign page for more info. (Off W. 44th St.; 2 p.m.; free) Left Bank Picture Show: Stand by Me West Village | Sunday, August 24 Rob Reiner’s classic 1986 coming-of-age tale is the second-to-last to be screened in West Village tavern Left Bank’s summer film series. Guests nibble on themed sips and bites as a very young Wil Wheaton, Cory Feldman, and River Phoenix bond over their quest to locate a missing child in the woods near their small town. A baby-faced Kiefer Sutherland co-stars. (117 N. Perry St.; 8:15 p.m.; free) Widowspeak Midtown | Thursday, August 28 Moody, Western-tinged rock will fill MoMA’s Sculpture Garden as Brooklyn duo Widowspeak takes the stage for the last MoMA Nights event of the summer. Lead singer Molly Hamilton weaves her haunting, Mazzy Star–esque vocals in with Robert Earl Thomas’s ‘70s-psych influenced guitar. (11 W. 53rd St.; 6:30 p.m.; free with museum admission) Improv by Daily Show Writers Chelsea | Thursday, August 28 The men and women responsible for crafting Jon Stewart’s nightly quips venture out from their writers’ room for one precious night onstage at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. When they’re done blinking, naked-mole-rat-like, at the unfamiliar light of the sun, the jokesters perform an improv show based on audience suggestions. (307 W. 26th St.; 9:30 p.m.; $5; make reservations here) Fuerza Bruta: Wayra Union Square | Through January 4, 2015 Forget straining your eyes to see dancers onstage. In fact, forget stages at all. Fuerza Bruta: Wayra’s immersive 70-minute spectacle explodes the fourth wall, raising performers above audiences’ heads as they tumble through the air, climb suspended walls of fabric, or slip around a transparent water-filled pool. (101 E. 15th St.; $49–$59 with Groupon; buy tickets through GrouponLive here)

As summer weather starts its slow fade to fall, it’s time to pack in the most open-air fun as possible. This week’s list of things to do has plenty of outdoor activities to fill the shortening days, from a concert in Hudson River Park to Manhattan’s first-ever Smorgasburg. Enjoy yourself, and as always, check Groupon for more great things to do in New York City. Lit Crawl Manhattan East Village | Saturday, September 13 This three-hour event puts a literary spin on a bar crawl as participants follow their maps to readings and book-themed activities at 25 East Village watering holes. Compete in rounds of “literary Taboo” at Solas, or take in a performance by Farrar, Straus and Giroux house band the Savage Detectives at Leftfield. See the full schedule of events here. (Multiple venues; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; free) Lorde & Majical Cloudz Midtown | Sunday, September 14 Gothy pop wunderkind Lorde claims she’s no royal—but her fans may beg to differ. This Sunday, the 17-year-old New Zealand native holds court at JBL Live at Pier 97, where she’ll set heads bobbing to chart-topping hits like “Tennis Court” and “Team.” Majical Cloudz’s wistful, electronica-tinged indie pop kicks things off. (Hudson River Park at W. 58th St.; 6 p.m.; $74; get tickets here) AHOYsters Tribeca | Tuesday, September 16 At this punning New York Oyster Week event, the crew of the F/V Sherman Zwicker invites landlubbers aboard their historic schooner for a shellfish-centric feast. Docked at Hudson River Park’s Pier 25, the Zwicker features more luxurious accommodations than the oyster boats of yore: guests pull up chairs to white-clothed tables at Grand Banks, the vessel’s onboard oyster bar. (N. Moore St. at West St.; 6 p.m.; free) Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man Hell’s Kitchen | Through Sunday, September 28 This live-action rom-com starts with a meet-cute between shy college student Robyn and brash advice-giver Dan, the gay male author of the book Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man. As Dan helps Robyn loosen up in front of her crush, Stefan the stagehand, audiences get in on the naughty fun: bachelorettes who purchase a party package even get to join the characters onstage. (777 8th Ave.; tickets $55–$66.50 through GrouponLive) Smorgasburg at Central Park Central Park | Friday, September 19 For those tired of trekking to Brooklyn, Smorgasburg has granted you a reprieve. This Friday, the foodie festival brings 30 of its top vendors to Central Park SummerStage for its first-ever outing in Manhattan. Chow down on treats from ‘burg stalwarts like Blue Marble Ice Cream, Ramen Burger, and Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, or newcomers like Dan & John’s Wings or tostada-slingers El Super. (72nd St. and 5th Ave.; 5–9 p.m.; free) Photo credits: Ky Huynh (Lit Crawl), Annette Geneva (Lorde).