Courtesy Brooklyn Pop-Up (brooklynpop-up.com)
Cinco de Mayo! Kentucky Derby! Open Streets! 14 things to do this weekend
There's also First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum, a Haitian Heritage Month kickoff party — and the weather is supposed to beautiful
Three words: Cinco de Mayo! What better timing than a Friday for a holiday that’s best celebrated with margaritas, friends, tacos — followed by a day off?
Not your speed? That’s hardly all on tap for this weekend. The Open Streets program in Park Slope is the latest sign that summer’s-a-comin’, and it’s also the start of Haitian Heritage Month with a kickoff party in Flatbush Junction. And don’t forget the Kentucky Derby!
Friday, May 5
Tacos, margs and ice cream at Tacocina and Tipsy Scoop
Starting 2 p.m.
A gem of a taco stand on the water in Williamsburg’s Domino Park is reopening for the summer season on this auspicious day. Bonus: they’re giving away free margaritas from 6:30-8:30. If you feel like cooling down afterwards, walk down nearby Metropolitan Avenue. to try some tequila-flavored sorbet at Tipsy Scoop Brooklyn. (If you’re available earlier, the first 100 people to get to the location after 2 p.m. get a free scoop.) Tacocina is at 25 River St.; Tipsy Scoop is at 270 Metropolitan Avenue.
Casa de Mayo party at Rebel Cafe + Garden
3 to 10 p.m.
Bushwick will be bouncing at this party with a rotating set of DJs, hookah and bottle service available. Soak up some sun with your cocktails throughout the day in the venue’s drool-worthy outdoor space. The promotional statement says to expect “immaculate vibes.” Amen. 2 Knickerbocker Avenue. Free with RSVP before 5 p.m.
Cinco de Mayo at Time Out Market
4 to 10 p.m.
Live music and prize giveaways to go along food tastings from local eateries. Wash it all down with cold beverages from local spots and cocktails made with Maestro Dobel Tequila. 55 Water Street.
Cinco de Mayo Comedy Show at Coney Island Brewery
6 p.m. doors, 7:15 p.m. show
All of those margaritas will likely have you in the mood to laugh — and maybe to take the train to the beach? Stand-up comics Cherry Ann Trinida, Cynthia Levin, Kenny Woo and Eric Nieves will look to keep the good times rolling in the heart of Coney Island. 1904 Surf Avenue. Tickets are $44.82.
Saves the Day at Brooklyn Made
7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show
An under-heralded, often-forgotten early-2000s emo band is making a comeback. Maybe this music video will jog your memory and bring you back to middle school in 2001. The group will play two albums, “Can’t Slow Down” and “In Reverie,” in full. Bring out your vans and jean chains. 428 Troutman St. Tickets are $45 advance/$50 day of show.
Saturday, May 6
“Party Girl” at Nitehawk Williamsburg
11:15 a.m.
Parker Posey’s iconic cult classic ‘90s comedy released in 4K? Yes please. She spoke to Brooklyn Magazine this week about her seminal role, as well as her latest starring turn, in the bizarre-but-buzzy horror flick “Beau Is Afraid.” 136 Metropolitan Avenue. Tickets are $15.50.
The Brooklyn Derby
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.; race starts at 6:57 p.m.
Spend three hours celebrating the two most exciting minutes in equine sports. Enjoy Kentucky Derby day outdoors in the spacious Greenwood Park beer garden yard in Greenwood Heights/South Slope where the mint juleps will flow and the kitchen will serve up Kentucky fare. Seated tickets are guaranteed a table with views of the race, snacks and your first julep free with a commemorative glass. Yard games will top off this afternoon. $30 for the seated package; $20 for standing room. 555 Seventh Avenue.
Park Slope Open Streets
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Love it or hate it, Park Slope’s Open Streets season returns, blocking car traffic along 16 blocks of Fifth Avenue every Saturday. This year’s program kicks off on Saturday at 3 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting featuring Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon. Enjoy the best of what the area has to offer, outside (in what is supposed to be fantastic weather). Free.
First Saturday Diaper Drive at the Brooklyn Museum
5 to 10 p.m.
In between the Cinco de Mayo partying, make some time to donate diapers to support families in need. It’s made possible by sponsors Bank of America and the Good+Foundation, a nonprofit fighting poverty nationwide (founded by Jessica Seinfeld). 200 Eastern Parkway. Free with advance registration. Stick around to peruse the vendors at Brooklyn Pop-Up, enjoy a signature cocktail, poetry, music and more. The theme of this month’s First Saturday is a celebration of Brooklyn’s vibrant Asian diasporas.
Rasin @ the Junction, Haitian Heritage Month Opening Celebration
6-10 p.m.
The Little Haiti neighborhood will usher in Haitian Heritage Month in the best way: with free music, food art stalls and more. Singer Misty Jean is set to appear, too. Hillel Plaza at Flatbush Avenue. Brooklyn Magazine is a proud media sponsor, so please stop on by. Free.
Dirty Circus at House of Yes
6:30 doors, 7:30 show
The most Bushwick of cabaret clubs presents its most essential — and longest-running — “variety show dedicated to the raw and raunchy.” Expect some out of the ordinary performances. And let the House tell you itself: it’s “not for the faint of heart.” 2 Wyckoff Avenue. Tickets from $40.69.
Sunday, May 7
The Spring Makers Show at City Point
Workshops at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Looking for some new arts and crafts to freshen up your wardrobe or apartment? Want to make some of your own? The annual Spring Makers show brings together a fair of crafts made by local artisans and offers a series of workshops. This year you can leave the edition in Downtown Brooklyn with your own customized piece of porcelain jewelry, wire design jewelry and more. 445 Albee Square W. $15-20 per workshop.
“Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” at the Brooklyn Museum
11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday marks the final day to check out this retrospective of one of the 20th century’s foremost fashion innovators. Beyond showcasing over 100 of the famous Frenchman’s outlandish outfits, the epic exhibit includes sketches, photos and videos — including some by a special effects company that has worked on “Dune” and “Stranger Things.” So buckle up. 200 Eastern Parkway. Tickets are $25.