Things To Do In Piscataway

From onscreen acapella to formerly obscure indie rock, musical performances dominate this week’s list of things to do. However, if you’d prefer silence to soaring melodies, don’t think we forgot you: a child-friendly art exhibit on the Upper West Side provides plenty of peace and quiet. Enjoy, and as always, check Groupon for more great things to do in New York City. Coney Island Sand-Sculpting Contest Coney Island | Saturday, August 16 Soaring castles and elaborate statues rise along the Coney Island shoreline during the annual sand-sculpting contest, a decades-old tradition that gives out awards for both adult and child artists. The sculptors must finish by 3 p.m., when judging begins; stop by earlier to see their works in progress or enjoy live music and activities. Event organizers are also soliciting donations to help Brooklyn families still rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy. (on the Boardwalk near Wonder Wheel Park; judging begins at 3 p.m., award ceremony at 4:30 p.m.; free) “Pitch Perfect” South Street Seaport | Saturday, August 16 Whether you think acapella is aca-awesome or aca-awkward, musical comedy Pitch Perfect (2012) is just subtle enough to extract laughs. Anna Kendrick stars as Beca, a hip college freshman who gets roped into singing with a totally un-hip all-female acapella group, the Bellas. Beca’s initially hostile attitude toward the music slowly melts as she makes friends with the members of the group, played by an ensemble cast that includes Rebel Wilson as brash “Fat Amy” and Hana Mae Lee as the world’s creepiest soft-talker. Sea breezes carry the Bellas' tight harmonies (and Kendrick's surprisingly skillful rapping) to audiences' ears at this outdoor screening, part of South Street Seaport's Front/Row Cinema series. (Front St. & Fulton St.; 8 p.m.; free) Courtney Act Midtown | Wednesday, August 20, and Thursday, August 21 Courtney Act is a drag overachiever. Named one of FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women—despite not being a woman—she has also won Australian Idol and competed on Season 6 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her show Boys Like Me intersperses dance-ready pop songs with stories about her adventurous love life. This is your last chance to see her at Laurie Beechman Theatre before she leaves on her international tour. (407 W. 42nd St.; 9:30 p.m.; $22 w/$15 food & drink minimum, or $40 VIP ticket with meet & greet; buy tickets here) Arcade Fire Park Slope | Friday, August 22, to Sunday, August 24 When orchestral indie rockers Arcade Fire won a Best Album Grammy in 2011, confusion reigned among the viewing audience. The funniest gaffes were recorded for posterity on the Tumblr “Who Is Arcade Fire?”—a question that still seemed apt back then. In 2014, it’s a little harder not to know the band’s name. With a #1 best-selling album in 2013—the James Murphy–co-produced Reflektor—Arcade Fire proved they could top charts and fill stadiums with their epic, dance-inflected sound. Electronica impresario Dan Deacon and the recently reunited Unicorns open for them on their three nights at Barclays Center. (620 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn; 7:30 p.m.; $35–$85; buy tickets here) “Madeline in New York: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans” Upper West Side | Through October 19 The New York Historical Society celebrates the 75th anniversary of the iconic little French schoolgirl with this exhibit of 90 original works by her creator, illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans. Visitors can admire drawings from all six Madeline books as well as panels from the mural Bemelmans painted in the playroom of Aristotle Onassis’s yacht. Stop in at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. Tuesday–Friday for a live reading from one of the Madeline books. (170 Central Park West; free with $6–$19 museum admission) Photo of Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest courtesy of Astella Development Corporation.

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.

Just because you’ve hauled the grill in from your patriotic backyard cookout doesn’t mean it’s time to let up on summer fun. Pack the post-Fourth-of-July week with a ghost story performed by a kabuki theater troupe, a free concert in Hudson River Park, and a three-course picnic in the Rockaways curated by French foodies. And, as always, check Groupon for other great things to do in New York City. Heisei Nakamura-za at Lincoln Center Festival Upper West Side | Monday, July 7–Sunday, July 13 In their first visit to the Lincoln Center Festival since their sold-out run in 2004, Japanese kabuki troupe Heisei Nakamura-za will perform Kaidan Chibusa no Enoki, a 19th-century ghost story. Look forward to cutthroat stage combat, theatrical grimaces, and raucous slapstick comedy from the elite troupe, which traces its roots back to the 17th century. Before or after the show, stroll to the Japanese Artisan Village, which will vend traditional textiles, dolls, hair ornaments, and other handicrafts in Lincoln Center plaza through Sunday. (Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, 10 Columbus Circle; $45–$150; 7 p.m. each day with 1:30 p.m. matinees on Wednesday and Saturday) Photograph of Heisei Nakamura-za above: © Shochiko. Wild Beasts and Mutual Benefit Hudson River Park | Thursday, July 10, 6 p.m. The UK’s Wild Beasts are probably best known for singer Hayden Thorpe’s distinctive vocals, which can veer from soaring falsetto to guttural growl within a single line. Their 2014 album Present Tense may have toned down that roughness in favor of lush synthesizers and a smoother, R & B-inflected sound, but the new tunes still preserve the band’s intrinsic sense of drama. Get a taste this weekend at Hudson River Park, when Wild Beasts kicks off RiverRocks along with chamber-folk group Mutual Benefit. (free) Le Fooding Beach Club Rockaway Beach | Friday, July 11 French gastronomes Le Fooding return to New York City with this three-day event honoring the cuisine of the Sandy-ravaged Rockaways. Chefs including Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar and Andrew Field of Rockaway Taco prepare a three-course, picnic-style meal, which guests can pair with San Pellegrino sparkling fruit drinks and bartender-stirred mocktails. Saturday and Sunday tickets have sold out, but you can still grab a Friday ticket to kick off a long weekend or really long lunch break. (97-01 Shorefront Pkwy.; $40; seatings at noon to 1:45 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.–4 p.m.) Saturday Sculpture Workshop Long Island City | Saturday, July 12, noon to 3 p.m. This weekly event brings different artists to Socrates Sculpture Park to lead creative and kid-friendly arts-and-crafts activities. This week, artist Janelle Iglesias teaches kids to make geometric mobiles with straws and string. (free) Raekwon and Jay Electronica at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival Williamsburg | Sunday, July 13 The Brooklyn Bodega–sponsored festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, brings two hip-hop heavyweights to the stage for its fifth and final night. With a feud with RZA brewing, Raekwon may not be in the mood to perform old Wu-Tang hits, but there’s plenty to love in his solo catalog—including some new tracks from Fly International Luxurious Art, due out this fall. The music doesn’t get underway until later in the afternoon, but those with tykes in tow can show up early for Family Day from noon to 2 p.m. (50 Kent Ave.; doors open at noon; $30+; buy tickets here)