7 things to do in NYC this weekend: Oct. 17-19
Highlights this week include Grammy Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater headlining the BRIC Jazz Fest, the annual Diwali celebration at Flushing City Hall and the Pro Padel Finals at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Plus, Chef JJ Johnson and Angela Yee host “The Cookout” again, and Musa Jackson celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Mahogany.”
Music
BRIC Jazz Festival 2025
BRIC House — 647 Fulton St., Brooklyn (Fort Greene)
Fri. October 17 and Saturday. October 18, various sessions.
Grammy and Tony Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater closes out the 11th annual BRIC JazzFest, a two-day lineup bringing together what musician and festival curator Adrian Younge called “a diverse, global line-up of some of the most incredible musicians I know.”
Other artists scheduled to perform include Chief Adjuah, Vuyo Sotashe & Chris Pattishall, Saha Gnawa, Meklit Hadero, Nubya Garcia, Endea Owens, OKAN, New Jazz Underground and Karriem Riggins.
Bridgewater is looking forward to returning to Brooklyn to perform for the first time since 2016 – this time with a set of timely songs relevant to current events.
“I’m coming to do the festival with my all-female band, WE EXIST!,” Bridgewater told the Daily News. “And I do protest songs and socially relevant songs, trying to address the situation that the United States is in today, without making vocal political statements, just expressing myself through music.”
Her set list will include “every song that’s ever been heard,” she shared, like The Stylistics’ “People Make the World Go Round,” Donny Hathaway’s “Tryin’ Times,” Abbey Lincoln’s “Throw It Away” and Bob Dylan’s “Gotta Serve Somebody.”
Tickets start at $55.
Family
11th Annual Diwali Festival
Flushing City Hall—137-35 Northern Blvd, Queens (Flushing)
Sat. October 18, noon – 4 p.m.
City Hall continues its tradition of commemorating Diwali, the annual Hindu “festival of lights,” with a day of family activities that Public Programs Director Gabrielle M. Hamilton describes as “a joyful and immersive experience not to be missed!”
Alongside workshops in henna tattooing, rangoli art and Hindi calligraphy, Indian culture and tradition will come alive through Kathak dance performed by Abha B. Roy and her Srijan Dance Company, and musicians Pt. Kinnar Seen and Dr. Naren Budhkar will perform classical Indian sitar and tabla music. Fashion designer-turned-chef Nupur Arora and his Queens Curry Kitchen will be serving his signature Indian cuisine beer.
Tickets are $20 for adults, free for children.
Art
“Billy Joel: my life, the journey of a pianist”
Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame — 97 Main St., Long Island (Stony Brook)
Until October 26. Several hours.
There’s still time to see this Billy Joel exhibit before it starts moving after two years.
Curated by renowned designer Kevin O’Callaghan, the exhibition’s rare memorabilia, awards, recordings, instruments, videos and photos capture the life of one of New York’s great native sons.
Tickets start at $28.50.
Movie
“Mahogany 50th Anniversary Celebration”
The Apollo Stages at Victoria — 233 West. 125th Street, 3rd Floor, Manhattan (Harlem)
Fri. October 17, 6 p.m.
“Harlem Ambassador” Musa Jackson is back with another event celebrating the golden anniversary of a black cinema classic. Diana Ross’ beloved film centers on an aspiring fashion designer who is propelled to the dizzying heights of international stardom with no one to share it with.
Directed by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and also starring Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Perkins, the 1975 romantic drama featured the superstar in his greatest non-singing performance. She sang the title song, “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)”, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for an Academy Award.
The film’s legacy will be discussed after the special screening by television producer, author and Diana Ross expert Patrick Riley, fashion stylist Ty Hunter and the diva’s eldest daughter, singer-songwriter and longtime Harlemite Rhonda Ross Kendrick.
Tickets cost $30.
Theater
“Freedom Riders: A Journey with No End in Sight”
Harlem Scene—150 Convent Ave., Manhattan (Harlem)
Until October 18, various sessions.
Following her historic multi-city bus tour, Dr. Indira Etwaroo’s reimagining of “12 Angry Men: True Stories of Being a Black Man in America Today” opened Harlem Stage’s new season with a cast including Lisa Arrindell, Russell Hornsby, Billy Eugene Jones, Angelica Ross and Stephen Tyrone Williams.
The theatrical reading looks back at centuries of racial injustice in America from a primarily contemporary perspective with first-person monologues on racial profiling, police brutality, systemic violence, violence against black trans lives, and the tragic story of Breonna Taylor.
Etwaroo, who directed Bed-Stuy’s Billie Holiday Theater when it received the National Medal of Arts in 2023, has previously produced productions of the work at the Brooklyn venue.
Tickets at $40.
Sporty
Finals of the City’s Cup of the Pro Padel League
Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center — 311 West 34th St., Manhattan (Midtown)
Until October 19. Several times.
The Pro Padel League (PPL) will descend on New York with its end-of-season City’s Cup Finals, featuring champion male and female duos competing in knockout matches on a custom “high competition” stage.
Agustín Tapia, Federico Chingotto, Gemma Triay and Ari Sánchez are among the stars of this growing racket sport who will compete throughout the weekend.
Tickets start at $30.
Food
“The barbecue”
St. Barts — 325 Park Ave., Manhattan (Midtown)
Sat. November 18. 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
James Beard Award-winning chef, author and television host JJ Johnson is once again teaming up with radio host and entrepreneur Angela Yee for his signature food festival event, “The Cookout.”
Johnson said he was proud to see his vision for an immersive experience showcasing the food, music and community of African-Caribbean and African-American culture “transform into a movement bringing together chefs, DJs and guests who understand that representation in the culinary industry matters.”
Unlike other food festivals that charge an entry price only for attendees to also pay for the food, “The Cookout” is all-inclusive. Turntablists such as DJ Moochie, DJ Jahi Sundance and DJ Mundo will rock the wheels of steel while Chef Preston Clark, Osei “Picky” Blackett, Mother Shuckers founder Ben “Moody” Harney, India Doris and Sugar Hill Creamery will serve up food and treats for the masses.
Johnson, the force behind Fieldtrip restaurant, will also take off her apron to lead a crowd in a game of “Kitchen Karaoke.”
“This event is not just a party, it is a purpose-driven celebration that reflects both the beauty of our culture and the responsibility we have to nourish and uplift our communities,” Johnson said.
Tickets start at $150.
If you would like to submit an upcoming weekend event for consideration in an upcoming roundup, please email: nycevents@nydailynews.com with full announcement details. Consideration does not guarantee inclusion.
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