Here’s What’s Happening (in order of appearance):

Events at Verdi Cannabis / ReThinkNYC’s Town Hall on Through-Running / 29th to 46th Street Esplanade & Landscape Engagement Meeting / Curbside Composting / 

Events at Verdi Cannabis (158 W. 23rd St. btw. 6th & 7th Aves.) | Soon to celebrate its first full year since setting up shop on West 23rd Street, legal cannabis distributor Verdi Cannabiscontinues to take an active interest in the community it’s become part of. Kenny Cunningham, co-curator of Verdi’s ongoing music and arts programming, notes the in-store Donation Drives of December will continue into January. Explained Cunningham, “In partnership with Eaton Botanicals, we are running a Menstrual Products Drive–collecting tampons, pads, liners, etc. Also, in partnership with Pax, we are running a Food Drive, with all collections to go to Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. Of particular need are flour, rice, dried beans, grape juice, cooking oil, peanut butter, non-perishables, and shelf-stable milk. For our third Drive, a clothing drive, all collections go to Holy Apostles. Of particular need are hats, hoodies, scarves, socks, jeans, gloves, and coats–especially men’s items.” Donations are accepted during Verdi’s hours of operation (Mon-Fri, 9am-10pm; Sat/Sun. 11am-10pm).

Verdi’s Thursday night 6pm-9pm Green Room Music Series starts 2025 on January 9 with The Herbologists (sponsored by Kiva). January 16, Adoraborealis appears courtesy of sponsors Ayrloom, Florette ,and Electraleaf. Rove sponsors Michael Bram and special guests on January 23, with the month concluding on January 30 with Darkness Shrugs, sponsored by Eureka. Also in-store this month: On Friday, January 10, 3pm-8pm, it’s a pop-up tattoo event with Eureka and DJ Young Star. On Sunday, January 12, get to Verdi before it opens for business and you can benefit from the mind/body experience provided by High Yoga (10am-11am). Monday, January 20, Eaton Botanicals launches their “Serenity Now” gummies just in time to soothe nerves frayed and frazzled by Inauguration Day goings-on.  A Seinfeld trivia night, also on January 20, is a well-timed source of pop culture comfort food. As for the featured artists whose work can be found on Verdi’s walls: Photographer Scott Harris presents a series of images from Phish concerts, available for purchase at $55 each. To keep up with what else is up with Verdi, click here to visit their website. To visit the EVENTS page of their website, click here.

Now’s the Time for Through-Running: ReThinkNYC’s Zoom Town Hall: Tuesday, January 14, 6-8pm Online; Free with Advance Registration | “The Railroads’ ideas and plans for Penn Station are highly deficient and destructive,” says event organizer ReThinkNYC, who believes “that we are on the right side of history and can bring about a worthier result for Greater New York.” This January 14 Town Hall is an opportunity to “discuss why it is critically important that through-running take place in the first half of this century and not sometime in the next, if at all.” ReThinkNYC Chairperson Sam Turvey and ReThinkNYC associates Karim Ahmed, Cezar Nicolescu, Damu Radheshwar, and others will join this presentation. Your attendance is free, but requires advance registration. To do so, click here.

29th to 46th Street Esplanade & Landscape Engagement Meeting: Monday, January 13, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Intrepid Museum (Pier 86 at West 46th Street) | Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4) and Hudson River Park Trust invite you to learn more about design ideas for one of the final unfinished sections of Hudson River Park. See the below flyer for details.

Curbside Composting Info Sessions: Online, January 9 & 23 | Compost is now being collected in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island every week on your recycling day. Separating leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper from trash is mandatory. Place your compost items in a labeled bin, 55 gallons or less, with a secure lid. Visit  nyc.gov/CompostingBinDecal to get a free label. To register for free upcoming Info Sessions, click on these two dates: Thursday, January 9 at 6:00 PM and Thursday, January 23 at 4:00 PM. To learn more, click here.

—Listings compiled by Scott Stiffler

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