It’s time to see if March really will come in like a lion (if the dip back into the 30s on Sunday is any indication, the adage does still seem accurate). It’s a new month, and new weekend, which means there are new local activities to enjoy.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
FREE TAX HELP
In case you forgot, it’s tax season! (Sorry or you’re welcome.) AARP is still at the Greenpoint Library on Fridays through April 11 to help get your financial affairs in order with help from BPL’s Business & Career Center. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., individuals making $65,000 or less or $93,000 with dependents are invited to bring your government-issued ID, Social Security cards or ITIN letter(s), all 2024 wage statements, bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit, and any other relevant documents like a 1099-G (if you received Unemployment Insurance, etc), documentation of higher education expenses, childcare expenses, and your IRS IP PIN if applicable.
Assistance is offered for free on a walk-in basis, and AARP will take 20 appointments per session. More information here.
DROP-OFF MOVIE NIGHT
You deserve to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts! Plan an adults-only outing and keep your kids entertained at PLAY Kids’ drop-off movie night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Your little ones from ages 4 to 8 can enjoy a screening of Big Hero 6, a PG-rated 2014 animated movie about young robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, and Baymax, a lovable robot companion, as they form a band of unlikely heroes with their friends when chaos strikes in the city. There will also be open play, pizza, and popcorn.
Tickets are $42 and available here.
POLISH CONVERSATION WITH POET KRZYSZTOF SIWCZYK
Connect with the neighborhood’s Polish roots when Greenpoint Library hosts a reading and conversation (in Polish) with award-winning poet Krzysztof Siwczyk and translator Piotr Fiorczyk at the Polish Slavic Center from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The event will center around “A Calligraphy of Days: Selected Poems,” Siwczyk’s debut in English that features 64 poems spanning his career marked by clever turns of phrase, the connection of meaning and memory, meditations on illness and grief, and more thanks to his wide-ranging style.
The event is free, but registration is required here.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
INTRODUCTION TO DYES
Want to leave the Rit behind and learn how to naturally dye your own clothes and textiles? Greenpoint Library is kicking off a six-part series on natural dyes and the various materials to make it happen, from plants and insects. The series will cover dyeing fabric and yarn, the scientific dyeing process, mordanting (the process of prepping fibers to “accept” dye), and color shifting. This first course will be an introduction to materials from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bringing your own apron is recommended (dyes are permanent), but all other supplies will be included.
This adults-only class is free, though only open to 12 spaces, so entry is first come, first served.
GREENPOINT NATURE JOURNALING
For some family friendly nature fun, join the Greenpoint Nature Journaling Club at 12:30 or 2:30 p.m. in McGolrick Park for 90 minutes of connecting with nature, creating memories, and inspiring creativity for all ages organized by cabin and nature-based experience brand Mori.
Tickets are $39.19 (including fees) and available here.
GRAND GALA CARNIVAL FEASTING
Theatre and Opera Society (THEOS) and Polish and Slavic Center are hosting an evening of cultural delights and surprises in celebration of Carnival and in advance of the Lenten season. Kicking off at 5:30 p.m. at 177 Kent Street, enjoy a concert by soprano Katarzyna Drucker, actress and singer Anna Kucay, and vocalist Sylwia Zawrotniak complemented by guitar from William Beaufort and Charlie Richard and piano from Ola Watras and David Alan Jaymes. Music will span songs from musicals, operas, waltzes, tangos, and more (from Carole King to Edith Piaf and The Beatles) performed in Polish, French, and English. There will also be traditional Polish donuts and other sweets available.
Tickets are $10 and available here.
DISCO NIGHT
Disco is alive and well at the Polish and Slavic Center. Following the earlier Carnival festivities, come enjoy their 15th Disco Night with tunes played by DJ Stefan starting at 7 p.m. This particular boogie wonderland has become a tradition at the PSC, and the hot ticket (with a Polish spin, of course) usually draws upwards of 200 attendees.
Tickets are available starting at $25 here or $30 at the door.
SUNDAY, MARCH 2
WOMEN IN WELLNESS SUMMIT
Are you a wellness enthusiast looking to network and form meaningful connections with other likeminded women? Collective The Soul and Sky is hosting a Women in Wellness Summit at Arlo Williamsburg dedicated to just that from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The summit will promote a safe and welcoming space for discussions on self-care, entrepreneurship, mental health, and more, beginning with a networking hour and including an hour-long panel with wellness experts followed by open mingling and conversation.
Tickets are $60.54 (including fees) and available here.
BREATHWORK WORKSHOP
Get ready for a crash course in connecting to your higher self at Held Space. From 1 to 2:30 p.m., join the breathwork workshop teaching the essentials of using breath to connect with yourself through hands-on (with consent) energy healing. The practice will feature only eight participants for an intimate, safe experience and is trauma informed and set to a carefully curated playlist for true immersion.
Registration is $39.19 (including fees) here.