[field notes nyc] things to do in new york: Oct 6 - Oct 12
A week to explore Red Hook and to learn about Puerto Rican fashion, Korean food or Japanese fermentation
Multiday Events
🎬 Liberación Film Festival: Two Days of Films, Music, and Conversation (10/7 & 10/8): “The Center for Brooklyn History is excited to partner with the Afrolatino Festival NYC, and the Afrolatin@ Project for the return of the Liberación Film Festival - 5th Edition. This year’s curatorial focus on Panamá, in collaboration with the Day of Independence Committee for Panamanians in New York, highlights documentaries that tell stories of cultural heritage, resilience, and activism.”
🎨📷 Dear New York Exhibit (10/6 - 10/19): “Grand Central is transformed into the largest New York City art installation in decadees. Dear New York –a first-of-its-kind immersive experience created by Humans of New York’s Brandon Stanton–reimagines one of the city’s most iconic spaces as a sweeping visual love letter to the people of New York. For the first time in living memory, Grand Central Terminal and its subway station have been completely cleared of advertising and replaced with art. More than 150 digital screens have been unified to showcase thousands of portraits and stories from Stanton’s Humans of New York archive.”
🎨 Red Hook Open Studios (10/11 - 10/12): “The artists and makers of Red Hook, Brooklyn will open their studios and workspaces to the public.
Discover art and artisan studios hidden among the street murals, Civil War period warehouses, and harbor views of this unique and fascinating neighborhood.”
Monday, October 6
🎨 An Evening with Samia Halaby and the Kinetic Painting Group
7pm | MoMA | $14
“A pioneer of digital art created on the personal computer, Palestinian artist, scholar, and educator Samia Halaby innovated her “kinetic paintings” in the late 1980s. Halaby joins us for this special performance with the Kinetic Painting Group, featuring musicians Kevin Nathaniel Hylton, Hasan Bakr, and Tomchess. After the performance, Halaby and the musicians will be in conversation with Abby Hermosilla, curatorial assistant in the departments of Curatorial Affairs and Media and Performance.“
📚 Unscripted: A Night Against Censorship, Featuring George Takei
6.30 - 7.30pm | Central Library: 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn | Free with RSVP
“Brooklyn Public Library welcomes
for a conversation about the transformative power of books and the dangerous trend of censorship. A pioneering author, actor and activist, George Takei is the honorary chair of Banned Books Week 2025. This annual nationwide event highlights the value of open access to information and the freedom to seek and express ideas from all points of view. Following Mr. Takei’s conversation with librarian and poet Adeeba Rana, special guests and the public will be invited to the stage to share their own stories about books which inspired them; their experiences with censorship; and the importance of the First Amendment.”Tuesday, October 7
🍽️ FAMILY THAI with author Arnold Myint and moderator Eric Kim
6pm | Archestratus: 164 Huron St, Brooklyn | $10+
“Join us for a very special evening in celebration of Family Thai: Bringing the Flavors of Thailand Home. Author Arnold Myint will be joined in conversation by a moderator Eric Kim, plus a Q + A, bite, and a book signing. James Beard–nominee and chef of the Thai restaurant International Market in Nashville, Arnold Myint shares how to make the Thai food he grew up with in a cookbook that is approachable yet packs a punch of flavor.”
📚 Imagining Indigenous Futures
6.30 - 8pm | MoMA | Free with RSVP
“How do we relate to the world around us? How do we dream new worlds to life? How do we resist in times of upheaval? In his new book Speculative Relations: Indigenous Worlding and Repair,
(Cherokee Nation citizen) draws on Cherokee thinking, Indigenous queer theory, and contemporary Native American art to illuminate the creative principles and practices that breathe life into Indigenous thought and practice. In her recently released Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead, writer, scholar, musician, and artist Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg) explores water as a catalyst for radical transformation, offering regenerative methods for understanding history, community, and the worlds we inhabit.”📚 Science vs Fiction: Gary Shteyngart
8pm | Pioneer Works: 159 Pioneer St, Brooklyn | Free with RSVP
“Novelist and memoirist
invites us into worlds at once absurd and achingly real, with a voice as incisive as it is generous in spirit. In his latest novel, Vera, or Faith—a poignant, sharp-eyed, and bitterly funny tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart—Shteyngart deepens his exploration of identity, alienation, and intimacy. Shteyngart joins PW Founding Director of Sciences for a live conversation inside In Light of Innocence, a site-specific installation by artist Raúl de Nieves. The evening will include book sales and a signing, along with stargazing in the garden with the Amateur Astronomers Association, weather permitting. Food by Makina Cafe will be available for purchase throughout the evening.”🇵🇷 Dress, Fashion, and National Identity in Puerto Rico
5.30pm | Museum at FIT: 227 W 27th St, Manhattan | Free with RSVP
“Join FIT Associate Professor José Blanco F. and independent researcher Raúl J. Vázquez-López who will present their new book, Dress, Fashion, and National Identity in Puerto Rico, in conversation with MFIT’s Senior Curator of Education Tanya Meléndez-Escalante. The book explores national identity and nation formation as well as past and current practices in Puerto Rican visual culture.”
Wednesday, October 8
🍽️ Book Talk | Celebrating Korean American Cookbooks for Chuseok
6.30 - 7.30pm | Yu & Me Books: 44 Mulberry St, Manhattan | Free, with the option to purchase book + ticket
Yu & Me Books is hosting a special conversation in honor of Chuseok, Korea’s autumn harvest festival. The event brings together three authors whose cookbooks celebrate Korean American food and heritage: Caroline Choe (Banchan), Sohui Kim (Korean Home Cooking), and
(Soju Party). The evening will explore how food connects generations and identities — from the art of side dishes to home-style comfort meals to the rituals around soju and celebration. Guests can join the discussion, sample stories behind the recipes, and pick up signed copies of each cookbook.🎶 Tomorrow Comes the Harvest: Jeff Mills featuring Jean Phi Dary and Prabhu Edouard with special guest Rasheed's Ali
8pm | Pioneer Works: 159 Pioneer St, Brooklyn | $47.35+
“Pioneer Works and Public Records are proud to present Tomorrow Comes The Harvest, a live performance and collaborative project between Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills; keyboardist and producer Jean Philippe Dary; and Indo-French tabla virtuoso Prabhu Edouard. Channeling the spirit of radical collaboration and musical transcendence, Tomorrow Comes The Harvest was initiated by the late Afrobeats legend Tony Allen and Mills, and has become known since as a boundary-blurring vessel for spiritual elevation through rhythm, sound, and improvisation.”
Thursday, October 9
🎨 Sarah K. Khan Exhibition Opening: What Is the Language of Taste?
6.30 - 9.30pm | BRIC House: 647 Fulton St, Brooklyn | Free with RSVP
“This program is inspired by Pakistani American artist
. The piece, eight blue and white porcelain serving vessels featuring images of spices, delicate flowers, and incense as depicted in the 16th-century Sultanate period recipe book The Book of Delights. A panel of chefs, scholars, and local community members moderated by IAJS founding faculty co-director Brian Lowery will follow, exploring how what we eat, and where it’s from, shape our sense of identity. We invite our in-person audience to continue the conversation with the artist, speakers, and each other at a post-event reception with complimentary drinks, small bites by street vendors from the Street Vendor Project and EatOffBeat, art-viewing, and music by Yalla! Party Project’s DJ Kofta.”
📚 PUBLIC PROGRAM: NADAR EN SECO: CUBAN POETRY
6.30 - 8.30pm | El Museo del Barrio: 1230 5th Ave, Manhattan | Free with RSVP
“Accompanying the exhibition Tomorrow, I Will Become an Island, on view at El Museo from September 18 through January 11, this event features Cuban poets Katherine Bisquet, Legna Rodriguez Iglesias, and Mandy Suarez, who will read excerpts from their recent publications and speak with artist Coco Fusco. Please note that most of the participating poets will present their readings in Spanish only.”
📚 A People’s Handbook of Surveillance for New York
6 - 8pm | Center for Architecture: 536 LaGuardia Pl, Manhattan | Free, donations welcome
“Please join us for the launch of A People’s Handbook of Surveillance for New York! The launch will feature a thought provoking discussion of urgent surveillance issues by panelists, including Dr.
(Brooklyn College), Dr. Randa Serhan (Barnard College) and Obi Afryie (), moderated by Dr. Lisa Berglund (Morgan State University). Free copies of the book will be available for registrants to take home.”Friday, October 10
📚🚢 A Voyage on the Hudson with Rumi’s Poetry
5.45 - 7pm | Brookfield Place Ferry Plaza | $150
“Please join us for an illuminating sunset ferry voyage down the Hudson River with readings and musical performances by acclaimed musician and poet
of her newly published translations from the Farsi of Rumi, Water (NYRB, 2025) followed by a discussion with poet and historian Laleh Javaheri-Saatchi. The ferry leaves promptly at 5:45pm from the Brookfield Place Terminal, one block from Poets House. Reception to follow in the Margo Viscusi Reading Room. All proceeds support Poets House.”🌝 A Moon Festival BBQ
6 - 9pm | Yun Hai Shop: 170 Montrose Ave, Brooklyn | Free with RSVP
“Come celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival the Taiwanese way, at an outdoor BBQ presented by Yun Hai, Win Son Bakery, and 929. This is a relatively new tradition in Taiwan, sparked by a marketing war between two Taiwanese soy sauce companies: Wan Ja Shan and Kim Lan. Each released commercials and messaging encouraging Taiwanese households to barbecue for the holiday, and a new tradition was born. Food and drink will be sold a la carte.”
🎶 KIN: A Festival of Memory and Imagination Opening Celebration
5 - 10pm | WSA: 161 Water St, Manhattan | Free, with suggested donation
Kinfolk Tech kicks off KIN: A Festival of Memory and Imagination with an evening of blending music, ritual, and reflection. Start with a Teach-In featuring @najha Najha Zigbi-Johnson and Kleaver Cruz, followed by a vinyl set from Uptown Vinyl Supreme, and a special performance by Esperanza Spalding. A night of sound, story, and space-making — honoring Black memory and future visions.
📚 Genius on Display: Sara Hashim
6.30 - 8pm | Poster House: 119 W 23 St, Manhattan | Free with RSVP
“Genius on Display continues at Poster House, featuring award-winning designer Sara Hashim. What does a design career actually look like beyond the polished highlights of a portfolio? In this candid talk,
will pull back the curtain on 20 years in design, revealing her non-linear path from agency work to purpose-driven projects. Through honest storytelling about career pivots, setbacks, and breakthroughs when she was working with brands like Nike, Twitter, and Band-Aid, she will share essential lessons for navigating uncertainty, building resilience, and creating meaningful work.”Saturday, October 11
🍶 Live Cultures
12.30pm onwards | Museum of the Moving Image: 36-01 35 Ave, Queens | Free with RSVP
The event kicks off with a screening of The Birth of Sake (2015), a lyrical documentary on the centuries-old Japanese brewing tradition. Afterwards, guests can sample kimchi, vinegar, and sake from local makers like Brooklyn Kura, Mama O’s Premium Kimchi, and Tart Vinegar, alongside a special tasting of Tedorigawa sake from Japan. The day culminates in a conversation between flavor scientist Arielle Johnson and Brooklyn Kura’s master brewer Brandon Doughan, who unpack the sensory magic and chemistry of fermented foods. See the full schedule for details.
🎨 Stop Motion Graphics Workshop with Paris Baillie
4 - 5.30pm | Poster House: 119 W 23 St, Manhattan | $10
“Join teaching artist Paris Baillie for a hands-on, stop-motion animation workshop! Experiment with motion graphics as you bring your designs to life through frame-by-frame animation techniques. Participants will be shown how to use everyday materials to transform static layouts into bold, looping motion graphics that capture both the attention and the imagination.”
🎨 Autumn Tea 2025
11am - 2pm | East New York Youth Farm: 620 Schenck Avenue, Brooklyn | Free with RSVP
“The event features a hands-on workshop led by artist Mahdiyyah Muhammad, where we’ll create fabric leaf prints using foraged autumn leaves and natural pokeberry dye on repurposed fabric squares. Participants will then have the chance to embellish their “story cloths” with stitching, symbols, or seasonal reflections—inviting both personal and collective storytelling through textile art. Each finished piece can become a meaningful accessory for your tea table. The Autumn Tea will also include our beloved Odes to Common Things community poetry writing.”
📷 Cameras and Coffee: Community Meet-Up Hosted By Nice Film Club
11am - 12pm | ICP: 84 Ludlow St, Manhattan | Free
“Connect with ICP’s community during our monthly Cameras and Coffee social meet-up for photographers, collectors, and camera enthusiasts! Drop your favorite photo in this folder to receive complimentary 4x6 prints from Nice Film Club for sharing and connecting with fellow Cameras & Coffee enthusiasts, then afterwards at 1 PM join the Nice Film Club photowalk through the Lower East Side.”
Sunday, October 12
🥀 Día de Muertos at The Met Cloisters
11am - 4pm | The Met Cloisters: 99 Margaret Corbin Dr, Manhattan | Free
“Join us for a vibrant day of bilingual activities to celebrate Día de Muertos, a day of remembrance honoring loved ones who have passed away. Enjoy art making, Storytime, music, community storytelling, The Met Cloisters gardens, and more! For all ages.”
🎨 Second Sundays
12 - 6pm | Pioneer Works: 159 Pioneer St, Brooklyn | Free
“A free monthly open house. Highlighting our programs, artists-in-residence, and Red Hook community members, Second Sundays features open studios, exhibitions, workshops, live music, and food—with programming across all three floors and in our garden.” Some highlights include: DIY hat embellishment, tarot card making and a lecture on astronomy. Make a day out of it and pair your visit to Pioneer Works with the Red Hook Open Studios event!
Please make sure to confirm details with event organizers.
Have an event coming up? Drop a comment below or share details via this form.
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