What to Do, and Where to Do It, All Summer Long

What a year. New Yorkers, you deserve a holiday. A getaway. An entire season of holidays and getaways. Not to forget the vile, tragic and wearisome events you've experienced since last summer. Just to help you cope. Below, we offer some ideas. Tons of them. Fireworks. Baseball. Tennis. Swimming. Hiking. Gay Pride. Leather Pride. Films in Bryant Park. The Warped Tour on Randall's Island. Parades. Cruises. Golf. Beaches. Parks. Street fairs. Sandcastles. Museum tours. Bike paths. Outdoor dining. Stripping chorus boys and girls. Wrestling Japanese movie monsters.Keep these listings near you. You'll refer to them all summer. Now get out. Take some of those clothes off. Have some fun. Eat a dog. Drink a mojito. You earned it.

Around Town

AMERICAN CRAFTS FESTIVAL Lincoln Center for The Performing Arts, W. 64th St. (betw. Columbus Ave. & B'way), 973-746-0091, www.craftsatlincoln.org Two consecutive weekends, 6/8 & 6/9, 6/15 & 6/16. Sat. 12-9; Sun. 11-9. Free. The 26th-annual festival of the finest craft arts feat. 400 displays in pottery, leather, jewelry, glass, furnishings, silk & more, from 43 states.

BAREFOOT DANCING Wave Hill, 675 W. 249th St. (Independence Ave.), Bronx, 718-549-3200, www.wavehill.org Kick off those constrictive summer shoes & get dancing to the rhythms of world music at Wave Hill, a 28-acre public garden & cultural center. Dance instruction begins w/savvy performers showing how you it's done. Then get all cocky & teach them a thing or two in the open dance session [Wednesdays in June & July, 7 p.m., $4].

BASTILLE DAY 60th St. (betw. Park & Madison Aves.), 212-355-6100, www.fiaf.org Seventh-annual celebration of France's democracy w/assortment of crepes, pommes frites, music & family activities. Plus, dancing in the streets w/Bal Musette [7/14, 12-6, free]. BIG APPLE CONVENTION SHOW St. Paul's Church Aud., Columbus Ave. (60th St.), 201-865-3288, www.bigapplecon.com Rather than a convention of large apples, this is a convention of large & not-so-large men?& perhaps some ladies?w/a frighteningly keen interest in comic books & their respective toys, cards, posters & other memorabilia. Come forth to the biggest event of its kind & trade, buy or sell gold-, silver- & modern-age comics. Special guests incl. Michael Berryman (Star Trek IV), comic writer Danny O'Neill, Gerard Christopher (Superboy) & Joe Michael Linsner [7/12, 12-8 p.m., 7/13, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $6].

CELEBRATE BROOKLYN Prospect Park, Grand Army Plaza, 718-855-7882 x45, www.celebratebrooklyn.org Two months of free outdoor events [6/20-8/24] incl. concerts in the bandshell, movie screenings w/musical accompaniment, dance performances & a spoken-word series. See "Music" & "Film" sections or call for info.

CENTRAL PARK CONSERVATORY Central Park, 212-348-4867, www.centralparknyc.org Check out the Peter Pan Game (212-988-9093) at the Marionette Theater Swedish Cottage at W. 79th St. [Tues.-Fri., 10:30 a.m. & 12 p.m.; Sat. at 1 p.m., through 6/15, sugg. don. $5]. Harlem Meer Performance Festival (212-860-1370) takes place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, inside the park at 110th St. & Lenox Ave. Fest. feat. best in blues, jazz, salsa & gospel music by the scenic Harlem Meer?see "Music" section for info. [Sundays, 5/26-9/1, 4-6 p.m., free]. Horse-drawn carriage rides (212-246-0520) are a highly romantic & summery thing to do, provided you're not trotting around w/your grandmother. Savor the twists & turns, the flora & the fauna, the "getting-out-of-the-city-even-though-you're-not" feeling, the bizarre extremes of freakishly thin & hopelessly overweight joggers; then pretend you're in unseasonably warm Elizabethan Britain & start screaming w/fear when you notice automobiles careering past. The carriages can be found lined up along Central Park S., 59th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.).

CHANGE YOUR MIND DAY Great Hill, Central Park, 106th St. (midpark), 800-950-7008, www.tricycle.com Ninth-annual afternoon of music, mind exercise & meditation, sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, is tailored to novices as well as masters, w/Spanish language instruction & special children's programs. Advised to bring hat, water & blanket for sitting [6/8, 12:30 p.m., call for complete sched.]

DOMINICAN DAY PARADE 6th Ave. (39th-58th Sts.), 8/10 at 1 p.m. Annual parade runs from 39th St. to 58th St. 646-328-6505.

FLEET WEEK CELEBRATION Pier 86, W. 46th St. (12th Ave.), 212-245-0072, www.intrepidmuseum.org Here come the MIW?the Men in White. More than a dozen Navy & Coast Guard ships, along w/some sneaky Danes & Canadians who've been sailing around aimlessly for quite some time & just want to dock anywhere, visit New York Harbor to honor all the fine men & women in the military. Cohosted by the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, festivities for the 15th Annual Fleet Week incl. a ceremonial wreath-laying, 21-gun salute, flyover of fighter jets & the unfurling of a 100-ft. American flag. There's also tug-of-war & arm wrestling between crews, "demonstrations of military skills" & the Best Chow competition. (Contrary to some beliefs this is not, in fact, the entrance exam for the Navy.) Free public tours of the ships take place [Thurs.-Tues., 1-4 p.m.]. The Parade of Ships is always popular, too [5/22-5/28], call for sched. & locations. See "Maritime Attractions" for other Intrepid events.)

FORGET-ME-NOT BALL Cipriani, 110 E. 42nd St. (betw. Park & Lexington Aves.), 212-983-0700. Frasier's David Hyde Pierce hosts this extremely worthy fundraising ball for the Alzheimer's Association NYC Chapter. Six hundred guests bid for prizes such as a signed script from Sex and the City, a weekend for 2 at the Four Seasons & chance to not only meet, but greet, the Yankees' Derek Jeter. (Hmmm?Jeter the greeter.) Proceeds go to providing services, education programs & training for people w/Alzheimer's, their families & caregivers [6/6, 6:30 p.m., $500+].

HAMPTONS GREEK FESTIVAL Greek Orthodox Church, 111 St. Andrew's Rd., Southampton, 631-283-6169. The Greek shall inherit the Earth. No, hang on, the Greek community shall have a most enjoyable festival of traditional food, dancing, stalls, music from the Athenians &?some more food. The "finest Greek food west of the Aegean," in fact [7/11-7/14, 4-11p.m.].

HUDSON RIVER PARK DAY Piers 25 & 26, N. Moore St. (Hudson River); Pier 84, 44th St. (Hudson River); Pier 54, 13th St. (Hudson River), 212-533-PARK, www.hudsonriverpark.org Day kicks off w/5K walk?being that it is summertime, it'll probably be hot as hell & you may opt to skip this part (Pier 84). Come later for a free boat ride or round of mini-golf. Not that ambitious? Watch theater productions or view the art exhibits. Activities held throughout the day. Live performance by the group Los Amigos Invisibles finishes off the event [6/9, 1-9, free].

LES FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Theater for the New City, 155 1st Ave. (10th St.), 212-254-1109. Seventh-annual montage of hundreds of multinational performers & artists hawking their work, feat. theater, dance, jazz, poetry, film, an arts fair & a block-long carnival. Recent big hitters have incl. Kurt Vonnegut, Maria Irene Fornes & Quentin Crisp. It was here that Moises Kaufman introduced The Laramie Project before it graced the studios of HBO [5/24-5/26, call for sched. of events, free]. MACY'S FIREWORKS DISPLAY East River, (betw. 23rd & 42nd Sts.), 212-494-4495. This is one of the first legal fireworks displays in the city since the post-9/11 ban was lifted in April. The 30-minute pyrotechnic spectacular, launched from barges & accompanied by "patriotic songs," will honor the heroes & victims of the terrorist attacks. And if that's not enough, the FDNY salutes Independence Day by firing red, clear & blue water 300 ft. over the river from their fireboat. The display can also be seen from Queens & Brooklyn [7/4, 9 p.m.].

MIDSUMMER NIGHT SWING Lincoln Center, Josie Robertson Plaza, Columbus Ave. (63rd St.), 212-721-6500, www.lincolncenter.org $12, $62/6-night pass, $100/10-night pass, $225 season pass. $35 for 7/10 benefit. Annual outdoor dance party under the stars, focusing on swing, Latin & the music of African Diaspora, offers dance lessons from 6:30-7:30, followed by live music performances & more dancing from 8-10 p.m. [6/26-7/27]. Schedule incl. Sultans of Swing [6/26], Issac Delgado [6/27], African Blue Note [6/28], An Afternoon of Dancing for Kids [4-5:30], Los Soneros de Oriente [6/29], Machito Orchestra [7/2], Los Pleneros de la 21 [7/3], Roy Ayers & Ubiquity/Bobby Morales [7/4], Tabou Combo [7/5], Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra w/Wynton Marsalis [7/6], Gerard Carelli Orchestra [7/9], Andrej Hermlin and his Swing Dance Orchestra [7/10], Viento de Agua [7/11], Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks [7/12], Coco Merenson [7/13], Tanguardia [7/16], Dick Hyman w/Jim Cullum's Jazz Band [7/17], International Garifuna Band w/James Lovell [7/18], Jimmy Bosch [7/19], Floxy Bee [7/20], Nile Rodgers and Chic [7/23], the Billy Strayhorn Orchestra [7/24], Yerba Buena [7/25], Groupo Saveiro [7/26], Illinois Jacquet [7/27]. MOCCA ART FESTIVAL The Puck Bldg., 293 Lafayette St. (Houston St.), 212-696-7945, www.moccany.org The Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art unveils work by 150 international artists, incl. original artwork, limited edition prints, comics, 3-D pieces & more. Just a few of the noted cartoonists in attendance incl. Howard Cruse, Evan Dorkin, Renee French, James Kochalka & Alex Robinson [6/23, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., sugg. don. $5].

MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK 1220 5th Ave. (115th St.), 212-534-1672, www.mcny.org The New Yorker's Lillian Ross reads from Picture, on the 50th anniversary of its publication. She's joined by editor Susan Morrison for a post-reading discussion, followed by a book signing [5/23, 6 p.m.]. A selection of lectures, talks & literary programs run throughout the summer: Wall Street Journal reporter Mitchell Pacelle looks into the contest for control of the Empire State Bldg., reading from Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon [ 6/1, 2 p.m.]. Directors of the Middle Eastern American Center at CUNY host a discussion on their research into the post-9/11 backlash suffered by Middle Easterners & Southern Asians, "Responding to the Backlash," [6/2, 2 p.m.]. The exhibition "A Community of Many Worlds: Arab Americans in New York City" is complemented by demonstrations of traditional Arab crafts & games, incl. calligraphy, henna hand-painting, embroidery & backgammon [6/11, 6 p.m.]. Strut through East Harlem & visit St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, Metropolis Studios & the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center as part of the museum's Celebrate East Harlem Weekend [7/26 & 27, 1 p.m.]. Also, MCNY KIDS interactive gallery talks & art activities for kids [through 6/22]. Call for full sched. of events & prices. MUSEUM MILE Selected museums along 5th Ave. (betw. 82nd & 104th Sts.). Call for full sched., 212-606-2296. 5th Ave. is closed to traffic & New York's 12 best museums are free from 6-9 p.m. [6/11].

NY WATERWAY BASEBALL TRIPS Pershing Road, Weehawken, NJ, 800-533-3779, www.nywaterway.com If you're sick of that stupid old subway on game day, full of paunchy men yelling, "Let's go Yankees/Mets," why not jump on either the Yankee Clipper or the Shea Express & arrive in style? Sadly, only home games apply & the ferry service runs from Pier 17, E. 34th St., E. 90th St., Weehawken, Hoboken & Port Imperial. Docking time is 30 minutes before the Yankees or Mets game & undocking time is 30 minutes after. Should you wish to remain on the ferry for the duration of the game, however, wine, beer, soft drinks & snacks are readily available ($13-$16).

PATHMARK MULTICULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL South St. Seaport, Pier 17, South St. (Fulton St.), 866-894-1812. Annual event begins w/"AsiaFest" program, which incl. acrobatics & opera performed by the Chinese Folk Dance Co. and Drum Spirit of China [6/1]. Nutrament Latin Dance Team Championship takes place the following day [6/1 & 6/2, 1-6, free].

PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE & FESTIVAL Madison Ave. (23rd-41st St.), 212-764-1330 x336. A celebration of liberation from those in Spain circa 1898. Loud & crazy, but low key in comparison to customary NYC parades. Call to find out about marching regulations, attire & float restrictions [6/2]. POETRY PROJECT St. Mark's Church, 10 E. 10th St. (5th Ave.), 212-674-0910, www.poetryproject.com Started by Paul Blackburn in 1966, the project has remained dedicated to finding new talent & nurturing the old. "There are other reading series in New York City but none matches the breadth of the Project, nor has any other developed a community whose devotion is half so intense,"?William Corbett. Events incl. the release party for the second Aufgabe poetry journal, guest edited by Rosemary Waldrop [5/27, 8 p.m.]. Michael Brownstein reading from his new book World on Fire [5/29, 8 p.m.]. FENCEbooks reading [5/31, 10:30 p.m.] & the final spring workshop [6/3, 8 p.m.]. All nights $7.

PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE 5th Ave. (44th-86th Sts.). Since the parade's inception in 1958, this spectacle has drawn some of the largest crowds for any event in the city. 100,000 people march annually for the 3-hour event. And men, no sexual assault this year, please [6/9].

THE STATEN ISLAND WATERFRONT FESTIVAL St. George, 718-815-3874. Five days of free nonstop entertainment, well almost, it's from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., once a month [6/22-10/19]. Events incl. Opening Day Parade [6/22], Jazz Up July [7/13], International Fun Fest [8/24], Staten Island Remembers [9/14] & Oktoberfest [10/19].

STUDIO KAIJU BATTEL Polish National Home/Warsaw, 261 Driggs Ave. (betw. Eckford & Leonard Sts.), Greenpoint, 718-387-5252, www.kaiju.com This live event series is a tongue-in-cheek hybrid of American pro-wrestling, Japanese monster-movie mayhem & lowbrow pop-culture. The troupe had Les Savy Fav open its April show in Boston. This June, NYC's Enon will be featured (they have a new album on Touch & Go out this June as well). The humorous but competitive antics afford confrontations between Dusto Bunny, Super Acuma, American Beetle, Club Sandwich, the lethal Silver Potato & more, all in excellent costumes w/crazy props [6/7, 9 p.m., $12]. SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK Various eateries in the city, 212-484-1200. 160+ restaurants collaborate to host a giant prix-fixe; portion of the proceeds donated to hunger relief organizations. Three-course lunch at any location is $20.02 (up from 2001's $20.01). This year's Restaurant Day [6/20] feat. nearly 200 eateries offering free tastings outside their entrances, so make sure to get up at the crack of dawn & bring a selection of fake moustaches & comedy glasses so you can do several laps before sundown. Reservations can be made starting 5/24, when the list of participating establishments will be announced [6/24-6/28].

TAKE HOME A NUDE Sotheby's, 1334 York Ave. (72nd St.), 212-966-0300, www.nyaa.edu This annual event always receives a second glance, simply because of the oh-so-naughty title. But, poor fools, we speak of art. 200 paintings, sculptures, photographs & drawings will be, ahem, laid bare for this benefit. Works by artists such as John Alexander, Louise Bourgeois, Christo, Bill Jacklin, Roy Lichtenstein, Philip Pearlstein, Jock Sturges & William Wegman are up for grabs [6/25, 7 p.m., $175-$500, viewing period 6/18-6/24].

TOYOTA COMEDY FESTIVAL Various locations, www.toyotacomedy.com for sched. Bill Cosby headlines festival's 10th-anniversary celebration at Carnegie Hall [6/12]. Another highlight is Carl Reiner & Joy Behar at the 92nd St. Y [6/11]. The 5-day laff fest. incl. a film program [6/14] & a free day of performances at Joseph Papp Public Theater [6/15] w/host Jonathan Ames (What's Not to Love) & authors Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City), Rob Siegel & Todd Hanson (The Onion) [6/11-6/15]. WALL STREET COMMUNITY DAY FESTIVAL Wall St. to Water St., 212-809-4900. Sixth-annual festival in the heart of the financial district brings color & thousands of visitors to a usually tranquil neighborhood in summertime. Peruse the selection of arts, crafts, jewelry, antiques & ethnic foods from vendors & pop into participating stores & restaurants. Kids urged not to show fear in front of bulls & bears in the vicinity [5/31, 6/7, 7/12, 8/16, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., free.]

WASHINGTON SQUARE OUTDOOR ART EXHIBIT Wash. Sq. Park, 5th Ave. (Waverly Pl.), 212-982-6255. Annual exhibition by 200+ artists invades the blocks surrounding Washington Sq. Park for 5 days. Past artists incl. De Kooning & Pollock. Diverse range of media displayed, such as oils, pastels, glass, ceramics, photography & more. All items available to buy. Kids urged to show fear in front of bulls & bears in the vicinity [5/25-5/27, 6/1 & 6/2, 12 p.m.-sunset, free].

Family & Kids' Activities

american craft museum 40 W. 53rd St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 212-956-3535, www.americancraftmuseum.org Summer programs explore materials & techniques applied in the exhibitions. See glass sculptor Paul Stankard fashion a blossom from hot glass & discuss his delicate art [Flame-working, 5/29, 12 p.m.] while a panel of curators & collectors discusses the museum's "Changing Hands" exhibition & highlights new talent in Native American ceramics, metalwork, jewelry & sculpture [5/30, 10 a.m.]. Be part of a rags-to-riches story by turning all that crap in your already-cramped apartment into jewelry! Finders Keepers Jewelry Workshop teaches you how. Packrats rejoice, but remember, it doesn't mean you can give it later as a gift. Brush up on the history of fine Southwestern food w/culinary arts instructor Melissa Homann, before they get to the bit you're really there for, when you get to sample her roasted Anaheim chili w/goat cheese, triple corn muffins, shortbread cookies & more [Tastes of the Southwest, 8/1, 6 p.m.]. Call for full sched., prices & reg. details.

American Museum of natural history Central Park W. (79th St.), 212-769-5800, www.amnh.org To add to its startling collection of 32 million artifacts, fossils & all the other proof that dinosaurs existed, the museum has 2 top-quality exhibitions on display over the summer. The first, "Baseball As America," illustrates the links between society & the most American of sports, feat. 500 items from the Hall of Fame incl. the "Doubleday Ball" from baseball's first game, bats used by Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa & Flushing's favorite John Rocker. No, not really. There is, however, a Brooklyn Dodgers (parents: tell your children who they were) jersey that was worn by Jackie Robinson [through 8/18, $7.50-$15]. As if you weren't paranoid enough already, "The Search for Life: Are We Alone?" at the Hayden Planetarium gives you a glance outside our solar system & has you walking on Mars, thanks to NASA footage, w/the accompaniment of Harrison Ford's narration making it all the weirder. The truth is out there. There. No, over a bit. That's it. Right there, my friend, right there [through the summer, daily, every half-hour, $11.50-$19]. ART-ON-SITE 2001 Queens Museum of Art, NYC Bldg., Flushing Meadows, Corona Park (Grand Central Pkwy.), Queens, 718-592-9700, www.queensmuse.org Hands-on workshops for kids. Clay-building facades, watercolor, clay animals, decorative picture frames & just about anything you can think of. Classes cater to children 5-14 [Sundays, 1 p.m., $3]. Other events at the museum incl. a bilingual musical children's play [Where Is Teeny?/Donde Es Teeny?, 6/1, 2:30 p.m.], a concert commemorating June 19, 1865?when the last slaves in America were set free [Juneteenth Celebration, 6/8, 1 p.m.], a trip to the Longhouse Reserve & Ossorio Foundation in the Hamptons [6/11, 8 a.m.] & an ecology walk in Corona Park, Flushing Meadows, w/"wildman" Steve Brill, who identifies edible plants & wildlife [8/25, 2 p.m.]. Children & adults alike will be impressed by The Panorama of the City of New York, a 9335-sq.-ft. model of the city feat. 800,000 little buildings. It was a huge hit at the World's Fair in 1964 & was updated in the mid-90s [through Sept., call for sched., $5].

asphalt green aqua center 555 E. 90th St. (York Ave), 212-369-8890, www.asphaltgreen.org Water wonderland built in former municipal asphalt plant. Kids swim in 50-meter, Olympic-size pool; smaller pool for waterbabies classes & physical therapy. The fitness center also has regulation-sized, artificial turf soccer field, kid-sized basketball court, elevated indoor running track, playground at York St. entrance & an on-site puppet theater at the Mazur Playhouse [$7, every Sat. & Sun., through the end of June. Center hours: Mon.-Fri. 5 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.].

BATTERY PARK CITY PARKS CONSERVANCY Various locations, 212-267-9700. Take a stroll into the reborn streets of downtown Manhattan & sample art, music, walking tours & storytelling. Watch the sun go down to the sound of music w/the fittingly named Sunset Singing Circle led by Terre Roche [6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7 p.m.]. Scare the (sea)life out of a fish by catching & then releasing at Go Fish w/Vital Children's Theatre, followed by theatrical productions & art projects [6/15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.]. The Family Music Festival is a day-long extravaganza, most notable part being the Tour de Parc bicycle tour for both kids (tricycles & scooters permitted, but no Harleys) & adults, w/obstacle courses & a "Ramp of Death." Okay, obstacle courses, but no "Ramp of Death" [6/23, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.]. Making the music festival a little more musical, however, is Harmony on the Hudson [6/23, 12-5:30 p.m.] & the Klezmatics [6/23, 5:30-7 p.m.], who are said to be "by turn wild, spiritual & provocative." Hmmm. The tunes continue in August w/world music combo the Threads [8/1, 7 p.m.], a drumming night [Sunset Jam, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23, 6:30 p.m.] & traditional Irish music performed by the wonderful Cherish the Ladies [8/10, 6:30 p.m.]. All events are free. Other activities incl. kids' basketball, soccer, gardening, art classes & more. Call for full sched.

Bronx zoo/wildlife conservation park 185th St. (Southern Blvd.), 718-367-1010, 718-220-6854, www.bronxzoo.com, www.wcs.org One of the best zoos in the world hosts several events for all ages this summer. Layla's Big Day is not a celebration of this gorilla's wedding anniversary, but rather her 4th birthday. Children decorate party hats, solve monkey puzzles & sign a "gorilla-sized" card, then wait patiently for Layla to read it aloud [6/1, 10:30 a.m.]. Inquisitive 8-year-olds & over will have bones to pick as they determine the length of the femur of a lemur & perhaps the spine of a lion at Skulls & Bones [6/2, 10:30 a.m.]. Conservation by Design gives adults a tour of 6.5 acres of land that has been transformed into a rainforest (Congo Gorilla Forest) w/ explanations of how this splendid reconstruction all came to be [6/9, 10:30 a.m.]. A rare 21+ zoo event, Evening with Pattycake involves no hallucinogenic cakes, but rather drinks & hors d'oeuvres during a reception at Congo Gorilla Forest's Flaherty Learning Center to toast Pattycake the gorilla [6/1, 4:30 p.m.]. Another notable event is Breakfast with the Butterflies, a visit to the impressive Butterfly Zone before it opens to the public [6/1, 6/9, 9 a.m.]. The Bronx Zoo Babies are sure to attract crowds at the Wildlife Conservation Society, w/tiger cubs ["See Stripes Run," 5/25-5/27], snakes, turtles & birds ["Out of the Egg," 7/13 & 7/14], gorillas ["Congo Babies," 7/20 & 7/21] & baby monkeys ["Monkeying Around," 8/24 & 8/25]. Call for prices & full sched.

brooklyn children's museum 145 Brooklyn Ave. (St. Marks Ave.), Bklyn, 718-735-4400, www.brooklynkids.org Thankfully, StarQuest isn't another disgusting tv show about ugly losers' thirst for fame, but a planetarium at the museum. Learn about Native American myths & look for the Spider God, the Blackfoot & 7 hungry Iroquois children among the stars [6/1 & 6/2, 1 p.m.]. Sneak a peek at the plants & animals living in the museum's pond at Pond Life Safari w/snails, insects & duck weed [6/8 & 9, 1 p.m.]. Head up to the roof & be part of a human sundial for Sun Science, plus learn how that fiery star guides us through the day [6/15 & 6/16, 10:30 a.m., for kids under 5]. Ever wonder how they make all those tile mosaics in the subway? Well wonder no more & have a go yourself at Miles of Tiles [6/29 & 6/30, 2:30 p.m.]. The museum also offers free entertainment on Fridays, from 5 p.m., w/access to all the exhibits followed by a rooftop theater performance at 6:30 [Free Friday Family Fun]. Regular adm. $4, call for full sched.

CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY North Meadow Recreation Center, 97th St. (midpark), 212-310-6600. Where better to while away a summer day than Central Park? Adults can learn tai chi [Saturdays, 10 a.m., $3] or hatha yoga [Saturdays, 11:30 a.m., $3, Sundays, 1:30 p.m, free]. The Thinking Body, meanwhile, is a multimedia education & fitness program for youths. Activities incl. workouts, dancing, visual art projects & basketball [Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.]. Devoted dads can treat themselves to a day out at the Blooms & Brass for Dad Father's Day Concert & Tour, in which dads & their equally devoted children are taken on a tour to explore summer's early blooming flowers. The Mannes College of Music's brass quintet gives a concert in the South Garden [6/16, 2 p.m., free.]. Call for full sched. & prices.

central park wildlife center 64th St. (5th Ave.), 212-861-6030, www.wcs.org Ever think of yourself as "Dr. Love"? Well, you're not, okay? Because the real love professor (Dr. Love, aka Dan Wharton) is giving out tips about l'amour in the animal kingdom [Summer Lovin', 7/24] w/cocktails & hor