Cuban jazz at Aaron Davis Hall, the Black Comic Book Festival at the Schomburg—plus more fun things to see and do this weekend:
Friday, April 26 & Saturday, April 27 10am-7pm
Central Harlem Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd and 135th St
This annual celebration of Black comic books returns with two days of events, including classes like "How to Draw Black Superheroes & Comics" and the cosplay showcase on Saturday at 5:30pm (registration is from 1pm-5pm on Saturday).
Friday, April 26 7pm-9pm
West Harlem City College of New York, Aaron Davis Hall, 129 Convent Ave and W 135th St
Cuban jazz pianist and composer Elio Villafranca and his group The Jass Syncopator join with singer Brianna Thomas to explore the nexus between Afro-Cuban music and jazz.
Saturday, April 27 1pm-6pm
Central Harlem Red Rooster 2 Go, 310 Lenox Ave between W 125th and W 126th Sts
Find the perfect Kentucky Derby chapeau at this pop-up shop featuring hats and more from Bows Nouveau Bow Ties, Harlem’s Heaven Hats, Cha Cha’s House of Ill Repute, and The Hat Shop.
Sunday, April 28 noon-6pm
Central Harlem Dwyer Cultural Center, 309 W 123rd St between St. Nicholas Ave and Frederick Douglass Blvd
Shop from a curated selection of local small businesses while enjoying cocktails and live music.
In case you missed it:
Thursday, April 18-Sunday, July 7; Thu-Sun noon-5pm
Washington Heights Hispanic Society Museum & Library, East Building, Broadway between W 155th and W 156th Sts
Contemporary Cuban-born painter Enrique Martínez Celaya's childhood notebook is the springboard for this exhibition of paintings both large-scale and small.
February 25-July 28; Fri & Sat 10am-9pm, Sun-Tues & Thu 10am-5pm
Upper East Side The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave and E 82nd St
This long-overdue exhibition shines the spotlight on the paintings, photography and sculptures of Black artists who portrayed life in Harlem and other cities during the flourishing early years of the Great Migration (1920s-1940s).
February 1-April 26 Tue-Sun 11am-6pm FREE
Central Harlem The Apollo Stages at the Victoria Theater, 233 W 125th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Blvds, first floor
Marking the opening of the Apollo's two new performance spaces in the renovated Victoria Theater, this photo exhibition on the ground floor highlights the work of Alex Harsley. Founder of the Fourth Street Photo Gallery in the East Village, the photographer and gallerist chronicled the lives of Black artists at the Apollo and beyond from the 1950s to the early 2000s.
February 1-July 8 Mon-Sat 10am-6pm FREE
Central Harlem Schomburg Center, 515 Malcolm X Blvd and W 135th St
Photos by Griffith Davis document Langston Hughes' friendships with Black artists such as Zora Neale Hurston, Roy DeCarava and others.
Through July 21; Thu 10am-9pm, Fri-Mon 10am-5pm
East Harlem The Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave at E 103rd St
This new exhibit explores all the ways the city has inspired storytelling in film, TV, music and more. Think Carrie Bradshaw's pink tutu, Sesame Street's green street sign, and more.
Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm FREE
Hamilton Heights 414 W 141st St between St. Nicholas and Convent Aves
Go on a free tour of founding father Alexander Hamilton's historic uptown home, including a stroll through the parlor, dining room and study.
Weekends until 3:45am
Central Harlem Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd between W 133rd and W 134th Sts
This gem of a live music venue kicks into high gear on the weekends with a mix of jazz, funk, blues, and even comedy—ending with DJ sets that run into the early morning.
