tuesday
thru sat (7pm): 44th annual battery dance festival: new york city’s longest-running free public dance festival returns to nelson a. rockefeller park with waterfront performances by diverse dance companies from new york and around the world. >>
tues + thurs: free guinness ice cream: two chances to score a free sample of van leeuwen’s limited-edition guinness draught stout ice cream: the van leeuwen shop in williamsburg (tues 5-7pm, served alongside a tiny pour of guinness draught); a branded ice cream truck at astor place (thurs 12-8pm, ice cream only). >>
tues various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
barbie at the rooftop at pier 17 (lower manhattan) >>
dune: part two at cadman plaza park (brooklyn heights / downtown brooklyn) >>
the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds and snakes at bella abzug park (hell’s kitchen) >>
the secret life of pets and rent at domino park (williamsburg) >>
wicked at harsimus cemetery (jersey city) >>
tues 6pm: new york’s scoundrels, scalawags, and scrappers: the city in the last decade of the gilded age: new york historian and mapmaker john tauranac (the empire state building: the making of a landmark) discusses his new book, new york’s scoundrels, scalawags, and scrappers: the city in the last decade of the gilded age, at the skyscraper museum (battery park). free admission. >>
tues 7pm (season ends tonight): live at the gantries: kupferberg center for the arts presents live at the gantries, an annual outdoor concert series at gantry plaza state park (lic) showcasing local artists. tonight: mireya ramos. free admission. >>
sponsored
image by Jen Chou
The Chain Theatre is thrilled to announce the 2025 Chain NYC Film Festival. A cinematic celebration of bold voices and original storytelling, this year’s festival features over 160 films from around the globe—narratives, documentaries, shorts, web series, and animated works—plus panels, filmmaker events, and an awards ceremony.
• Special Event: Industry Panel with Geoffrey Cantor on Sunday, August 17 | 2PM
Join Geoffrey Cantor (Daredevil, The Punisher) for a candid discussion on career longevity and indie film survival. Tickets are Free. Reservations required.
Past guests have included Oscar-winning writers, Emmy-nominated creators, and industry legends like Richard LaGravenese and Richard Price. The 2025 festival continues this legacy of discovery and excellence. Chain Theatre’s past collaborators include Eric Bogosian, Jesse Eisenberg, and John Patrick Shanley sharing new work with Off-Broadway audiences.
2025 Chain NYC Film Festival
AUGUST 7-17
The Chain Theatre
312 W 36 Street, 3rd & 4th Floor (Between 8th and 9th ave)
All screenings are $13 in advance and $15 at the door
MORE INFO AND TICKETS
wednesday
cultural fests / street fairs / food events (free admission):
► weds thru sun (weds-fri 5-11pm, sat + sun 2-11pm): holy rosary church’s annual la festa italiana: 344 6 street in jersey city. >>
► thurs thru 8/24: 51st feast of santa rosalia: 18th avenue from 68th to 75th street in bensonhurst, brooklyn. >>
weds various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
sponsored: bloodsport at parklife (gowanus). note: food/drink purchase required. >>
downton abbey at pier a park (hoboken) >>
elemental at pier i at riverside park south (uws) >>
hook at lawn area mckinley park (dyker heights) >>
inside out 2 at carl schurz park (yorkville) >>
loving vincent at coffey park (red hook) >>
sonic the hedgehog 3 at prospect park (brooklyn) >>
there was, there was not at brooklyn commons park (downtown brooklyn) >>
transformers one at bellevue south park (kips bay) >>
weds 6pm (season ends tonight): summer concerts at hudson yards: the annual concert series returns to the public square + gardens at hudson yards for eight weeks. tonight: singer–songwriter grace vanderwaal with an opening set by dj chachi. free admission. >>
weds 7pm (monthly): fantastic fiction at kgb: this monthly speculative-fiction reading series, hosted by editor ellen datlow and writer matthew kressel at kgb bar (east village), welcomes writers cassandra khaw (the library at hellebore) and debra k. every (deena undone) for a night of readings and discussion. free admission. >>
weds 7pm: doctors without boundaries: real-life er doctor aaron bola hosts a comedy show where standups with a tendency towards t.m.i. tell stories about their weirdest diagnoses, and the docs give a detailed breakdown of the history of each condition and what people diagnosed with it should know. audience members can even ask their own embarrassing medical questions via a ‘no co-pay’ question box. featuring ben miller, kenny park yi, sheria mattis, sureni weerasekera, and isa medina. caveat (les), $16.70 with promo code ‘resident’ (reg. $24-25). >>
weds 7pm (season ends tonight): jazz at pier 84: jazz up your evening with the jazz foundation of america’s free outdoor concerts at hudson river park’s pier 84 (hell’s kitchen). the season concludes tonight with trombonist clifton anderson. >>
weds 7:30pm: we have fun: a stand-up show: hosts zach sims and dan wilbur team up to bring the fun-ny to young ethel’s (south slope), with stand-up by liz miele (hulu), dave ross (comedy central), andrew durso (cracked), and abe gatling. free admission. >>
weds 8pm: ambush comedy show: the ambush comedy show buzzes into hellrazor barber shop in williamsburg with a lineup featuring devon walker (snl), graham kay (colbert), lizzy cassidy (don’t tell comedy), april boddie (adult swim), and henry sir (comedy central). hosted by josh johnson, brittany cardwell, and lucas connolly. byob. bonus: rsvp enters you in a raffle for $200 towards a tattoo from stefano’s tattoo studio. free admission. >>
weds 8pm: my kinda night! a queer variety show: billie bullock and sarah creamin’ onion host an evening filled with drag, cabaret, comedy, and more at medusa bar brooklyn (east williamsburg). free admission (bring $ to tip the performers). >>
thursday
thurs various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
13 going on 30 at union square park >>
captain america: brave new world at the unisphere in flushing meadows corona park (queens) >>
clueless at fort greene park (brooklyn) >>
coco at 145th st and the hudson in riverside park (west harlem) >>
despicable me 4 at maria hernandez park (bushwick) >>
hamilton sing-along at old stone house + washington park (park slope) >>
the wild robot at sgt. anthony park (jersey city) >>
trainwreck at pier 1 harbor view lawn (brooklyn bridge park) >>
wicked at dry dock playground (alphabet city) >>
shrek at fosun plaza at 28 liberty street (lower manhattan) >>
thurs 6-9pm: ¡arriba! dance party on the high line: a section of the high line turns into an open-air dance floor for the elevated park’s annual salsa party series. tonight: salsa lessons followed by dj sets by mickey pérez and a live performance by cheo y los consentidos de la casa. on the high line between 15th + 16th streets (enter at 14th street). free admission (note: advance registration is encouraged, and walk-ups are welcome if the event isn’t at capacity). >>
thurs 7pm (+ 8/28): the queens jazz trail concert series: inspired by the queens jazz trail map highlighting the homes of jazz legends, the annual the queens jazz trail concert series presents seven free jazz concerts in queens parks. tonight: high + mighty brass band at forest park bandshell in woodhaven. >>
thurs 8pm (monthly): savage! comedy show: savage comedy returns to logan’s run in park slope. hosted by lizzie martinez, melissa rocha, nonye brown-west, and chloé cunha, tonight’s show includes standup by jonathan van halem, nell kessler, royce wynn, molly brenner, and brian longwell. bonus: rsvp for a chance to win a free drink. free admission. >>
thurs 8:45pm (monthly): comedy ugly: a comedy strip show: comedians reveal more than just punchlines at comedy ugly, a standup show where performers remove an article of clothing between jokes. featuring: brittany brave, chase hoffman, stephen bolles, natalie lim, and marito lopez. hosted by alysia hush, marisa riley, and kim dinaro. easy lover (east williamsburg), $5. >>
thurs 9:30pm: facebook marketplace live!: inspired by facebook marketplace, craigslist, and buy nothing groups, this game show pits comedians in a series of marketplace-themed games to win the title of ‘king of sh*t.’ hosted by amanda melhuish (reductress) and virginia dickens (the onion). caveat (les), $16.70 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $22-23). >>
ongoing
our roundup of 70+ ongoing events and attractions: summer restaurant week, friday night fireworks in coney island, free outdoor fitness classes, and more. >>
stay safe and healthy
– the skint
