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amNY Weekender: Seven great things to do, Aug. 20-22

Fans react to Shawn Mendes at the Global Citizen Festival concert in Central Park in New York City
The We Love NYC Concert at Central Park will bring thousands of music lovers together for the first big concert in NYC since the COVID-19 pandemic.
REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

Friday, Aug. 20

Image First Date – but live. Watch as two New Yorkers are brought together on a first date in front of a live studio audience, and see the comedy that ensues, in this charming, high-octane adventure into the world of dating. $25. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., Rebel Café and Garden, 2 Knickerbocker Ave., Brooklyn. 

Battery Park Dance Festival: New York City’s longest-running dance festival, the Battery Park Dance Festival is giving live-streamed and in-person performances this weekend for their 40th anniversary. Come on Friday to see Ballet Nepantla, the Battery Dance Company, Flamenco Vivo II, and many others. 7-9 p.m., Robert F. Wagner Park, 20 Battery Place, Manhattan. For more information, visit batterydance.org.

Movies Under the Stars: Pee Wee’s Big Adventure: The 1985 children’s-comedy classic Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is coming to Murphy Brothers Playground this Friday as part of the Parks Department’s ‘Movies Under The Stars’ series. Spread a blanket, enjoy the end of the heatwave, and enjoy. Begins at 8 pm, but come early, as space fills up. 8-10:30 p.m., Murphy Brothers Playground, Avenue C near FDR Drive and East 17th Street, East Village. 

Saturday, Aug. 21

Museum of the Moving Image: The Cube and Rarities from the Henson Vault: Fans of Jim Henson, the master puppeteer and animator, should come to the Museum of the Moving Image this Saturday for a special screening of the directors’ lesser known work. The Cube, a 1969 television special, and one of Henson’s few live-action films, will be shown alongside a number of rare shorts and television commercials. $15 per person, $11 seniors and students, $9 youths (ages 3-17). 1 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, Queens.

Summer on the Hudson: The Count of Monte Cristo: A classic of Western literature, and a favorite of adventure fans for centuries, The Count of Monte Cristo is being performed by the Hudson Classical Theatre Company this Saturday as part of the Parks Department’s Summer on the Hudson series. Enjoy the twists and turns of Alexander Dumas’ 1844 novel all-over again in the Theatre Company’s fun-for-the-whole-family adaptation. 6:30-9:30 p.m., Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, West 89th Street and Riverside Drive, Manhattan.

We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert: New York City’s massive celebration concert is happening this Saturday at Central Park. This historic, once-in-a-lifetime concert will include by performances by Bruce Springsteen, John Batiste, Earth Wind & Fire, and Patti Smith, to celebrate the City’s reopening and, hopefully, the soon-to-come end of Covid. Reserve tickets at nyc.gov/homecomingweek.

Sunday, Aug. 22

Outdoor Skills: Primitive Survival Skills: If you were dropped in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on your back, what would you do? Come to Van Cortlandt Park this Sunday to learn tips and tricks from Urban Park Rangers well versed in outdoor lore. Free, and perfect for kids. 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Van Cortlandt Park Nature Center. For information, call 718-548-0912.