The Marathon! 25 Local Shows for the NY Comedy Festival! Jeff Tweedy! Totoro! A 'Drag Race' Winner! Ice Skating!

Plus: Beyonce's movie! 2 Restaurant Pop-Ups! Music for Banned Books!

Welcome back to the best Park Slope events newsletter. Links to sources are in (parentheses) after each event. Follow our IG for updates as events change.

Editor’s Note

Our neighborhood does such a good job with the holidays, and we had so much fun pulling together our Park Slope Halloween Guide. We’re planning on another specialized newsletter to include all end-of-year holiday events. As we build it, we want to hear from you! Please reply to this email or leave a comment about how we can help you navigate the season.

Worth Booking Now

A Gay Show For All People Christmas Spooktacular on 12/21: Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson’s shows often sell out, and they’ve already added a second night for their holiday show. (7:30, Bell House, $30)

🍝🍽🎵Big Night' Feast @ Nitehawk w/Pasta Louise Menu on 11/15: “Chef Primo (Tony Shalhoub) and businessman Secondo (Stanley Tucci) are immigrant brothers from Italy who open their dream restaurant, Paradise, in New Jersey. However, Primo’s authentic food is too unfamiliar for the local tastes, and the restaurant is struggling. When famous Italian-American bandleader Louis Prima is scheduled to appear at Paradise, the two brothers put all of their efforts into the important meal, which will likely decide the fate of their restaurant.” (7:15 PM, Nitehawk, $115)

👸🏾🎤️🎵Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce on 12/1: “The journey of the Renaissance World Tour, from its inception, to the opening in Stockholm, Sweden, to the finale in Kansas City, Missouri. It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft.” (6:45 PM, Nitehawk)

Get Involved

🗳️Early Voting Is Open Now. You don’t have to wait until Tuesday. (NYT’s NYC Voting Guide)

🦃CHIPS Is Prepping for the Thanksgiving Rush. Consider dropping off a prepared food that they may incorporate into a special meal for their dinner attendees. (Thanksgiving Drop Off)

Events

The New York Comedy Festival takes over the Garden and Carnegie Hall and three of our neighborhood venues this weekend. Scan for the 🤣🗽 emojis to browse related shows.

Friday, Nov. 3rd

🧘Mindfulness and Yoga for Toddlers: “Join instructors from Flow and Restore for mindfulness and yoga for toddlers (ages 18-36 months)  through music, movement, and stories.” (10:30 AM, Central Library) 

🍿Remembering Edward Anhalt: ‘Becket’ “ Anhalt (March 28, 1914 – September 3, 2000)  was an American screenwriter, producer, and documentary filmmaker. This 1964 drama derives its story from one of the key clashes between church and state. Henry II (Peter O’Toole)  has a great friendship with Thomas Becket (Richard Burton); they enjoy a drink, and carousing with women, even though Thomas has leanings towards the church. Henry imagines that making his friend Archbishop will allow him to have his own behaviors rubber-stamped by the clergy, but he reckons without Thomas Becket’s strong beliefs and the schism between the two men threatens to tear the roles of state and church apart.” (3:30 PM, Central Library) 

🍕Nate’s Detroit Pizza Pop-up: “Straight from the 313, authentic Detroit Pizza has finally landed in Brooklyn. Nate’s basic cheese pizza is made from just 7 ingredients: Italian flour, water, flaky sea salt, imported San Marzano tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella, aged Parmesan and good olive oil. That’s it. Every Friday until it runs out.” (4:00 PM, Industry City, Fort Hamilton Distillery) 

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🍴🔥Confidant Pop-up: “Confidant will be debuting themselves in this grill-out as they are working on opening up their full standalone restaurant. Chefs and owners Brendan Kelley and Dan Grossman, from the kitchens of Roberta’s, Gage and Tollner, will be cooking up some seasonal dishes they've been working on.” (4:30 PM, Industry City) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Sureni Weerasekera & Lovers. “Sureni Weerasekera is a Sri Lankan-born, San Diego-raised, & New York-based stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. She is known for her lighthearted, conversational banter to her ruthless, dark jabs that shed light on cultural dilemmas.” (7:00 PM, Littlefield, $12- $15) 

💓📖Ali Rosen's 'Recipe for Second Chances:' “Stella Park is elated to celebrate her best friend’s wedding in the Italian countryside—and maybe she also needs this escape from her personal and her professional life. Writing recipes for a living isn’t all it’s cooked up to be. Playing it safe has always been Stella’s dependable rule book. But maybe Samuel is worth the risk—and perhaps some love stories just need more time to marinate.” (7:00 PM, The Ripped Bodice) 

💃🕺The Anti-Swipe: The Party Disrupting Dating App Culture. “A hybrid performance, social experiment, and dance party dedicated to creating an organic opportunity for single folks looking to meet that special someone. Guests check their phones at the door to spend an analog evening engaged and present to enjoy world class burlesque, drag, go-go, dancing with great music, and swap digits the old fashioned way.” (8:00 PM, Industry City) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Zach Zimmerman: “Long before our world began, a war raged on Ragnarök between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The Autobots sought refuge on Earth, scattering seven objects of power to keep them from combining and the power of foresight falling into the wrong hands. They fell into the wrong hands. The Dark Lord Zach Zimmerman, if successful, will use The Seven Objects to generate the most wicked thing imaginable: an evening of stand-up comedy.” (10:00 PM, Littlefield, $15)

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: I Am What I Am: An Hour Of Stand Up With Lili Michelle: “I am what I am is a coming of age hour of comedy where Michelle depicts her insane family and childhood of moving around and never settling in one place.” (10:00 PM, Union Hall, $12- $15) 

Saturday, Nov. 4th

💪🎶Upbeat Pop! Dance Fitness at the Boathouse: “Come prepared to shake, roll, grapevine, and clap to your favorite upbeat pop songs. We will use this time to cultivate joy and silliness while getting a great workout and reaping the benefits of cardiovascular fitness.” (10:00AM,Prospect Park Boathouse)

🏺Make Your Own Ceramic Planter @BBC: “Learn hand-building pottery techniques while creating your own planter. During this class, participants will learn hand-building pottery skills including how to add textures, patterns and decorations with underglaze paints.” (10:00 AM, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, $47) 

🪦Egyptomania At Green-Wood Trolley Tour: “Journey across Green-Wood and through time to explore this undying mania for the Egyptian afterlife.” (10:00 AM, Green-Wood Cemetery, $30) 

🐦Introduction to Birdwatching Outings: “Prospect Park Alliance and a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club take you on an introductory walk to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons.” (10:00 AM, Prospect Park - Audubon Center) 

🍿🌱‘My Neighbor Totoro' @ Nitehawk: “This acclaimed animated tale by director Hayao Miyazaki follows schoolgirl Satsuke and her younger sister, Mei, as they settle into an old country house with their father and wait for their mother to recover from an illness in an area hospital. As the sisters explore their new home, they encounter and befriend playful spirits in their house and the nearby forest, most notably the massive cuddly creature known as Totoro.” (11AM, Nitehawk) 

⛸️LeFrak Ice Skating Opening Day: One of the great changing-of-the-seasons moments in the neighborhood. (11:00 AM, Prospect Park, Lefrak Center) 

🍿‘Beau Travail’ @ Nitehawk: “Foreign Legion officer Galoup recalls his once-glorious life, leading troops in the Gulf of Djibouti. His existence there was happy, strict and regimented, but the arrival of a promising young recruit, Sentain, plants the seeds of jealousy in Galoup’s mind.” (11:30 AM, Nitehawk) 

💀Día de los Muertos! @ Central Library “Join us to celebrate the unending connection to our dearly departed. This rich Mexican tradition and our dances will be performed by our young and talented Calpulli Community students. Following the performance, Calpulli will teach us about the history of Mexico's 'Day of the Dead' and will even invite you to dance!” (1:00 PM, Central Library) 

🏵🪦Grief Art lab Workshop + Daffodil Bulb Plantings @ Green-Wood: “Participants are invited to write letters to, share stories of, and craft paper objects for their deceased loved ones. Afterwards, we’ll bury these items beneath daffodil bulbs at the Cemetery as a way to practice ritual and engage, on a physical level, with our grief.” (1:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery) 

🪩Funkytown Fall Music Festival: “Come to the bandshell at Courtyard 1/2 at Industry City, where you can enjoy a mini-fall music festival with an interactive band for kids and a full slate of bands featuring the blues, singer-songwriters, and some rock and roll.” (1:00 PM, Industry City) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Simple Town. “Simple Town is a comedy group that makes films and performs live. Their work has been featured on Adult Swim, Comedy Central, Short of the Week, and at the New York Television Festival.” (7:00 PM, Littlefield, $12- $15) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Don’t Break! A Don’t-Laugh Style Game Show. “Eight comedians enter the arena with one rule:DON’T BREAK. Any breaking (smiling or laughing)  and they’re out. The last comedian standing will be crowned the champion and take home the $250 prize.” (9:30 PM, Littlefield, $12- $15) 

Sunday, Nov 5th

🏃The New York City Marathon on 4th Avenue: Make your supportive signs, grab anything that makes noise, and come cheer on tens of thousands of athletes and para-athletes as they stream by. Live music, creativity and good vibes surround the avenue all morning. (~9AM to ~Noon, 4th Avenue)

🍿🌱My Neighbor Totoro' @ Nitehawk: See Saturday’s showing, above. (11:00 AM, Nitehawk) Sunday, Nov. 5th

🍿🥋Sundays On Fire: Secret Hong Kong 35mm Feature: “For the final Sunday on Fire, we present a major Hong Kong movie that’s not just the last word on the men behind bars genre, it closes the book, and sets it on fire. By the time this flick is over everything there is to say about violent men being locked up with one another has been said.” (12:00 PM, Nitehawk) 

🗣Suneil Sanzgiri on Here the Earth Grows Gold: “In this tour, Sanzgiri highlights new work that combines archival footage, animation, interviews, and poetry to tell the stories of mutual struggle in India and Africa against Portuguese colonialism during the 1960s and 1970s.” (2:00 PM, Brooklyn Museum) 

💀Sunday Art: Día de los Muertos Celebration: “We’ll honor Day of the Dead with special art-making and a performance by the MAZarte Dance Company.” (2:00 PM, Brooklyn Museum) 

🎵Classical Interludes: Ensemble Pi presents Banned Books. “An evening-length performance of six premieres commissioned in response to recent U.S. bills, which ban books or curtail the discussion of critical race theory, LGBTQ+ issues, antisemitism and other disputed topics in public schools and libraries. The concert aims to draw awareness to these oppressive practices while opening a space through music for reflection and connection. A diverse group of composers were asked to create pieces influenced by a particular banned book that resonated with them.” (4:00 PM, Central Library) 

🤣🗽ACAB: Angry, Crazy & Black! Sydney Duncan’s One Woman Show: “Through characters, impressions, and storytelling, this show reveals the complex relationship black women have with their anger. How do they display, conceal, and really feel about emotions they tend not to show the world…but what if they did?” (5:00 PM, Union Hall, $15) 

🤣🗽Review Revue Live At New York Comedy Festival! “On Review Revue, hosts and best friends Reilly Anspaugh and Alfred Bardwell-Evans pull the most absurd and unhinged reviews on the internet and use them to inspire improvised scenes.” (5:30 PM, Littlefield, $10-$12) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Skin Tag and Friends: “The hosts of Skin Tag, a comedy open mic turned stand-up show, invite you to be their best friends for the night. Hang with them, laugh really hard at their jokes and watch them expose each other for stuff” (7:30 PM, Union Hall, $15) 

🤣🗽An Intimate Evening With Adam Pally: “An intimate evening with actor/comedian, Adam Pally. Songs, Comedy, Stories, a different fever dream with different friends and a different audience every time guaranteed.” (7:30 PM, The Bell House, $20)

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Ben Palmer Trolls NYC: “Ben presents stories of him pretending to be corporations, responding to angry commenters on Facebook, posing as a journalist, and sending made-up quotes from CEOs of multi-level marketing companies and corporations whose employees are on strike. For years, he and his friends sued each other on court television to make money. He has been a Witness, Plaintiff, and Defendant.” (8:00 PM, Littlefield, $12-$20) 

🤣🗽Asha Ward: Loose End. “Ward is a stand up comedian, actor, and writer known for her unique delivery and stoic nature. She recently joined the 48th season of SNL as the show's youngest writer and received her first Emmy” (10:00 PM, Union Hall, $10-$15) 

Monday, Nov. 6th

📖🪦The Joy of Funerals—20 Years Later: A Book Talk and Signing With With Alix Strauss: “Written with raw wit, mordant humor, and a uniquely penetrating voice, Strauss turns the spotlight on the unattractive subjects of loss, grief, and loneliness. The Joy of Funerals is a smart, vivid and arresting look into the inner world of those left behind, and those still holding on. Author, Alix Strauss joins us at Green-Wood for a reading, discussion, Q&A, and book signing.  Books will be available for purchase.” (6:00 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery) 

🤣🗽Marguerite: a solo show by Maggie Winters: “Maggie Winters is a Chicago-fried comedian who's the hottest ticket in town. You may have seen her open for SNL prince Colin Jost, ex-Chicago Princess Meg Stalter, or NY's Matt Rogers. Directed by her Southside-Irish blood relatives, Bart and Liam Winters, her solo show Marguerite will explore her life, her laugh, and her love!” (7:30 PM, Union Hall, $15) 

🎵Jeff Tweedy presents World Within a Song with Amanda Petrusich: “An exciting and heartening mix of memories, music, and inspiration from Wilco frontman and New York Times bestselling author Jeff Tweedy, sharing fifty songs that changed his life, the real-life experiences behind each one, as well as what he’s learned about how music and life intertwine and enhance each other.” (8:00 PM, Congregation Beth Elohim)

🗣The Moth StorySLAM: “The Moth StorySLAMs are story telling competitions where the stage is open to any and all with a story to tell on the evening's theme. The theme is Give and Take.” (8:00 PM, The Bell House, $15) 

💅🥂Bimbo Bingo: “Bingo Night! Every Monday in the Main Bar! Drag, Prizes, Shots!” (8:00 PM, Good Judy) 

🍿’Valley Girl ‘ w/Nic Cage Biographer Intro @ Nitehawk Cinema: “Valley girl falls in love with punk, Nicolas Cage, from the wrong side of the tracks, ‘like, fer sure.’ Introduced by author Zach Schonfeld, whose new book How Coppola Became Cage will be available for purchase.” (8:30 PM, Nitehawk) 

📖Lev AC Rosen Book Launch for 'Emmett': “Lev will chat with author Dahlia Adler. There will be a book signing to follow. This is a ticketed event that includes a copy of 'Emmett,' a modern-day gay Emma, with the spikey social critique of Austen plus the lush over-the-top romance of Bridgerton.” (9:00 PM, The Ripped Bodice) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: The Luke Ass Spectacular With Kate Sisk: “A comedy and drag variety show hosted by Luke Ass (Kate Sisk)  featuring Jes Tom, Jay Jurden, and more.” (10:30 PM, Littlefield, $10-$12) 

Tuesday, Nov. 7

🗣☕️250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party: “Join the Brooklyn Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, as they invite you to a lecture about the Boston Tea Party, given by Dr. Benjamin Carp, American History Professor, Brooklyn College. This event will be followed by a tea reception where you can meet Dr. Carp and members of the Brooklyn Chapter, NSDAR.” (7:00 PM, Old Stone House) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Rachel Kaly Hospital Hour: “A show that explores why Rachel is obsessed with going to the hospital all the time. And for the record maybe it’s because she’s extremely mentally ill. And maybe that’s because she saw 9/11 happen and she is estranged from her father whose cab she hailed once. Only an hour of this show will tell.” (7:00 PM, Littlefield, $12- $15) 

🎵💅😂Pretty Women: A Real Housewives Musical Revue: “Join the misunderstood icons of Bravo for a night of wigs, bits and musical performances from comedians Rebecca Weiser, Nora Freid, Meghan Wallace, Michelle Chan Bennett and more as your favorite Housewives, hosted by Andy Cohen (played by Bobby Hankinson).” (7:00 PM, Good Judy) 

🤣🗽Sophie Buddle: Spy Kids 3D: “Spy Kids 3D (2003)  is a great film don’t get me wrong but is it the voice of a generation? That’s up to you to decide. I probably won’t talk about it during this stand up comedy show but you will still enjoy a night of laughs. Come see some good standup and then go home and watch Spy Kids 3D (if you want to).” (7:30 PM, Union Hall, $15) 

🤣🗽📕A Very Good Show to Celebrate the Release of Comedy Book: "To celebrate the release of his new book, Comedy Book, Vulture's Jesse David Fox is putting on the best damn comedy show he could. Hosted by Josh Gondelman. With Jo Firestone, Natalie Walker, Marie Faustin, Joe Pera, Adam Pally, Nore Davis.” (7:30 PM, The Bell House, $31) 

🤔🍺Trivia League Tuesdays: “Test your smarts with our FREE to play pub quiz brought to you by NYC Trivia League. Teams of two to six players can compete for great prizes each week sponsored by Coney Island Beer & Angry Orchard Hard Cider.” (7:30 PM, Parklife) 

🍿🚔Training Day @ Nitehawk Cinema: “A blistering action drama that asks the audience to decide what is necessary, what is heroic and what crosses the line in the harrowing gray zone of fighting urban crime. Does law-abiding law enforcement come at the expense of justice and public safety? If so, do we demand safe streets at any cost?” (9:15 PM, Nitehawk) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Babushka and the Beast: “An electric stand-up show hosted by best pals Dylan Palladino and Stef Dag, featuring a star-studded lineup of NYC’s top comedians. Featuring: Gabby Bryan, Brittany Carney, Raza Jafri and Usama Siddiquee.” (9:30 PM, Littlefield, $12-$20)

🤣🗽👸🏳‍🌈Ian Lockwood's Girlfriend Pageant: “Will Brooklyn's most unhinged beauty-pageant-comedy-show win the hearts of America? 15 all-star contestants compete to be pop-star-comedian Ian Lockwood's heterosexual girlfriend! With 4 rounds -- Gown & Age, Talent, Verisimilitude, and Emotional Support -- any of these beautiful women could be crowned Ian's Girlfriend.” (10:00 PM, Union Hall, $10-$12) 

Wednesday, Nov. 8

📕📷🪦Brooklyn Arcadia: A Conversation With Author Andrew Garn: “Green-Wood draws nearly half a million visitors every year who marvel at its unique combination of art, history, and nature. Photographer and author Andrew Garn is one such visitor. Discovering a love for the Cemetery—its stately monuments, complex history, and fascinating flora and fauna—during his almost daily walks, Garn began taking thousands of photographs documenting his explorations and discoveries.” (6:30 PM, Green-Wood Cemetery) 

🤣🗽New York Comedy Festival: Brittany Carney: Brittany’s Carnies: “A night of Brittany and her Carnies aka her guests! Featuring Chloe Radcliffe, Jay Jurden, Zach Zimmerman, Fumi Abe, and Gary Gulman!” (7:30 PM, Littlefield, $10-$12) 

🤣🗽Charlie Bardey Presents: A Little Chunk: “A Little Chunk is a new half-hour of comedy from comedian and sweetheart Charlie Bardey. Come with Charlie as he goes hither and thither, on love and place and the meaning we make and find in the world around us.” (7:30 PM, Union Hall, SOLD OUT) 

🤣🗽Chad and JT: “Chad Kroeger (AKA Tom Allen)  and JT Parr are on a mission to do good. Using their digital platforms, the duo take action to raise awareness and bring change for some of the most important causes in pop culture and beyond. When they are not at City Hall meetings, Allen and Parr host the weekly podcast Going Deep with Chad & JT, which sees them discussing major current events, honoring legends, exploring ongoing beefs, and giving solicited advice to callers and fans alike.” (7:30 PM, The Bell House, $25)

😂Courtney's in Town: “Bicoastal blonde Courtney O’Donnell performs 30 minutes of gregarious, girly comedy. With special guests: Haley Stiel, Sabrina Wu and George Civeris.” (10:00 PM, Union Hall, $12-$15)

Thursday, Nov. 9

🤔🧠🥃Lit Up Trivia: “Play the best trivia game this side of town. Win a round of drinks or shots or even $100 depending on your competition.” (8:00 PM, Sandy Jacks)

🔰✒️Clifford Thompson Discusses his Graphic Novel ‘Big Man and the Little Men.’ “Author Clifford Thompson will talk about his graphic novel Big Men and the Little Man, which tells the story of a Black woman trying to do the right thing in a white man’s world. It’s a story of race, politics, #MeToo, and what happens when you ask old friends for help in a complicated world — all wrapped up in a gripping mystery with a shocking twist.” (6:30 PM, Old Stone House) 

🧠‘Mr. Kneff’ w/Steven Soderbergh intro @ Nitehawk: “A writer guy in 1919 Prague uses his dead-end job as inspiration for his fantastical fiction.  Q&A to follow with Steven Soderbergh, moderated by David Fear. Before the film, ticket holders will receive one complimentary cocktail at the Trees Lounge bar, courtesy of Signani 63.” (7:00 PM, Nitehawk, SOLD OUT)

😂Tina Friml: Something Very Particular: “Tina Friml uses animated optimism regarding her life with cerebral palsy, yet ruthless honesty about the social assumptions that come with it to capture audiences with her eccentric style, off-beat mind, and unexpected philosophy acquired through her unique circumstances.” (7:30 PM, Union Hall, SOLD OUT)`

🤣🗽Monét X Change: “Monét X Change is an entertainment spitfire and the first double crown winner from Rupaul's Drag Race having earned the title Miss Congeniality on Season 10 and becoming the first queen of color inducted into the hall of fame after winning All-Stars 4. Known for her immaculate lip-syncing skills, comedic chops, and (mostly)  pitch-perfect live singing skills, Monet has traveled the globe with her one-woman show, Call Me by Monét.” (7:30 PM, THe Bell House, $35) 

🤣🗽🗽New York Comedy Festival: Things I Did Wrong With Marcus Monroe: “A high-energy blend of innovative humor with in your face comedic banter riddled with awkwardness. With Jenny Zigrino and Trevor Penick!” (10:00 PM, Littlefield, $10-$12) 

🤣🗽An Untitled Evening with Ikechukwu Ufomadu: “Ikechukwu Ufomadu is an Emmy-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning actor, writer and comedian, named a ‘Comedian You Should and Will Know; by Vulture/New York Magazine and a “Comic to Look Out For” by Time Out New York.” (10:00 PM, Union Hall, $15)

Let us know how we’re doing in the comments!