WEDS, 8/20: BUZZFEED’S NIGHT SCHOOL, SHOW US YOUR JUNK, ART OF THE SOUNDTRACK, FOSP, 7 FREE OUTDOOR MOVIES

7am-7pm (thru 8/22): picnic in grand central: grand central terminal’s vanderbilt hall is transformed to an indoor picnic area, complete with an astroturf floor, picnic tables, food for purchase (11am-4pm), and daily entertainment (11am-2pm, 4pm-7pm) from broadway performers, musicians, and more. but because this is indoors, you can also take advantage of the air conditioning and free wi-fi. free admission. >>

6-8pm (+ 8/27): enjoy a 5-cent owl’s brew cocktail at bfb on the highline burger restaurant (55 gansevoort st.). >>

6-9pm (+ 8/21): the meatpacking summer series is four-nights of live music, comedy and improv outdoors on gansevoort plaza. tonight: improv from the upright citizens brigade theater. gansevoort st. bet. hudson st. + ninth ave, free admission. >>

6-9pm: devon goldberg of morricone youth (east village radio) and fabio roberti, host of strength through failure (wfmu) discuss the art of the soundtrack at red bull studios, followed by a playlist featuring notable scores by morricone, barry, mancini, rota, herrmann, and more. 220 w. 18th st., free. >>

6pm-12am: celebrate author h. p. lovecraft’s 124th birthday at the alphabet city bar that bears his name with performances by drama desk-nominated radiotheatre, raffles, specialty absinthe cocktails, and free cake. free drinks for those in costume. >>

6:30pm (+ 8/25, 27): the asia society and museum’s ‘waking the green tiger’ film series features four documentaries from the front lines of china’s environmental crisis, followed by filmmaker q+a. free (rsvp required). >>

7pm: columbia university professor of philosophy/author philip kitcher talks about ‘climate change: the hard problem’ at revolution books. free. >>

7pm: the night school lowbrow lecture series, hosted by buzzfeed’s jack shepherd and tanner ringerud, features five presentations on topics such as ‘die hard and aristotle’s three unities,’  ‘the science of spontaneous generation in pokémon,’ and ’14 punctuation marks you never knew existed.’ housingworks, free. >>

7-11pm (thru 8/30): con artist gallery presents ‘starrcade’, an art show about professional wrestling. opening party tonight. 119 ludlow st., free. >>

7pm doors, 7:30pm show: the theme for this month’s lost and found storytelling show at lpr’s gallery is ‘bikes’. hosted by daniel guzman. free. >>

7:30pm doors, 8pm show: the folks from brooklyn brainery host ‘show us your junk’, an educational show + tell night at union hall with artifacts from collectors, teachers, history buffs and storytellers.$5. >>

7:30pm doors, 8pm show: frances cone, the novel ideas and danica dora play knitting factory. $12. >>

8pm (first + third wednesdays): gary levitt and matt schwartzer host thei don’t get it comedy show at revision lounge with guests carmen lynch, mike recine, chris waelti, meghan hanley, and more. 219 ave. b (bet. 13th + 14th sts), free. >>

8pm: bob hansen hosts this week’s train wreck stand-up comedy showat the producers club with guests carmen lynch, regina decicco, ashley morris, tony deyo, chrissie mayr, josh alba, and katie hannigan. no drink minimum, free admission. >>

8pm: the weekly trashy car/motorcycle flick series cine meccanicascreens bruce brown’s on any sunday (1971) starring steve mcqueen. free popcorn, $2 bingo for prizes, food available for purchase. lady jay’s, free. >>

8pm (+ 8/24-27): get free tickets to see play/date at fat baby (plus ticket fees, reg. $30-50). >>

8pm: the pitchblak brass band, karikatura and bombrasstico play brooklyn bowl. $10. >>

8pm: heaven’s gate, weekends, advaeta, and et al play silent barn. $8.>>

8pm doors, 9pm show: at tonight’s brooklyn comedy festival edition of the friends of single people (fosp) dating game show, comedians will be representing single people onstage. the lineup includes anthony devito, dave hill, aparna nancherla, becky yamamoto, jacqueline novak, emmy blotnick, and more. littlefield, $7. >>

10pm: keith sweaty, okapi sun, and dj lorna dune play niagara. free. >>

thru 8/24: the annual brooklyn comedy festival continues with an evening of shows at glasslands ($8) and littlefield ($7). >>

thru 8/26: danish documentary expedition to the end of the worldfollows  a crew of scientists and artists traveling on a three-mast schooner to the fjords of greenland, which are experiencing the effects of climate change. film forum, $13. >>

check our website for ongoing events.

coming up

8/21: free outdoor movies: >>
amélie (france), south street seaport food fest. bonus: free food samples (limited qty).
coming to america, central park
the birds, brooklyn bridge park’s pier 1 harbor view lawn
strictly ballroom, long island city (43-29 crescent street)
willy wonka and the chocolate factory, nj’s asbury park

8/21 3-8pm: sections of the monument quilt, a crowd-sourced collection of stories of survivors of rape and abuse, will be displayed outdoors at the queens museum. spoken word performances and remarks are scheduled 5-6pm. free. >>

8/21 5:30pm doors, 6:30pm show (+ 8/28): the annual moma nights music series continues a season of performances in the sculpture garden with theesatisfaction. free with $25 museum admission. >>

8/21 6-9pm: the dorothy parker society celebrates the writer’s 121st birthday at the new york distilling company’s shanty bar with dorothy parker american gin drink specials and readings. free admission. >>

8/21 6-9pm:  get tickets to the new york botanical garden’s jazz-age party (includes a cocktail) with music by michael arenella and his dreamland orchestra for $22 (plus ticket fees, reg. $30). >>

8/21 7pm-1am (fri-sat, ongoing): the weekly brooklyn night bazaarnight market brings bands, food, breweries + wineries, vendors, light installations, and mini golf, ping pong + skeeball to a 24,000 sq ft warehouse. this week’s music comes from teen, white hinterland, vietnam, bebe panthere, and donald cumming. free admission. >>

8/21 7:30pm doors, 8pm show: former harvey danger lead singer sean nelson performs at union hall with support from shenandoah davis, prairie empire, and small houses. $12 adv, $15 dos. >>

8/21 8pm: see sharknado 2: the second one in all it’s terribleness on the big screen. union square 14, $12.50. >>

8/21 8:30pm: take a 90-minute nighttime city lights cruise (drink included) aboard a 1920s-style yacht thru october for $26-31.20 (plus ticket fees, reg $52). >>

8/21 8:30pm: the talk show series presents: the kevin corrigan showwith guests sarah silverman, chuck klosterman, and damien echols. capacity is limited to 40, so arrive early. over the eight, free. >>

8/21 9pm: jd samson (le tigre, men) guest djs at the friends and lovers starlight dance party. free (rsvp). >>

8/21-24: 18 teams compete to win a cash prize at the inaugural down under improv festival. under st. marks, $7. >>

8/21-31: the annual dark festival at the tank theater features stories, plays, magic, and more that utilize only self-sufficient and alternative energy sources. $15. >>

8/22 9:55pm, 12:05am: producer james franco and director christina voros will do q+a following a screening of their new bdsm documentary,kink, at 9:55pm and will introduce it at 12:05am. ifc, $14. >>

sales, deals, freebies

get $30 worth of organic groceries, supplements, and body productsat westerly natural market in midtown west. for $15. >>

ticket deals

entry to the brooklyn night bazaar: get expedited admission + a drink for $5 ($15 value), or ‘ultimate package’ admission for two + two drinks, five food tastings, and passes for mini-golf or table tennis for $38 ($54.74 value). >>

take a cruise up the hudson to bear mountain for oktoberfest, hiking, and more on weekends 9/13-10/26 for $30 (plus ticket fees, reg $60).>>

get free tickets to the affordable art fair at the tunnel 9/26-29 (plus ticket fees, reg. $15). >>

get free tickets to see dustin diamond star as ‘screech’ in saved by the bell parody bayside! the musical! at theatre 80 in the east village thru 9/6. (plus ticket fees, reg. $45) >>

get free tickets to surreal icelandic rock musical revolution in the elbow of ragnar agnarsson furniture painter at the minetta lane theatre 8/22-30 (plus ticket fees, reg. $68.50). >>

get tickets to phoenix, an off-broadway play starring julia stiles at the west village’s cherry lane theatre thru 8/23 8/28 (extended!) for $25 with promo code ‘pjuly25’ (plus $1 ticket fee, reg. $56-66). >>

get tickets for two to taste williamsburg greenpoint, including four tastings and two drinks each, 9/7 for $25 ($54.74 value). >>