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

wardsThe Full Board Meeting of Manhattan Community Board 4  / Chelsea Neighbors United Activities / Bike Shop: The Musical / West Chelsea Artists Open Studios / Launch Party & Fundraiser for The Acties Awards  / Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea  

The May Full Board Meeting of Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4): Wednesday, May 6, 6:30pm Online Via YouTube & Zoom and In-Person at the Hotel Trades Council (3o5 W. 44th St. btw. 8th/9th Aves.) | All MCB4 members gather to vote on letters generated at the previous month’s committee meetings. Also on the Agenda, two opportunities for the public to speak, via an uninterrupted two-minute slot. (Be Warned: The slot’s runtime can be cut in half, so prepare accordingly.) The topic of May 6’s Public Hearing speaks to anyone who’s ever witnessed the boozy bar crawl antics of Santa Con only to think, “What’s missing here is a little sports fanatic hooliganism.” The Hearing, as described by MCB4, concerns “Gov. Hochul’s Plans for expanding SLA licensing during 2026 World Cup months”–which is to say, allowing more establishments to serve alcohol, to better meet the spike in demand by an influx of boisterous boosters from around the world, here to cheer (and chug) their way through World Cup soccer matches. You can attend the meeting via Zoom (and also sign up for your Hearing and/or Session slot) by clicking  here. Note: Reports from local electeds or their reps are also a regular feature of full board meetings, as is a report from MCB4’s District Manager.

To attend by phone, call 646-828-7666 (Webinar ID: 161 368 0437). To attend via Zoom, click here. Livestream the meeting on the MCB4 YouTube channel, which archives all of its public meetings, allowing you access them at your convenience.

Say No to ICE Parking in NYC: Wednesday, May 6. 12pm-1pm at 201 Varick Street | Writes Chelsea Neighbors United (CNU) in an email to their subscriber list, “We recently got word that ICE is looking for parking for 150 vehicles near their Varick Street location (check it out here). They lost their parking spots at Pier 40 because of community resistance, and it appears that the cars that were parked near the High Line are gone now too. Come to the Varick Street office to say NO ICE IN NYC.” See the below flyer for detils.

Bike Shop: The Musical / Through May 17: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat at 8pm & Sun. at 3pm / In the Cino Theater at Theater for the New City (155 First Ave. btw. E. 9th & 10th Sts.) | Playwright Elizabeth Barkan’s musical adaptation of her monologue has produced an ensemble piece which retains the solo format’s intimate nature while grafting its themes of inertia and regret onto a cast of eccentric East Village characters. The action takes place in the family-owned bike shop where Bobby repairs the damaged rides (and lives) of others while working alongside her Vietnam vet father, Aunt Jane (a nun), and her fitness instructor/rabbi uncle. Into this swirl of quirky chaos walks military vet Frank, Bobby’s love interest from days long past. Mounted on the wall as a witness to the proceedings is the two-wheeled elephant in the room—the bike Bobby was riding 20 years ago, when she inadvertently caused the death of a young girl. Lest you think this description is a harbinger of pure doom and gloom, remember: This is a musical! Also helping to provide some hope is the production’s tag line: “With the right tools, you can fix anything.” For tickets ($20 general admission; $15 for students/seniors), click here. Directed by Gretchen Cryer; Musical Director, Timothy Splain; Book by Elizabeth Barkan & Caroline Murphy; Composed by YounYoung Park; Lyrics by Caroline Murphy; Additional Music by Gerry Dieffenbach & Elizabeth Barkan. Starring Elizabeth Barkan, Jim Newman, Madeleine Doherty, David Edwards, Joe Symon (all members of Actor’s Equity Association).

EVENTS HAPPENING NEXT WEEK, AND ONGOING:

The 2026 West Chelsea Artists Open Studios: 12pm-6pm, Sat./Sun. May 16/17, Throughout the Chelsea Gallery District with Preview Reception Fri, May 15, 6pm to 8pm at the West Chelsea Gallery Building, Gallery 202 (508–526 W. 26th St. btw, 10th/11th Aves.)  | This free, self-guided walking tour of West Chelsea’s many independent studios invites you to meet painters, sculptors, photographers, and multidisciplinary artists—and purchase artwork directly from its creator (without the gallery markup). Artist and Open Studios Executive Producer Scotto Mycklebust says the event proudly provides “a direct bridge between artists and the public. It opens the studio door—literally—and invites people into the process, the conversation, and the experience of art as it’s being made.” The tour begins by picking up a map at the West Chelsea Building Information Center, located in the lobby of 508–526 West 26th Street (btw, 10th/11th Aves.). For more info, visit the event’s website by clicking here.

Launch Party and Fundraiser for The Acties Awards: Monday, May 11, 7pm at Parkside Lounge (317 E. Houston St. NYC) | “In times of tyranny, joy is resistance,” proclaim the quick and nimble minds behind this welcome celebration of “activists defending our democracy and creative acts of resistance” happening here in NYC, and nationally. Held as an organizational stepping stone to the First Annual Acties Awards ceremony scheduled for October 2, this May 11 event invites you to “dress up to resist” as a participant in the “Best Protest Outfit” contest. Special prizes for the most irresistibly fabulous resistance fashions await, alongside pizza, dancing, and an overall aesthetic of merriment.

“In the face of non-stop attacks on our democracy and freedoms,” the event organizers note, “we believe it’s important to hold up joy, to refuse silence, to celebrate our local heroes/sheroes/theyroes and groups who are leading the way.” Nominees are currently being accepted here, for categories including banners. billboards, chants, music, street actions, and—yes—pets! To purchase tickets to the May 11 event (sliding scale donations $5-$20), click here.

Down to Earth Farmers Market Chelsea: Saturdays, 9am-2pm on West 23rd St. off Ninth Ave. | April saw the welcome return of this opportunity to eat well, while supporting local vendors. See the below flyer for details. To sign up for the Market’s email newsletter (sent every Thursday), click here.

—-Listings Compiled by Scott Stiffler

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