MUSIC
B.B. King Blues Club & Kitchen
This is your last weekend to visit Times Square’s iconic B.B. King Blues Club before it’s forced to close because — what else? the rent is too damn high. Owners Blue Note Entertainment Group are looking to relocate the venue, but don’t miss your chance to celebrate 18 years of music by catching a show before revered jazz guitarist Buddy Guy closes it all out on Sunday night. Through April 29, 237 W. 42 St., bbkingblues.com
SHOPPING
New dads have a lot on their minds, but that’s no excuse to forget to spoil your baby mama on Mother’s Day. Hatch Store, which sells goods for new moms, is hosting an event that makes it easy for guys to shop for their gals, with beer on hand and free shaves — plus the chance to preorder flowers or pick up something shiny from Stephanie Gottlieb Jewelry. But you don’t need to be a new dad or a clueless to show up and take advantage of the fun shopping event. April 26, 6-8 p.m., Hatch Store, 17 Bleecker St., free, hatchcollection.com
FILM
Celebrate a new era for black voices making their way to the big screen at the annual New Voices in Black Cinema film festival at BAM Rose Cinemas. It premieres 12 narrative and documentary features from around the world, in addition to five shorts over four days. Films range from “I Am Not a Witch” to “One Bedroom,” exploring the black experience from Zambia to our own backyard in Brooklyn. There are also talkbacks and Q-and-As with contributors. April 26-29, BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, $15, bam.org
INTERNET
The New Genres: Video in the Internet Age
Video didn’t kill the radio star, and internet hasn’t killed television — but it has created entirely new genres of video. The Museum of Moving Image is launching a new exhibit this weekend, The New Genres: Video in the Internet Age, exploring how new platforms and technology have disrupted not just how we watch videos but what kinds of videos we create and share, including ASMR, unboxing, reaction videos and vlogging. April 27-Sept. 2, 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria, $15, movingimage.us
ARTS
Shakespeare’s Birthday Sonnet Slam
Each year, fans of the Bard gather at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park for a reading of all 154 of his sonnets to honor his christening (April 26, 1564). On Friday, Shakespeare’s Birthday Sonnet Slam will be led by actress Kathleen Chalfant, followed by a range of readers and reciters of all ages, often including special guests and costumed performers. It’s free to watch, but donations are accepted. Standby volunteers are welcome. April 27, 1-4 p.m., Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, free, sonnetslam.com
DANCE
The Alice-in-Wonderland Follies
Inspired by the most imaginative moments in Lewis Carroll’s beloved children’s story, the New York Theatre Ballet combines a variety of dance styles to create a vaudeville staging of The Alice-in-Wonderland Follies with four performances this weekend at Florence Gould Hall. From the Mad Hatter’s tea party to Alice growing to the size of a house, each of the hour-long show’s segments features its own style, whether it’s classical ballet, Irish Step Dancing or African Juba. April 28-29, Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St., $34, nytb.org
RAMEN
The next star of New York City’s ramen scene is likely to come from overseas, with Ichiran, Menya Jiro and E.A.K. Ramen. This weekend, you can taste seven exclusive bowls of ramen (and other Japanese goodies) by chefs flying in front Japan for a two-day contest of soup supremacy spanning two boroughs. The All Japan Ramen Contest is part of an annual block party called Japan Fes with performers, snacks and vendors. On April 28, the action is in Manhattan on Eighth Avenue between 15-16th streets in Chelsea, and on April 29 head to Queens on Steinway Street between Broadway and 34th Avenue in Astoria. Both events go from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 28-29, admission is free, bowls are $10 each, japanefes.com
SHOPPING
FAD Market kicks off its season this weekend with an event at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Support the maker movement by browsing wares from over 45 vendors offering everything from handmade art and jewelry to homewares and soaps. Brands range from creative kits by Boneyard Parts to stationary by Emmamoon; you can rep your Brooklyn pride with a piece from the Gowanus Souvenir Shop or take home commissioned art by Kate True Walnut Ink Portraits. April 28-29, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Brooklyn Historical Society, 168 Pierrepont St., Brooklyn, free, fadmarket.co
FOOD
Promoting equality and diversity in the food industry, as well as international cuisines, the World’s Fare is a two-day event taking place at Citi Field with over 100 vendors. Your ticket gets you in (food is pay-as-you-go); upgrade for entry to the international Beer Garden featuring 80 brews. There will be live world music, art installations, pizza-making classes and even sumo wrestling demos by champion Yama. April 28-29, Citi Field, 123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Queens, $29-$300, theworldsfare.nyc
SPRING
Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend
While the Orchid Show continues at the Conservatory, and the cherry blossoms bloom, this weekend the New York Botanical Garden is devoted to daffodils — and, actually, grapes. The Daffodil Celebration and Wine Weekend gives guests the chance to sample wines from over a dozen local wineries, while taking a gander at over 670,000 flowers in full bloom on Daffodil Hill and in the Daffodil Valley collection. Your ticket includes a tasting glass and all-garden pass. April 28-29, New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, $43, nybg.org
SPRING
There’s no better place in the city to experience cherry blossom season than Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where over 200 trees line its Cherry Esplanade and dot the gorgeous landscape of its Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Head there this weekend for peak blooms and the Japanese cultural extravaganza that is Sakura Matsuri, with tons of costumed flower fans, martial arts and live music, manga workshops, tea ceremonies and tons of activities for kids. April 28-29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 150 Eastern Parkway, $30 bbg.org
WORKOUT
Take your weekend workout to Bryant Park, where its annual tai chi season kicks off this Saturday with three hours of classes at the Fountain Terrace in celebration of World Tai Chi Day. The classes are free and beginners are welcome to try the ancient Chinese discipline based on channeling life energy through graceful movement. Regular tai chi classes in the park kick off next week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30-8:30 a.m., led by instructors from CK Chu Tai Chi. All classes are free and no registration is required. April 28, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Bryant Park, free, bryantpark.org
ART
Watch 12 artists battle in a series of live painting rounds, where guests not only come to show their support (and add the pressure of a live audience), but also help vote for the winners. You’ll also get to eat, drink and enjoy the spectacle of the competition — then, before it’s all over, you’ll have the chance to bid on the art pieces that emerge in a silent auction. The winners move on to national and even international rounds. April 28, 7 p.m., Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., $15-$20, lpr.com
SPRING
Earth Day was last weekend, but there’s never a wrong time to learn how to protect our planet and practice environmental conservatism. If you think some of those words sound a little nerdy, how about these: Beer Garden. Bar Trivia. Hooked yet? The Queens Botanical Garden hosts an Arbor Day that truly has something for everyone, from kids’ games to grown-up drinks. There will be arts and crafts, a petting zoo and food vendors, as well as inflatables and lawn games. April 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Queens, $10, queensbotanical.org
FOOD
Why relax at home when you can go whole hog this Sunday at Threes Brewing? Partnering with Meat Hook and the Brownsville Community Cultural Center, the brewery is hosting Whole Hog for a Cause, a pig roast whose proceeds support healthy cuisine for families in need. It starts with a plate of barbecue and fixin’s, plus two beer tickets, with the option to upgrade for unlimited food and beer. There will also be a raffle, and it all goes down in the backyard. April 29, 5 p.m., Threes Brewing, 333 Douglass St., Brooklyn, $75, threesbrewing.com
