Drinking events
Cask Ale Festival
The second day of the “living brews” fest that includes tipples like “Fuggelicious Wet Hopped Harvest Ale” and “Norm’s Raggedy Ass Ale.”
Clubs
One Step Ahead: Dante Ross
A funk-fueled evening of dusty-groove antics with Dante Ross, a major player in NYC’s hip-hop scene since the mid-’80s
Fitness
Workout with a Crunch trainer
Personal trainers Taj Harris and Karina Arrue conduct a one-mile group run/walk and a free 30-minute abs-and-stretch class at a nearby Crunch gym. You’ll also receive a complimentary three-day pass to a Crunch gym.
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Sex
2010 NYC Sex Blogger Calendar Release Party
Meet your favorite wordsmiths turned pin-ups and snag goody bags filled with condoms, penis-shaped lollipops and vibrators.
Books
Lynne Tillman + Hannah Tinti
Two top-shelf and entertaining New York writers read their fiction.
Art
Shana Lutker
This live event, part of Performa 09, incorporates accordion and invites audience participation by soliciting script suggestions for the actors.
Dance
Will Rawls
As part of a 100-hour creative residency at DTW, Will Rawls presents a work-in-progress showing of The Planet-Eaters.
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WTF
Guy Fawkes Night
Hit up Telephone Bar or the Bell House to fete that guy who tried to blow up parliament in 1605.
Drink Up
Dogfish Head Novemberfest
The top dogs of craft brewing bring some autumnal brews to Standings bar. Line your tum with free Ray’s pizza before quaffing $5 beers until 8pm ($6 thereafter).
Books
Rachel Sherman
Her artful novel Living Room offers an acidic and sometimes hilarious view of suburbia.
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Eat Out
William Grimes at Tenement Talks
The former New York Times dining critic offers a primer on the evolution of New York restaurants.
Lecture
“Darwin on Facebook: How Culture Transforms Human Evolution”
Anthropologist Peter Richerson breaks down his theory that it’s social interaction—online or off—that drives human evolution. Survival of the twittest?
Gay & Lesbian
Wednesgayz
DJ Tikka hosts this new weekly dance party with a rotating lineup of hand-selected guest DJs and down-to-earth Bed-Stuy queers.
Book cover via Amazon.
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Art
Guy Ben-Ner’s Untitled
The Israeli artist’s Performa 09 film features him talking to himself on the phone as he travels between Berlin and Tel Aviv.
Books
Bomb magazine launch party
Fiction writer Christopher Sorrentino reads his story “Ventriloquy,” which subtly enters the mind of a bitter novelist.
Music
Bushwick Book Club: On the Origin of Species
In this edition, singer-songwriters take Sir Charles Darwin as their muse.
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Books
Gary Giddins
The author discusses his new critical cornerstone: Jazz.
Talk
“The ‘Transcriptease’ Solar-Powered Oyster Reef”
Artist Mara Haseltine built New York’s first solar-powered oyster reef in 2007. Tonight she’ll chat about her project and the need for native oysters in New York City.
Books
Gravity’s Rainbow
Novelists Robert Stone (Dog Soldiers) and Emily Barton (Brookland) join editor Gerald Howard to discuss Thomas Pynchon’s metafiction classic.
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Dia de los Muertos
Mano a Mano
Gather the pieces needed to build an ofrenda (an altar to a lost loved one) at the Altar Building Marketplace, featuring items like incense, sugar skulls and more.
Clubs
Expansions
The venerable soulful-house acolyte Markus Rice takes over cozy club Sapphire for a classic tea-dance style hoedown, with New Jersey spinner Tee Mallory joining Rice in the booth.
Books
Galway Kinnell
The Pulitzer Prize–winning poet reads and engages the audience at the First Sunday reading series
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Clubs
Prowl Night: Kim Ann Foxman
Marcos Cabral of DFA recording combo Runaway helms this night of left-of-center house, disco and techno. Tonight’s holiday gala features visits from Kim Ann Foxman, the Hercules and Love Affair member who happens to be a killer DJ.
Clubs
Liquid Sound Lounge Halloween Costume Ball
Head to Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcafé for an evening of soulful house, jazz- and R&B-laced sounds, classics and more. Groove Collective’s Jay Rodriguez chimes in with live sax and flute, Pablo Vergara lays down accompanying keys, and HipBone Records’ Alexis P. Suter is on the mike.
Clubs
African Soul Jam Halloween Party
This pan-African throwdown at East Village world-music lounge Lava Gina covers hiplife, coupe decale, kwaito, naija, Afrobeat and more.
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Dance
Fridays at noon
The Merce Cunningham Understudy Repertory Group performs a selection of Cunningham’s works.
Halloween
The Phantom of the Opera screening
A screening of the 1925 silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera is accompanied by organist’s Robert Ridgell’s adaptation of the score.
Clubs
APT: DJ Milo
Milo was a founding member of the Wild Bunch, the Bristol, U.K., sound system that gave rise to Massive Attack. Nowadays he spins disco and house.
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Books
“Writing Hell”
A panel including Chris Hedges considers Curzio Malaparte and Vasily Grossman, two writers who vividly captured the horrors of WWII.
Spa & Sport
Skin consultations and facials
Head to Bloomingdale’s for mini NIA24 facials, complimentary consultations and skincare tips from dermatologist Dr. Ariel Ostad.
Event
“Ruben Toledo’s Art: from Fashion to Literature”
R.S.V.P. to hear the artist discuss his work, the influence of his wife (fashion designer Isabel) and the newly released Penguin’s Couture Classics series, for which he designed cover art.
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Event
Cassette from My Ex book launch
Growing out of the popular website of the same name, this cheeky book features playlists of mixtapes made for former loves.
Eat Out
How to Start a CSA
Need to boost your green cred? Learn how to source fresh produce through your own Community Supported Agricultural group.
Comedy
How I Learned What Everyone Else Already Knew
Being late to the proverbial party can be embarrassing, but tonight’s storytellers (including David Carr and Elna Baker) mine the funny out of their learning experiences.
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Book launch
Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish
Heeb editors fete their new book with readings by comedian Andy Borowitz and New Yorker editor Ben Greenman.
Panel
“Preserving the Small Business: A Roundtable Discussion”
Still thinking about opening that bespoke ham shop in the Greenwich Village? R.S.V.P. for a primer on small businesses in the area.
Clubs
Nigh Train: Kon & Amir
Crate-digging kings Kon & Amir man the decks for a night of funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, disco, Latin beats and plenty more.
Book cover courtesy of Amazon.com.
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Books
Chuck Klosterman
The pop-culture critic compares Kurt Cobain to David Koresh in his latest essay collection, Eating the Dinosaur. How? Go along and find out.
Opera & Classical
Ensemble ACJW
As part of the series on Chinese art and culture Ancient Voices, Modern Paths, ACJW turns its attention to music by composers from the so-called Class of ’78—the first to graduate from China’s musical conservatories following the Cultural Revolution.
Art
Art in Odd Places
Today’s your last chance to catch this outdoor art gallery situated on one of Manhattan’s busiest thoroughfares.
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Pooches on parade
The Annual Halloween Howl
Expect dozens of adorable pups in silly costumes (we’re always fans of the dog-in-a-hot-dog-outfit thing) at this annual event.
Fall festivities
Ninth Annual Halloween Harvest Festival
There’s face painting, a costume-making center and the Red Door Theatre Company’s rendition of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” And yes, there is another canine costume contest.
Art
Fall exhibitions opening at P.S.1
Celebrate the opening of this season’s exhibits, which include “Robert Bergman: Selected Portraits” and “1969,” the latter a series of works from that year drawn from the Museum of Modern Art’s collection.
Books
Rachel Sherman
The author reads from her debut novel about madness and suburban malaise, Living Room. 440 Gallery, 440 Sixth Ave between 9th and 10th Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-499-3844, 440gallery.com) 4:40–6:40pm
Vernon Reid
Music
Vernon Reid
Tireless guitar trailblazer Vernon Reid debuts his series of multimedia vignettes Artificial Afrika. Find out more in TONY’s interview.
Clubs
Saturdays at Von with Citizen Kane
The maestro of the Disques Sinthomme and Ghost Town labels spins a top-shelf mix of adult disco sounds with heavy injections of the sleazy and cosmic.
Music
The Moore Brothers + MV and EE + Expo + The Great Republic of Rough and Ready
MV and EE (Matt Valentine, once of the Tower Recordings, and Erika Elder) bring their out-there sounds to this CMJ show.
Books
Meet the Author: Mark Ovenden
His first book surveyed every rapid-transit system in the world (so he knows just how bad the MTA is). Today he discusses his new book on the Paris Metro.
Game launch
DJ Hero
Try a demo of the new Guitar Hero-style video game before it’s released on October 27. DJs Z Trip at J.Period will be on hand to show you how it’s done and Fab 5 Freddy will be your MC. Corner of Wooster and Spring Sts; noon–4pm.
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Books
Jonathan Lethem
The author reads from his stunning new Manhattan-set novel, Chronic City, which charts the adventures of a mild-mannered party boy and a pot-smoking, conspiracy-mongering pop critic named Perkus Tooth.
Clubs
Respect Is Burning: Dimitri from Paris
This edition of the Gallic-oriented house-music soiree is swinging in high Frenchie style, with disco daddy Dimitri from Paris.
Music
Greene Girl
Lauren Smith sings twangy, sparse numbers that have a gorgeous nature recalling a harnessed version of the Dresden Dolls. Disclosure: Backing her on keyboards is TONY staffer Alex Schechter.
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Sex & Dating
Mishka Calendar Release Party
Look no further for the perfect holiday gift (for a sneak peek of what to expect, check out these calendar outtakes).
Drink Up
Thursdays with Tina Fey
Catch the new episode of 30 Rock and enjoy an $8 “Tina Fey” cocktail at Sweet Ups’ weekly viewing party.
Spas & Sports
Thai Yoga Massage or one-on-one yoga
Today through Sunday, yoga and massage specialists at ThirdPower Fitness will work you over for 30 minutes, completely free of charge. Call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Books
Padgett Powell
His latest book—composed entirely of questions—is astounding in concept and in execution.
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Party
Zombie Prom 2009
The awkwardness of Halloween and proms comes together for one night of awesomeness.
Books
Daniel Nester
In How to Be Inappropriate, the pop-culture-obsessed humorist (and sometime TONY contributor) tackles taboos and cracks fart jokes.
Comedy
Haiku
Belly laughs are paired with belly tuna at this stand-up night in the back of a sushi bar.
Art
Free Day at the Guggenheim
As part of the its 50th anniversary celebrations, the museum waives admission fees today. Be sure to check out “Kandinsky,” one of the fall’s biggest shows.
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Lecture
Million Trees NYC
Learn about the strategy and mission of Million Trees NYC, an initiative to plant (you guessed it) 1 million trees in the five boroughs by 2017.
Music
Stereogum/The Believer showcase
R.S.V.P. at stereogum.com for free passes to see Cold Cave, the Golden Filter, Free Energy and Glasser.
Event
The New York Times Book of New York: Stories of the People, the Streets, and the Life of the City Past and Present
Current and former New York Times editors and writers, including Sewell Chan and Anna Quindlen, discuss the newspaper’s latest book, and their own New York stories.
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Photography
“Pretty, Vacant: A Slideshow of Abandoned New York”
Nathan Kensinger shares his images of abandoned buildings throughout the five boroughs.
Opera & classical
The Movado Hour
The Knights take on everything from Baroque gems to modern marvels.
Well-being
Complimentary Yoga Classes
The Williamsburg Beacon Center is offering gratis sessions geared toward beginners covering breathing, meditation and different postures.
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