J.R.R. Tolkien gets a museum tribute, a Best of Brooklyn food and beer festival, plus tons more things to do in NYC this weekend.
Take that Risk
Resolved to be braver this year? Hear the stories of those who actually took that next step — for better or worse. Risk! is a long-running podcast coming to Caveat this Friday where people tell true stories they never thought they’d dare to share in public, hosted by Kevin Allison of MTV’s The State. Jan. 24, 9 p.m., must be 21+, 21A Clinton St., $15, caveat.nyc
Get to know Chino-Latinx cooking
Experience the flavors and history of Chino-Latinx cuisines from the people who have been cooking in New York for decades at the Museum of Food and Drink. Part of the museum’s Chow dinner series, you’ll taste dishes like lomo saltado with tofu, a Chinese-Peruvian dish by Carlos C. Olaechea, plus specialty cocktails and a talk with the chefs. Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m., 62 Bayard St., $55, mofad.org
Get in on this all-cheese tasting menu
Dominique Ansel’s newest U.P. tasting menu at his Greenwich Village restaurant is all about cheese, featuring Saxelby Cheesemongers. Fromagerie is a five-course dinner ranging from lobster raclette and three kinds of cheesecake for dessert. Tickets go insanely fast, so have your finger on the mouse button when tickets go live on Friday, Jan. 25 at noon for seatings starting Feb 14. Dinners are Wed-Sun at 8 p.m., with just 10 seats each, 137 Seventh Ave. S., $80, resy.com
Dive into a black hole
Fresh off dazzling the Sundance crowds, Spheres is a three-part virtual reality movie that takes you inside a black hole (via an Oculus Rift headset). Your captains (narrators) are Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown, Jessica Chastain and Patti Smith, so enjoy the ride! Through March 3, Mon-Fri 2-8 p.m., Sat-Sun noon-8 p.m., 600 Fifth Ave., $50, rockefellercenter.com
A fantasy legend gets a real-world tribute
J.R.R. Tolkien stoked a love of fantasy in generations of readers before his films revived the genre onscreen. Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth at The Morgan Library reveals his original illustrations, maps, draft manuscripts and more from The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus personal photographs and memorabilia. Jan. 25-May 12, 225 Madison Ave., $20, free for 12 and under, themorgan.org
See what’s new in French animation
The country’s only festival dedicated to French animation returns this weekend with 17 premieres, from feature-length films to shorts, courtesy of the French Institute Alliance Francaise. In addition to screenings, there’s everything from exhibits and gaming demos to panels with leading industry artists. Jan. 25-27, various locations, free-$120, fiaf.org
Play in the snow
We may be short on natural snow this winter, but Central Park is making sure there’s lots of the powdery white stuff for this Saturday’s Winter Jam. Snow newbies and veterans are invited to a day of free activities — glide down the Infinite Slope, snap a pic in the bobsled photo booth, learn to ski, watch ice artists at work, plus tons more. Jan. 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Central Park Bandshell, free, nycgovparks.org
Pig out and drink up
These three words don’t need any fancy tricks to add to their appeal: The Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival pays tribute to Southern cooking and all-American imbibing with over 60 beers, over 40 bourbons and a shameless amount of barbecue. Jan. 26, The Tunnel in Manhattan, 608 W. 28th St., $99-$115, beerandbourbon.com
Taste how delicious sustainability can be
The country’s only sustainable seafood festival, Aquarius, returns to Long Island City’s The Foundry this Saturday. Part tasting event and part party, you’ll find seafood and cocktails made with mindfully sourced ingredients while enjoying live music and performances. Jan. 26, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., 42-42 Ninth St., $125, secretsummernyc.com
Meet the Jets
This weekend, the New York Jets are bringing the game — ping-pong, that is — to SPiN New York. The annual Jets House is a chance to meet stars like Robby Anderson and Mike Pennel while enjoying unlimited food and drinks, a Pro Bowl viewing party and a ping-pong tournament on Sunday afternoon. Jan. 26-27, 48 E. 23rd St., $109-$119, newyorkjets.com
Plan your next getaway
Indulge your wanderlust at the New York Times Travel Show and start daydreaming about your next vacation. The year’s largest industry show about all things travel brings more than 550 exhibitors representing 170 destinations, plus expert panels, cultural performances and family activities. Jan. 25-27, $20-$25, free under 18, Javits Center, 655 W. 34th St., nyttravelshow.com
The best of Brooklyn in one place
You nominated your favorite Brooklyn chefs, now taste the 20 voted best in the borough without putting a dent in your MetroCard at the Dime Best of Brooklyn Festival. Pay-as-you-go tastings are accompanied by unlimited beer, plus live music and entertainment. Jan. 26, timed entry from noon-9 p.m., $39-$49, Industry City, 274 36th St., Sunset Park, bestofbrooklynfestival.com
Brunch with the ultimate boy band
Back by popular demand, The Boy Band Project is bringing its booty-shaking brunch spectacular to The Green Room 42, pop-and-locking to all your favorite songs from the ‘90s and beyond, from Boyz II Men to *NSYNC to One Direction, played by the stars of Broadway shows including Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Rock of Ages and more. Jan. 27, 2 p.m., 570 Tenth Ave., fourth floor inside YOTEL, $22.50-$52.50, ovationtix.com
Thing to Do in NYC: Ongoing
Last Chance: Harry Potter at the New-York Historical Society
J.K. Rowling didn’t invent everything in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Many of the potion ingredients, customs and even people who appear in her books existed in the real world. Tour this fascinating exhibit of Muggle relics and see the magic all around us at the New York Historical Society’s History of Magic exhibit. Through Jan. 27, 170 Central Park W., $21 adults, $6 kids ages 5-13; nyhistory.org
Last chance: The Big Apple Circus
New look, new acts, new food — everything is new at the Big Apple Circus, which is under new management for its 41st season. A major makeover aimed to attract millennials has brought a glamorous spiegeltent to the grounds, serving cocktails by Pamela Wiznitzer and pre-show entertainment, while the ring now has some world-famous acts like Desire of Flight in addition to longtime favorites. It’s worth a trip even if you’ve been before. Through Jan. 27, Damrosch Park, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, $29-$80, bigapplecircus.com
Hang like Spider-Man
The new movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is all about the many different people who have donned the spidey suit to save their cities, and you can be one of them at Sony Square NYC. The interactive exhibit includes an immersive haptic installation that lets you feel movements happening in a clip from the movie — plus the chance to crawl up a building a la Spidey and tons more Insta-made photo ops. Through Jan. 27, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., 25 Madison Ave., sony.com/square-nyc.html
The personal life of Andy Warhol
We know Andy Warhol’s work, but it’s time to get to know the man behind the lens. Captured: Andy Warhol in Rare Photographs collects a series of black-and-white photos by fine art photographer Robert Levin reveal an intimate and highly personal glimpse into two days in the life of Warhol in 1981. Through Jan. 31, Mon-Fri 11 a.m.-5 p.m., The Elizabeth Collective, 10 W. 56th St., free, theelizabeth.nyc
Pop culture at the end of the world
If the phrase “immersive queer nightclub musical” doesn’t get you tingling, we can’t help you. But if you like that, The Neon Coven’s Oscar at the Crown is a new production starring Oscar Wilde and The Real Housewives trapped inside a secret bunker in the fascist future. It’s about them, but also about you and nightlife, so expect to dance. Weekends Jan. 18-Feb. 2, 3 Dollar Bill, 260 Meserole St., Brooklyn., $25, theneoncoven.com
Celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday
Did you know Mickey got his big break in New York? After getting his start at the Broadway Theatre in 1928, Walt Disney’s most famous creation is back, this time in the Meatpacking District. The pop-up gallery — what else? — is called Mickey: The True Original and reveals relics from the Disney Vault among original artworks by modern artists both internationally known and local stars. Plenty of Insta-worthy moments, an ice cream booth by Ample Hills and other surprises await. Through Feb. 10, Tues-Sun from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 60 10th Ave., $38, showclix.com
Three weeks to work on your NYC bucket list
The city’s tourism agency NYC&Company decided to combine its three slow season promotions into three weeks of crazy savings. Winter Outing is your chance at 2-for-1 tickets to essential New York attractions like going to the top of the Empire State Building or seeing a Broadway show, plus prix-fixe menus at hundreds of restaurants. Reservations now open, Winter Outing goes from Jan. 21-Feb. 10, nycgo.com
Get colorful
One of our favorite Instagram pop-ups of the year, Color Factory, just extended its SoHo run through Feb. 28. If you’ve got visitors in town, it’s a great bonding experience instead of just taking photos of each other. And who doesn’t love a ball pit? 251 Spring St., $38, colorfactory.co
Beyond the Campbell’s Soup cans
Who is Andy Warhol? The Whitney Museum goes on a vast journey to find out in its major winter exhibit Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again, opening Nov. 12. The show peels back his carefully crafted persona, the show looks at how Warhol changed the role of artists in society, including new materials discovered after his death in 1987. Nov. 12-March 31, 2019, 99 Gansevoort St., included with admission: $25 adults, free for kids 18 and under; whitney.org
The sexy side of punk rock
Punk culture protested pretty much everything about what it saw as the mass-produced, repressed lives we were leading, often by using sexuality to transgress and defy expectations. New York’s lusty playground the Museum of Sex just opened a new exhibit Punk Lust: Raw Provocation 1971-1985, an immersive gallery with over 300 artifacts spanning various archives and private collections. Through Nov. 30, 2019, 233 Fifth Ave., $19.50, museumofsex.com
