1. It’s the first weekend of the month, which means deals at museums. Enjoy free admission Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Museum of Modern Art, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Bronx Museum of Arts, and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Morgan Library. Already have plans for Friday? On Saturday, enjoy admission gratis from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Brooklyn Museum.
2. It also marks the 50th anniversary of when that fab four known as The Beatles landed on our soil, and there’s no shortage of events to celebrate. At the Grand Hyatt, there’s the Fest for Beatles Fans, with performances this year including Brit stars like Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon, Donovan, Beatles tribute band Liverpool, and more.
3. On Saturday, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center hosts the Classical Mystery Tour, Town Hall has the star-studded America Celebrates the Beatles, and Union Hall has Bambi Kino—a tribute band made up of members of Maplewood, Nada Surf, Guided by Voices, and Cat Power.
4. Swing through the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts for its free multimedia exhibition, “Ladies and Gentlemen … The Beatles!” featuring oral histories, rare artifacts, memorabilia, and the like, with a symposium (registration required) on Sunday
5. While the Morrison Hotel Gallery has photos of the band, some never seen before, in an exhibit curated by Julian Lennon.
6. On Friday, actor and author BJ Novak reads from his excellent collection of short stories, One More Thing.
7. While this Saturday, the Westminster Dog Show gets an addition worth investigating: the Masters Agility Championship, essentially a mini-steeplechase for pups.
8. On Friday, Penny Arcade and friends celebrate 100 years of beat poet William Burroughs at Cornelia Street Cafe.
9. While all weekend, the fourth annual Athena Film Festival celebrates women through feature films, documentaries, and shorts.
10. Feel like dancing? On Saturday, EDM star Kaskade gets the crowd going at Marquee.
11. While for more after-party swagger, check out the Arctic Monkeys at MSG.
12. Rising ballet stars Tiler Peck and Robbie Fairchild perform an intricate duet on Friday
13. If you’d rather get intricate with your food, learn how to make the to-die-for edamame dumplings and more in honor of the New Year at Buddakan, with a class on Saturday that includes a tour of the kitchen and brunch. Happy weekend!