Friday, June 20
In the mid-19th century Randall's Island housed an orphanage, a poor house, a burial ground for the poor and a rest home for Civil War veterans. These days, most of the island is park land with athletic fields, a driving range, playgrounds and picnic areas. Today, catch site-specific art works by four artists; Dean Monogenis (“City Pillars”), Robert Raphael (“Untitled Folly”), Jessica Sanders (“Ground”) and Kant Smith (“Ghost House”), as part of Flow.14. Click here for directions. Daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. Free.
The Comic Book Theater Festival, first held in 2011, explores the intersection of the panel and the stage, the ink and the actor. Through June 29 more than 20 events, such as cabarets, 3-D comics, live readings and performances are presented at Williamsburg’s home of cutting edge theater, The Brick. This evening catch the story on stage of Jack “King of the Comics” Kirby, creator or co-creator of Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The X-Men, The Avengers and dozens more. 7 p.m. The Brick Theater, 579 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg. $18.
Saturday, June 21
The annual Mermaid Parade winds its way through Coney Island this afternoon, led by Mayor Bill de Blasio's teenage children Dante (as King Neptune) and Chiara (as Queen Mermaid), who will be wheeled in an antique wicker boardwalk rolling chair. Previous King Neptunes and Queen Mermaids have included Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne and Queen Latifah. The Mermaid Parade celebrates the ancient mythology and honky-tonk rituals of the seaside. Each year more than 1,500 creative revelers in hand-made costumes party through the parade route, which ends at the beach.
The parade starts at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, Coney Island at 1 p.m. From 6 p.m., the Mermaid Parade Ball will take place at MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, 1904 Surf Ave., Brooklyn. The parade is free, the after-party is $35 or $100 for a VIP pass.
Experience poetry in the streets of the South Bronx and head to a cocktail party afterwards at the Bronx Museum. Memories of the Future is a series of art projects created by Brooklyn artist Melanie Crean to prompt Hunts Point residents to respond to their environment. Poets featured in the Memories Of The Future mobile application are speaking on this late afternoon poetry walk through Hunts Point, telling the story of the neighborhood’s landscape through a series of spoken word performances. Meet at 5 p.m. at 901 Hunts Point Ave., Bronx. Cocktail party at 7 p.m., The Bronx Museum, 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx. Free.
Sunday, June 22
On Tuesday, June 24 more than 100 remnants of rock 'n' roll history are going on the auction block at Sotheby’s New York. Included in the cache are posters, signed Beatles albums ($30,000 - $120,000), a Buddy Holly gold record ($1,000 - $1,500), Kurt Cobain’s smashed guitar ($30,000 - $40,000), Elvis Presley’s cream white concert jacket ($7,000-$9,000) and many other pop culture curiosities. The item with the highest estimate (up to $2 million) is an autographed manuscript for Bob Dylan’s 1965 masterpiece, “Like A Rolling Stone.” The auction items are on exhibition today from 1- 5 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Monday 10 a.m until 1 p.m at 1334 York Ave., Upper East Side.
The Sunshine Cinema will screen the winning films of the Lower East Side Film Festival on Sunday night. The NY Neighborhood Award Winning film (7 p.m.) and the Best Feature Film Winner (9 p.m.) will be selected the night before by a panel of judges that includes Marky Ramone and Ilana Glazer. $12.50 each session. Sunshine Cinema, 143 E. Houston St., Lower East Side.
