Frieze Art Fair A maze that’s also a personality test and an underground sculpture garden are just two of the over 1,000 contemporary art pieces on display at Randall’s Island this weekend. Browse with treats from local shops in hand, like Milk Bar, Prime Meats and Parlor Coffee, and if you know as little about modern art as we do, there are seminars, workshops and other events taking place throughout the park. Harlem EatUp! Festival Harlem is heating up as a foodie destination, so get to know some of the big names at this inaugural celebration spearheaded by chef Marcus Samuelsson, who just doubled down on the neighborhood with Streetbird Rotisserie. Events are individually ticketed and include talks, special dinners, a grand tasting in Morningside Park, demos from local chefs and A Sunday Afternoon in Harlemof local art, live music and a la carte tastings. Sip Into Spring A crowded happy hour often means standing around the bar, which isn’t appealing after a long day at work. But this happy hour pretty much guarantees comfort for your feet with a custom fitting for SOLS insoles (plus a lesson on how they use 3-D printers to make them). Tonight, SOLS hosts Sip Into Spring, a beer and wine tasting with samples from local shops. If you miss this chance, you can catch one of SOLS’ Martini Mondays, every week from 5-7 p.m. through June 22. Cheese Pop-Up There is such a thing as a free lunch in NYC (even without singing and dancing on the subway platform). Sample delicious Camemberts and Bries, and buy your favorites for half-price. Meanwhile, outside, the Gorilla Cheese NYC food truck will be handing out free samples of what magic happens when you melt cheese between two pieces of bread, or over some noodles. The Great Big Bacon Picnic Sometimes an event just sells itself, and this is, indeed, a great big bacon-centric event. We’re talking 100 chefs, mixologists and other bacon masters putting their best pork forward for your endless consumption (well, during your 2.5 to 3.5-hour session, anyway). There’ll be a bacon bar, best dish competitions and live music from the High & Mighty Brass Band. Mayfair Subtitled “A Surreal Party,” expect nothing less from the hotel that stages “Sleep No More.” The decadent party will feature theatrical and musical performances throughout all levels of the hotel, a full open bar, DJs and “surprises.” One caveat: The strictly enforced dress code requires either attire inspired by the surreal, or all white. Cocktails and Chocolate NYC Cram your Sunday afternoon full of the kind of sins worth living for, with a tasting of decadent chocolates while sipping delicious cocktails – including, yes, chocolate cocktails.Pastry chefs from 13 restaurants, including Sugar Couture, The Black Ant and Butter & Scotch, will serve up Valrhona chocolate-infused desserts alongside cocktail pairings by guest bartenders.James Beard Award-winning Johnny Iuzzini, the head judge from “Top Chef: Just Desserts,” will host. Pro tip: Save 25% on your tickets with code GURU. DanceWorks NYC Not everyone can become a professional dancer, and plenty of trained artists move on to 9-to-5 careers after years of formal practice. DanceWorks NYC invites those hobbyists to take classes and participate in live performances like this weekend’s recital. Shows include hip-hop, ballet, jazz and more, all of which might leave you wondering what’s stopping you from pursuing your own hidden dreams. Swig ‘n Swine This is the third weekend in a row of bacon-centric events, so stuff it to everyone saying it’s going out style. In addition to all the outdoor pork goodness made by chefs including Kurt Gutenbrunner of Wallse, there will be barrels of punch (bowls are for amateurs), music by Austin Millz and funds going to KIPP Brooklyn. Everest Awakening If you’ve been meaning to donate to Nepal following the recent earthquake, then check out this concert headlined by Patti Smith to benefit the survivors as well as their neighbors in vulnerable areas of the Himalayas served by the RPM Disaster Strikes Fund. Txikifest Bust the summer heat with a glass of fizzy Txakoli, a dry white wine from the Basque region of Spain, or try some from all of the 20 wineries turning out for this celebration. Along for the cookout in Txikito’s alley will be some serious heavy hitters like Co. Pizzeria, Bar Mateo, Dirt Candy and more, and proceeds benefit MS Hope for a Cure. Sting: Songs from ‘The Last Ship’ “The Last Ship” may already have shuttered on Broadway, but Sting’s musical is up for two Tony Awards next month and has a pretty great soundtrack when it’s not bogged down by a weak plot. See the 16-time Grammy winner performing some of it for two special performances next week to benefit The Actors Fund. Sting will be backed by an eight-piece band at The Heath, the restaurant located inside the McKittrick Hotel, home to “Sleep No More.” Bloom Most of us New Yorkers are not lucky enough to have our own backyards, but our green thumbs can still get some exercise at the Downtown Alliance’s free planting event this weekend. Show up at noon to help beautify the Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza by Trinity Church. Tools, soil and other supplies will be supplied, just come dressed to dig. Midsummer Night Swing Combining swing dancing with other genres, from salsa to line dancing, the Lincoln Center’s annualfest provides live music from top bands; if you don’t know the steps, a brief lesson kicks off each session. The event runs fromJune 23-July 11; secure your spot on the dance floor for $17, or dance on the sidelines for free. Your ticket also gets you into Silent Disco during late-night hours, which is $5 otherwise.
May 14-17
Randall’s Island Park
$10-$109
May 14-17
Multiple locations, prices
May 14, 6-8 p.m.
SOLS Pop-up,355 Bowery
Free
May 15, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
The French Cheese Board,26 W. 39th St.
Free
May 16-17, various times
Old Pfizer Factory,630 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn
$99-$249
May 16, 10:30 p.m.
The McKittrick Hotel, 542 W. 27th St.
$65+
May 17, 2-5 p.m.
Urbo, 11 Times Square
$55-$75
May 16, 5:15 & 8:30 p.m.
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts,35-12 35th Ave., Queens
$28
May 17, noon-5 p.m.
Union Pool, 484 Union Ave., Brooklyn
$30 advance, $40 door
May 17, 1 p.m.
City Winery, 155 Varick St.
$40-$55
May 17, 1-5 p.m.
Txikito, 240 Ninth Ave.
$53, 21+
May 19, 7 & 10 p.m.
The Heath at the McKittrick Hotel,542 W. 27th St.
May 16,noon-2 p.m.
Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza,Edgar Streetat Trinity Place
Free
ON SALE SOON
Tickets on sale May 20
Damrosch Park,Amsterdam Ave. at 62nd St.
$5-$17
13 things to do this week in NYC, May 14-20
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