The summer wind blows music through the Ridge this weekend!
Start your weekend on Friday with a walk down Third Avenue, from 68th to 80th streets, for the season’s penultimate Summer Stroll. The car-free thoroughfare will feature live music in the avenue, dining deals, and games and activities from 6 pm to 10:30 pm.
On Saturday, skip down to McKinley Park (Bay Ridge Parkway at Ft. Hamilton Parkway), where you can belt out some karaoke for a good cause at Bay Ridge Sings for Autism. Singers can take the mic for $5 per song, with proceeds going to the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism. Locals with stage fright can have free fun with raffles and face painting, and food trucks will offer snacks and drinks for purchase. You can sign up for your turn at the microphone starting at 2 pm.
That night, you can hear tunes from more professional musicians at the Brooklyn Firefly (7003 Third Ave. between Ovington Avenue and 72nd Street), where the Ken Simon Quartet will pay tribute to jazz legends with covers of classics by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and Thelonius Monk, among others. The free, two-hour show kicks off at 8 pm.
Those who prefer the music of the spheres can gaze at the heavens above at Astronomy Night at Owl’s Head Park (68th Street and Colonial Road). Urban Park Rangers from the Parks Department will explain the science and history behind star-gazing while you look at planets and other celestial bodies through provided telescopes and binoculars. The free, 90-minute event starts at 8 pm.
And if you crave a mid-week dose of music, dance down to the Greenhouse Café (7717 Third Ave. between 77th and 78th streets) on Wednesday night, where DJ Dave will host his free karaoke night — with more than 25,000 classic pop hits on offer — starting at 8 pm.
