The Best Things To Do In NYC This Week, From A Sustainable Seafood Festival To A Moth Slam

2020 Census Fair @ Prospect Park

The US Census, which only happens once per decade, will take place this April. New Yorkers are notoriously undercounted, which can result in fewer congressional seats and significantly reduced federal funding, so join a host of local politicians and nonprofits at the 2020 Census Fair to do your part to make sure that doesn’t happen. You can apply for a job with the Census Bureau, sign up to volunteer with a neighborhood Census Committee, or just learn about what will happen, why it matters, and how you can help spread the word.

Tuesday, January 21st, 4 p.m. // LeFrak Center at Prospect Park, 171 East Dr., Brooklyn // Free

Complexions Contemporary Ballet @ Joyce Theater

Since 1994, Complexions has been pushing the limits of what ballet can be, and the company is opening their 26th season with three programs over two weeks. These include the world premiere of “Love Rocks,” a full-company ballet inspired by and set to the music of Lenny Kravitz, and a reprisal performance of “WOKE,” a socially conscious one-act ballet featuring the music of Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and Logic. Performances continue through February 2nd.

Opens Tuesday, January 21st // Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave., Manhattan // Tickets: $20–$65

Play It Again, SLAM! @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Get the plot straight at Play It Again, SLAM! At storytelling mavens The Moth’s inaugural SLAM! showcase, you’ll hear a curated selection of tales culled from the regular open-mic StorySLAM series, redirected and ready to wow new audiences. There won’t be any judges, winners, or losers; just a slew of splendid stories, directors cuts, and fresh takes. Heads up: There will also be a Harlem SLAM on February 4th at the Schomburg Center of Research in Black Culture (details here).

Wednesday, January 22nd, 7:30 p.m. // Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North 6th St., Brooklyn // Tickets: $25

Brooklyn Podcast Festival @ Various venues

Listen up for the third-annual Brooklyn Podcast Festival. There will be live tapings of 15 podcasts over five days, including old favorites and new gems: Story Collider, NPR’s Ask Me Another with VIP guest Ben Sinclair of High Maintenance, Classic Black Dude Podcast, Rude Tales of Magic, Dave Hill: History Fluffer, Not Another True Crime Podcast, and lots more. Shows will take place at the Bell House, Union Hall, and BRIC House.

Opens Wednesday, January 22nd // Various venues // Tickets: $15

Silent Films / Live Music @ Brookfield Place

Settle in for some cozy winter diversions at Arts Brookfield’s Silent Films / Live Music series. WNYC's John Schaefer curates seven classic shorts over three nights, accompanied by live, original scores. Films include Alice Guy-Blaché’s 1906 gender-swapped The Consequences of Feminism, Charlie Chaplin’s 1917 romantic-comedy short The Immigrant, Tod Browning’s 1917 horror film The Unknown, and Godfrey Reggio’s experimental 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi. Scores by Alexis Cuadrado, Vernon Reid, and GoGo Penguin

Opens Wednesday, January 22nd, 7:30 p.m. // Brookfield Place, 230 Vessey St., Manhattan // Free

Schtick a Pole in It Seven-Year Anniversary @ Drom NYC

Celebrate a whopping seven years of “ass, laughs, and sass” at Schtick a Pole in It. The only variety show that pairs comedians with pole dancers, the two-night pair of anniversary performances feature laughs from series creators Dan Goodman and JoAnn Ross, plus gravity-defying acrobatics from Daniel Darling, Zoe Kantor, Zhanna Kurmanova, Astrid Zuniga, and many more. And it’s all set to the epic, dramatic music of Queen.

Friday, January 24th, and Saturday, January 25th // Drom NYC, 85 Avenue A, Manhattan // Tickets: $20–$35

Lunar New Year Celebration @ Queens Botanical Garden

Ring in the Year of the Rat at QBG’s annual Lunar New Year Celebration. The family-friendly fête will feature performances by the New York Hung Sung Kwoon Lion Dance Team and storytime with tales of the Chinese Zodiac. There will also be paper-mask-making workshops with artist Chemin Hsiao, themed crafts, face-painting, and a lucky plant sale.

Saturday, January 25th, 12 p.m. // Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Queens // Free

Poncili Creación's Bending Endinning @ Coney Island USA

Buckle up for a whimsical nightmare from Puerto Rican performance-art puppeteers Poncili Creación. Bending Endinning stars Poncili’s founders, brothers Efrain and Pablo Del Hierro, performing “open-mind surgery” with their life-size sculptural puppets. They’ll be joined by local group Boxcutter Collective, who will bear unconventional puppets of their own, made from cardboard, garbage, and bad jokes.

Saturday, January 25th, 8 p.m. // Coney Island USA, 1208 Suf Ave., Brooklyn // Tickets: $15

Aquarius Sustainable Seafood Festival @ The Foundry

Take a deep dive into deliciousness at the Aquarius Sustainable Seafood Festival. Back for a third year, the fest features sustainable cuisine recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, a raw bar with all-local NYC oysters, farm-fresh cocktails with garnishes pulled from a hanging hydroponic garden, performances and activities like a winter séance, fire-breathers, and aerialists, and music from Brass Queens and assorted DJs. The event is co-produced by Ocean Global, a nonprofit working to conserve our seas.

Saturday, January 25th, 8 p.m. // The Foundry, 42-38 9th St., Queens // Tickets: $95 and up

Das Barbecü @ Hill Country BBQ

Head deep into the heart of Texas at Das Barbecü, On Site Opera’s nod to Wagner’s Ring Cycle staged in a barbecue joint with only five actors playing more than 30 roles. With music ranging from Broadway to swing to jazz to country-western, the plot features Siegfried as a singing cowboy and Brunnhilde his beloved cowgirl, Gutrune as a lovesick two-stepper and the evil Hagan as a roadhouse bartender. There are two ticket levels, with “dinner seating” including family-style BBQ. The show runs through February 11th.

Opens Sunday, January 26th // Hill Country BBQ, 30 West 26th St., Manhattan // Tickets: $95 with dinner; $60 without