Give thanks to Bay Ridge this year — for providing plenty of places to hide from your family on Thanksgiving Eve!
For many, the night before Thanksgiving is one of the most dreaded on the Gregorian calendar. Your least-favorite aunt is in town (and she brought photos of her cats), your dweeby little brother is back from college, and one or both of your parents are sequestered in a room with a scale, calculator, and unsigned satanic accord trying to figure out exactly how long to cook that blasted turkey.
Where can a guy or gal go to get away from it all? We have got you covered in this very special edition of Bay Ridge Nights.
The Wednesday before Turkey Day is typically a heavy-drinking affair — and there will be plenty of time to baste your liver to Cirrhotic perfection — but first, work off some of Thursday’s starchy spread ahead of time with some physical activity. Bay Ridge Volleyball is serving up a Thanksgiving Eve Open Play at the Adelphi Academy (8515 Ridge Blvd. at 85th Street) at 7:30 pm. Play is $10 for members and $15 for everyone else, and you have to be at least 18 years old. Bring an ID, knee pads, and water. This is your last chance to wear spandex before Thanksgiving — revel in it.
Once the healthy stuff is out of the way, it is time to bathe in booze like a bird in a roasting pan.
Red, White, and Brew (8910 Fifth Ave. between 89th and 90th streets) is hosting a night of dueling pianos starting at 9 pm. Two ivory-ticklers will play just about any tune you can throw at them until 1 am.
For those looking for a heavier beat, hip-pop act Hello Brooklyn will meld hooks and rhymes at the Wicked Monk (9510 Third Ave. between 95th and 96th streets) starting at 10:30 pm.
And Connecticut beer crafter Two Roads is taking over the taps all night at the Lockyard (9221 Fifth Ave. between 92nd and 94th streets). The booze barons will give away free swag, and there will also be trivia and live music in the yard at 9 pm.