Things To Do This Weekend In New York City & Roosevelt Island- Free Outdoor Movies, Off The Grid Music, Lifting The Giglio & Roosevelt Live Concert

You Tube Video of Giglio Feast Lifting in Williamsburg 2008

Looking for fun or interesting things to do on Roosevelt Island or in some other part of New York City this weekend? Here are some ideas:

Tonight, there is a wide selection of outdoor movies to be seen including The Wizard of Oz at Pier 46 in the Hudson River Park. the French Film Love Is In The Air at Tompkins Square Park and Rooftop Films presentation of The Way We Get By in Williamsburg.

On Saturday and all weekend long, Solar One will be holding Citysol, an Off The Grid Music and Art Festival. According to Free NYC:

Date: Friday July 10th - Sunday July 12th
Time: 6pm-10pm, 1pm-10pm, 11am-6pm
Location: Solar 1 (Stuyvesant Cove Park, 2420 FDR Drive & East River)
Cost: Free

NYC's first green energy, arts and education center, Solar One, kicks off their annual 3-day, sustainability festival today. Continuing all weekend, CitySol gives NYC residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a zero-waste, carbon-free event where all materials are recycled or reused and all electronic equipment is powered by the photovoltaic panels on the Solar 1 roof. Festival-goers can dance, listen to bands, drink beer, play games and learn about strategies and technologies that are already available to help make the transition to a more sustainable world.

On Saturday afternoon, Roosevelt Live will also be presenting a free concert on Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk Commons:

New Orleans in New York
Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra with Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos.

On Sunday, The Brooklyn Paper proclaims It's Giglio Time In Williamsburg:

Music will fill the air. Kids will fill the rides. Canolis will fill the mouths. And, most important, an 80-foot-tall, three-ton statue will rise above it all.

It’s all part of the Feast of the Giglio — a 122-year Williamsburg tradition that honors St. Paulinus of Nola.

You may have your heroes, your stars, your celebrities, but in the fifth century, Paulinus was Abraham, Nelson Mandela and Harry Houdini all rolled into one, having sacrificed himself for his son, been enslaved in Africa and then escaped back to Nola in one piece.

Hence the reason that 130 men hoist a three-ton statue of the saint — covered in lilies — three times during the 11-day Italian festival next week.

Upon his return, you know what happened: He was showered with lilies — otherwise known as gigli....

When does the statue lifting begin? Sunday at 1 PM:

Dancing of the Giglio & Boat. (This is the main event of the feast - both of these structures are carried from 1 PM - 6 PM)

On Roosevelt Island this weekend, in addition to the Roosevelt Live Concert featuring Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra with Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos on Saturday, the Farmers Market is open as usual as is Gallery RIVAA, the Roosevelt Island Visual Arts Association which is holding a public opening reception for it's new exhibition titled Holocaust - Never Forget, Never Again on Saturday at 6 PM.

Another suggestion - RIOC has produced a great self guided tour map (PDF File) of Roosevelt Island for any visitor or resident looking to stroll the Island and learn something more about it. There will also be Light Jazz performed outside of The Trellis restaurant on Friday and Saturday evening, weather permitting.

The MTA is reporting no Roosevelt Island F Train subway advisories this weekend and neither is RIOC with Tram advisories.

Check out some other ideas on what to do in New York City this weekend from the NY Times Urban Eye and Spare Times, Free NYC, NY Post Weekend Calendar and Newyorkology.