Whassup: Anti-Mooga Edition

 

Man, the promo and PR push for this GoogaMooga thing has been intense. Everyone's all over this Googa thing's jock (and we here at FiPS have been no better). Clearly, there is absolutely nothing else going on in Park Slope this week, yes? WRONG! In fact, there is so much else going on that it's unreal. Welcome to Whassup: Anti-Mooga Edition:

* Thursday, May 17: Cringe, Freddy's: The shame-fest of teenage diary entries, horrible poetry, and more middle school drama is back to make presenters' faces hot and audience members howl. It's Freddy's own creation and one of the Backroom's most popular events. 7:30pm, FREE.

* Thursday, May 17: Brazilian Dance Party, BK Bridge: The folks behind summer's Celebrate Brooklyn shows in the bandshell gotcher spring covered, too, with the second of three Brooklyn Bridge Park dance parties. The rhythms are Carnival-esque this time, with Brazil-meets-Bayou Brooklyn group Nation Beat, DJ'd Brazilian tunes, and hip-nourishment from the drums of Maracatu New York. Make it your pre-Mooga warmup if you must. 7pm-10pm, FREE. 

* Thursday, May 17: Community Fixing, Proteus Gowanus: The "Fixers Collective" wants to remind your hands how to do things other than type (I believe the masturbation jokes currently being made in your mind will be sufficient. No need for me to add). The group hopes to help a throw-away culture re-learn fixing, or as they put it, "material literacy." So, all you material-illiterates, bring a broken thing and work as a group to figure out its rebirth. It's a chance to finally follow through on that epiphany you got from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. 7pm, $5 donation per object suggested.

* Friday, May 18: Bike-to-Manhattan, Fifth and Park: The only wheeled objects capable of stirring more Park Slope passion than bikes are strollers, which I think we can all agree are evil. But I know there are strong bike advocates reading FiPS, so put your pedals where your cursing fingers are and celebrate National Bike to Work Day with Transportation Alternatives. You'll ride with others from Fifth Avenue and Park to the Manhattan Bridge, with coffee and snacks provided along the way. So, go for it! Run some red lights and cut off pedestrians while you're at it! 8am-9am, FREE.

* Friday, May 18-Sunday, May 20: BK Folk Fest, Downtown BK: There's another festival this weekend, with more folk than food (and more history than the Mooga -- this one's currently in year four). This time out, the fest of old-tyme Americana bands and workshops has outgrown its former home at Jalopy Theater. It will spread out along Jay Street between Metrotech and Willoughby. And there's a banjo toss, which means that whoever catches the banjo will marry a blues singer in the next year (note: not true). All evening Friday, all day Saturday and Sunday; $20/day, $45/wknd.

* Saturday, May 19: Lit Crawl BK, Court and Smith Sts: Or how about a literary fest, you bespectacled Brooklynites? The San Fran-born LitQuake leads word groupies through a crawl of readings, performances, and other book-based lit-ins. This Brooklyn edition (it hits Manhattan in Sept.) features an "Old-Timey Radio Show" from lit-journal young guns Armchair Shotgun at 61 Local, PEN American poets at Court Street, shameful Literary Taboo at Boat Bar, and a Moby-Dick-load more. 6-8pm (+ afterparty), 

* Sunday, May 20: NYC Popfest, Littlefield: Or, how about this: a fest for the kind of tunes that pop and smack like bubblegum in your brain. The three-day NYC Popfest hits Littlefield Sunday, with the uke-helmed Allo Darlin', the ballad-loving Ladybug Transistor, and six other popsters. 4pm, $15-18.

* Sunday, May 20: Strongman Fest, Coney Island: Orrr, how about THIS: A real old-school festival of Brooklyn weirdness, "The Coney Island Olde Time Strong Man Spectacular" pumps the delts and pecs for the first time in 60 years. Trucks pulled with hair! Steel bending! Sitting through up to four episodes of New Girl! Pack a protein shake and your camera phone. 1pm-6pm, FREE.

* Sunday, May 20: 5th Ave. Street Fair, Park Slope: What? WHAT?? Even more festival options? This one competes in the very same Park Slope laid claim by the Big Ol' Googa. Stroll along Fifth Ave. and you'll find music at three outdoor stages (at Sterling Place, Third Street, and 12th Street), crafts and kids' events, and food from Fifth Ave. eateries. Noon-6pm, FREE.

* Sunday, May 20: Vintage Fashion Stoop Sale, 14th St: Every so often, we here at FiPS get notice of a totally unique, little event. Here's one: this 61-year-old will be selling off her vintage fashions from the 70's-90's, all to benefit Oxfam, at 295 14th St. Everything retro is hip again. 10am-5pm.

* Monday, May 21: Sackett Reads!, BookCourt (Cobble Hill): The Sackett Street Workshop, a Slope-area institution for outside-the-academy writing instruction, holds its bi-monthly reading series. Four Sackett Alums read. Book it! (Get it?). 7pm, FREE.

* Tuesday, May 22: Story Collider Turns 2, Bell House: Celebrating two years of stories brought madly to life in the lab, the Collider multiplies to a life form no longer confineable within Union Hall. 8pm, $10.