This will be the annual Sacred Sites Open House weekend presented by the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the participating religious institutions. It will give you the opportunity to visit and receive architectural and historical information about several local houses of worship, including the newly restored interior of Grace Church (photo). The local participating institutions, with their addresses and open house hours, are: Grace Church, 254 Hicks Street, Saturday May 17, noon to 5:00 p.m. (there will be a lecture on the symbolism of the church’s ornamentation starting at 3:00); St. Charles Borromeo Church, 19 Sidney Place, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, except during Sunday morning masses starting at 9:30 and 10:30; First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn, 116 Pierrepont Street, Saturday, 10:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.; Plymouth Church, 57 Orange Street, Saturday, noon to 3:00 p.m.; St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, 157 Montague Street, Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; and Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 64 Schermerhorn Street, Saturday, noon to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thanks to Francesca Norsen-Tate of The Eagle for the schedule.
The Poplar Street Community Garden will be having another workday on Saturday from noon to 3:00 p.m.
Our focus will be the Garden’s exceptional array of herbaceous perennial plants, including many uncommon ones, many native to our region, and quite a few useful as food or medicine. We’ll divide and transplant existing plants and put in newly found treasures, gently tweaking the planting schemes as we go. We might even put small plants in the crevices of the low stone retaining wall built last fall.
The gardeners invite you to come and “get your hands dirty” or just get acquainted and see the garden.
Bargemusic has a full schedule of concerts. On Friday evening at 7:00 Yuri Gandelsman on viola and Janna Gandelsman on piano will play works by Bach, Britten, Schumann, and Brahms. On Saturday evening at 7:00 Decoda will perform works by Schubert, Weber, and Mozart. Sunday afternoon at 4:00 the Apollo Trio will play works by Debussy, Arensky, and Chausson. There’s more information and buy tickets here. Saturday afternoon at 3:00 there will be a free, family oriented “Music in Motion” concert. Doors open at 2:30; first come, first seated.
The Brooklyn Heights Cinema will present two new movies: Belle and Ida. More information and showtimes are here.
On Sunday, starting at 2:00 p.m. the Brooklyn Historical Society will present “If These Walls Could Talk”:
Uncover the secret history of your Brooklyn home or block! In this intensive workshop you’ll gain hands-on experience conducting house research in our library, using archival images, records and documents. Led by BHS’ Head of Reference & User Services Elizabeth Call.
Admission is $50; $35 for BHS members; reserve tickets here.
The Brooklyn Philharmonia Chorus, which is based in the Heights, will have its annual Spring Concert on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Church, 116 Sixth Avenue, in Park Slope. The program includes selections from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, choruses from Italian operas, and songs from Les Miserables. Tickets are $20 in advance (call 718-907-0963) or $25 at the door.
The Tenth annual Mental Health Film Festival will be at St. Francis College this weekend. The theme of this years festival is “Hospitalization and its Alternatives”:
This uplifting, one-of-a-kind event takes place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and on Sunday, May 18, at 182 Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights, and will also feature filmmaker Q&As, and lively audience discussions. It will help to defeat stigma by offering two days of fun and great films: for everyone to enjoy, whether or not they feel they have a personal connection to mental health issues.
St. Charles Borreomeo Church, 19 Sidney Place, will have a stoop sale on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project and the Archdiocese of the Military.
Don’t forget the Willowtown Spring Fair on Saturday from noon to 5:00 p.m., or Smorgasburg on the Pier 5 uplands, Brooklyn Bridge Park (near the Joralemon Street entrance) Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. On Sunday, starting at noon, there will be a free Docent Tour of Pier 1.
