NY Burger Feast The official kickoff to NY Burger Week is Friday’s gathering of seven chefs to taste the wide world of burgers, including Black Iron Burger, The Ainsworth and, making the trip uptown, the FiDi-based Ramen Co. and its juggernaut, the Ramen Burger. In addition to each signature burger — all made with beef, like their forefathers — there will be craft beers. Red Bull Music Academy Festival You’ll probably need some Red Bull to keep up with this music festival taking place across New York City all through the month of May. Bands include Electronic Africa (at Villain in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this Friday), Storm Rave (at a secret warehouse, May 16) and FKA Twigs (Brooklyn Hangar, May 17-18). There are also conversations with artists like A$AP Rocky, La Monte Young and George Clinton, as well as workshops, seminars and club nights. Whitney Museum Block Party Serenade the newly relocated Whitney Museum of American Art with a karaoke number at during its grand opening block party celebration this weekend. Admission to the museum is free all Saturday (RSVP online), along with a street fair full of activities and live performances with puppetry, dance, music and more. Ramp Fest Hudson For a hot minute every spring, the only vegetable any of us care about is the elusive ramp. A little late on the scene this year, the wild onion has emerged, and dozens of chefs from the city as well as Hudson Valley have created their own unique dishes showcasing it. There will also be talks on sustainable agriculture within communities, pickling demonstrations and live music. Staten Island Brewfest The fifth borough may not be your first thought for plans on a fine spring day, but make an exception for the fourth annual Brewfest, where chicken wings and cold, frothy beers from over 10 breweries can be had. New York Hot Jazz Festival More marathon than festival, catch 25 artists across three stages for a whopping 14 hours this weekend. Acts include Wycliff Gordon & Friends, The Hot Sardines, Evan Christopher’s Clarinet Road and the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band. There are also late-night jam sessions and, of course, an after-party. Brooklyn Crush You’ll have three hours to sample over 200 wines alongside Brooklyn bites like chocolate, jams, cookies, charcuterie, and even a little something or two for the vegans. Our advice is to bring a bottle of water, and maybe stick to one genre of wine? Glam Gardens April showers brought May flowers to Saks Fifth Avenue, where floral themes will take over the store including living installations, with color palettes inspired by gardens and even complementary scents. But the highlight will be the grand window displays, featuring 10 topiaries and over 100,000 flowers. TD Five Boro Bike Tour Watch Party Alice Austen was a women’s rights activist, and one of the issues she fought for was the equal right to ride bicycles. What better way to honor this incredible advocate than by lounging on the lawn of the Alice Austen House in Staten Island, enjoying a picnic on a sunny spring day, while watching the TD 5 Boro Bike Tour glide past the steps of the museum? Participation in the watch party is entirely free – bring your own blanket, and check out the vintage social bicycling photos inside while you’re there. Chilina Kennedy While Broadway is dark on Mondays, theater enthusiasts can get their fix with Chilina Kennedy, currently starring in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” She’ll be performing titles from her record, “What You Find in a Bottle,” but you can probably expect a few stellar Carole King hits in there, too. Carte Blanche The Algonquinhas been hosting live jazz since 1939, and the tradition is revived every Tuesday this May with Carte Blanche, a six-piece ensemble playing jazz standards from the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s. A specialty cocktail menu is being served in the lounge, which is free and open to the public during performances. The music will also be heard throughout the hotel’s Blue Bar and the Round Table restaurant. ‘The Visit’ Two-time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera returns to Broadway in “The Visit,” the final collaboration from Kander and Ebb, the team behind “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Cabaret” and “Chicago.” The plot follows the richest woman in the world, who returns to her ramshackle hometown on a quest for charity – and vengeance. It’s up to the townspeople which seemingly incompatible urge will win the day. Choice Streets It’s always a good thing when some of the city’s best food trucks come to you instead of you chasing them via Twitter updates. The fourth annual event has over 20 trucks lined up, including the winter’s hot Hungarian newcomer Langos Truck, as well as Korilla BBQ, Solber Pupusas, Valducci’s Pizza and more. Admission includes unlimited tastings and non-alcoholic drinks, access to the Intrepid and live entertainment.
May 1, 5-8 p.m.
Hudson Common, 356 W. 58th St.
$65, 21+
May 1-31, multiple times, locations and prices
May 2, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Whitney Museum of American Art,99 Gansevoort St.
Free
May 2, noon-4 p.m.
Basilica Hudson, 110 S. Front St., Hudson, N.Y.
$35
May 2, 2-7 p.m.
Richmond County Bank Ballpark,75 Richmond Terrace
$30-$85
May 2, noon-2 a.m.
$35-$80
May 2, 3-6 p.m. & 8-11 p.m.
Industry City,233 37th St., Brooklyn
$79-$179
May 3-26
Saks Fifth Avenue,12 49th St.
Free
May 3, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Alice Austen House Museum,2 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island
Free
May 4, 10:30 p.m.
The Cutting Room,44 E. 32nd St.
$20
Tuesdays in May, 7-9:30 p.m.
The Algonquin, 59 W. 44th St.
Free
Through Sept. 6
Lyceum Theater,149 W. 45th St.
$29-$149
May 5, 8-11 p.m.
Intrepid Museum, Pier 86
$55-$85
13 things to do this week in NYC, April 30-May 5
Laura June Kirsch
