WEDNESDAY July 15
Have you given up listening to the Top 40 in favor of things that are actually from the ’40s? You’re in luck! The Lambs Club, the most perfect place in New York to score a martini and steak tartare, is hosting jazz nights on Wednesdays. Stop by tonight to hear Margaret Gianquinto perform songs from the golden age of swing. The Lambs Club, 132 West 44th Street, 8-11:30 p.m., free
THURSDAY July 16
Your summer should be wet and hot, for it is an American summer. Maybe? Sure! Nitehawk Cinema’s film feast showing of Wet Hot American Summer can help with that. They’ll be serving up a multi-course meal—including lobster rolls and s’mores on house-made graham crackers with bourbon ganache—all accompanied by Allagash brews. Nitehawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Avenue, 7:15 p.m., $75
FRIDAY July 17
“Come Out & Play After Dark” sounds like the title for a Swedish vampire film, but the very fact that it reminds you of the title of a Swedish vampire film is proof that you need to get out and play. Watch as the Come Out & Play Festival transforms Manhattan Bridge Archway Plaza into an arcade bursting with everything from street games to video games (for those of you who were indoor children). Manhattan Bridge Archway Plaza,
SATURDAY July 18
Do you vividly recall that speech in Dead Poets Society where Robin Williams talks about how “medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for”? I bet it’s a speech some other people will also remember at the ArtForLife party for the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. This year the theme will be the Roaring Twenties, so you might catch honorees like Dave Chappelle and Ava DuVernay strutting their stuff in pinstripe suits and bowlers hats or fabulous flapper gowns. The event will be hosted by Soledad O’Brien, and is intended to serve as a “celebration of the creative energy of our inner-city youth.” Fairview Farms, 19 Horsemill Lane, Bridgehampton, 6 p.m., $1,500
SUNDAY July 19
There are a lot of activities you can associate with winter. Skiiing. Ice-skating around Rockefeller Center. Hockey. Whatever game the people in Snowpiercer were playing. But I can basically think of no summer sports—competitive swimming? Maybe?—except for volleyball, so it makes sense that, in the middle of this heat wave, the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour is coming to lower Manhattan. The event will offer an opportunity to watch Olympians like Kerri Walsh Jennings, April Ross and Phil Dalhausser. And you need not sit on the sidelines murmuring to Wilson—you can get in on the fun yourself, even if you’re not a professional. Beach volleyball clinics will be open to new players (or just medium-experienced, non-Olympian players), and there will be plenty of food on hand to help you carbo-load before your next match. The event also promises interactive activities and music to help you get energized even in the humid weather. By the time you’re done, skating at Rockefeller Center will seem like a miserable slog by comparison. Hudson River Park Pier 25/26, 233 West Street, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., free
MONDAY July 20
In 2014, Eli Kulp was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s best new chefs. Sadly, he was on the Amtrak train that derailed and suffered severe spinal cord injuries. Tonight, his many friends are raising funds for his medical expenses by hosting an evening filled with food from incredible restaurants like David Burke Kitchen, Momofuku and Nobu 57. Go eat so that Eli can get back to cooking! Del Posto, 85 10th Avenue, 6:30-9:30 p.m., $150-$250
TUESDAY July 21
Watches seem almost retro. Hopefully, G-Shock can make them a little bit splashy again with a pool party to introduce its Bombshells of Summer line. Make sure to be there on time to catch beats from DJ VA$HTIE. The Beach at the Dream Downtown, 355 West 16th Street, 6:30-9 p.m., invite only
WEDNESDAY July 22
SUSHI ROXX, the new Japanese dinner theater opening tonight, promises to offer a lot more than your typical sedate omakase experience. Throughout the evening, guests will be treated to performances choreographed by The Pussycat Dolls’ Asia Nitollano, and Betsey Johnson has created the costumes for each member of the waitstaff. Tuscany Hotel, 120 East 39th Street, 5 p.m.-4 a.m., open to the public
