Things to Do in NYC this Weekend (New York City) - August 24 - 25, 2013

New York City is known predominantly for food, nightlife, and shopping, but literary events? Not so much in this hyper fast paced digital age!  Storytelling these days as a craft has lost much of it's place in everyday social activity and has been relegated to the confines of Hollywood and the literary elite.  But for all you rare bibliophiles, there is the 9th Annual Fort Greene Park Summer Literary Festival happening this Saturday, August 24 2013. Can you imagine anything more meditative than sitting on a chair with a nice cup of iced coffee listening to live storytelling on a mild breezy summer day?

Other events happening this weekend include the Hudson River Park's Blues BBQ and Authur Ashe Kids Day, where you can take your little ones to the U.S Open Tennis Stadium to enjoy free tennis camp, face painting, and take pictures with Nickelodeon characters (Sponge Bob, Dora, etc).

1. The 9th Annual Fort Greene Park Summer Literary Festival.  Young writers from the New York Writer's Coalition Summer Workshop and members of the Writers Foundry will doing live readings and storytelling in the park, and best of all, free admissions! Published authors presenting their work include Chris Adrian, Angel Nafis, Timothy Small and Jackson Taylor. Sponsors of this event include Amazon.com and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.  Follow their Facebook page for upcoming literary events around town.

Date: Saturday, August 24 2013.  Place: The Monument section of Fort Greene Park

photo credit: Melvin Reeves

2.  The Hudson River Park's Blues Bar-B-Que - Free live jazz and blues performances are scheduled throughout the afteroon at the Hudson River Park.  Even if you're not a fan of blues you should check out the park as it's undergone some beautiful renovation over the years.  Several of NYC's renowned Bar-b-que joints, like Brother Jimmy's BBQ, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and Delaney Barbeque will also be there serving tasty outdoor summer cuisine.  

Date: Saturday, August 24 2013 from 2:30 - 7:30 pm Place: Hudson River Park.

The Hudson River Park is a 5 mile stretch with lots of outdoor activities to be found!

3. Authur Ashe Kids' Day - Have your little one try out a few rounds of tennis and enjoy concerts by pre-teen stars from the Disney Channel.  Although the 1pm Stadium Show with a guest appearance by Michelle Obama (she leads the Let's Move initiative to combat childhood obesity) is sold out, there are many events happening from 9:30 to 12:30 that is open to the public.  The schedule can be found here.

Date: Saturday, August 24 2013 from 9:30 - 12:30 pm Place: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

Kids can practice/try tennis at the same courts as the pros!

Things to Do in NYC this Weekend (New York City) - August 17 - 18, 2013

The weekend is coming up and we've rounded up our second list of things to do around New York City this weekend.  For live theater performances off the beaten path, The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) is back in NYC this year!  It's a festival where you can check out performances from playwrights and actors from all over the country and the world - many of them only come to perform in NYC once a year at the Fringe Festival.  Performances are held in various performance theaters in Manhattan and tickets are only $15.  You can also get passes for multiple shows and there's even a Fringe Festival Happy Hour held Fridays and Saturdays at 11pm @ Celebration of Whimsy on 21-A Clinton Street NYC - with variety shows performed by FringeNYC performers of course!

The Jazz Age Lawn Party is back at Governor's Island this weekend, and if you have a car, you can venture out to Jones beach for the Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox 20 concert.

All events listed below are for this Saturday and Sunday : August 17 - 18, 2013.

1. The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) - With performances of all genres from actors and actresses from all around the country, and the world (Japan, Sweden, and more!), there's something for everyone at Fringe NYC.  The easiest way to find out which shows to attend is to download their show guide online here, then go to their website to purchase the tickets. You can also go to their headquarters at FringeCentral to pick up a show guide and buy tickets in person,  Location: Depends on the Show, check their website for theater location  Time: Festival runs from August 9 to 25, 2013.

200 shows, 20 venues, 16 days, 5000 artists, 2000 volunteers and 2 full time employees help make this event happen.

2. Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox 20 concert at Jones Beach Theater: Yes, they are back in New York this year, relive tunes from the early 2000's and songs from their newer albums.  Time: Saturday August 17, doors open at 6pm.  Tickets can be purchased here, act fast as they're selling out.

3. Jazz Festival at Governor's Island - Dress up in your flapper dresses and suits and head out to Governor's Island for live Jazz, dancing, and drinks.  Time: Saturday and Sunday, August 17 - 18, 2013.  General Admissions is $30 and can be purchased here.  You can get food their, or bring your own picnic.  It's a fun festive party, but due to it's popularity, it is a venue that is quite crowded. We recommend hopping on the ferry line to get out of Governor's Island way before the event ends each night as the line can get quite long.  Vegetarian food options are a bit lacking there too, so we recommend bringing your own if you're a picky eater.

 Photo by Flip Wolak