February culture, by Matt Caprioli

For the first Saturday of February, you can bring your entire family to Mark Morris Dance Group and heat up against the cold. The free event at 3 Lafayette Ave features live music from “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and starts at 3:00 pm. Closer to Red Hook, Sunny’s has a slew of bluegrass musicians performing throughout the month, including Joanna Sternberg on February 6 at 9:00 pm, a mix of Laura Gibson and Joanna Newsom.

Or if you’re feeling practical, you can receive some tax help for free at Neighbors Helping Neighbors on 4th Avenue and DeGraw Street. Schedule an appointment online or at 212-505-3482 beforehand. Doors open at 10:00 am. The free tax advice occurs every Saturday up until April 14.

Down to Earth brings regional farmers and food producers to events around town. The next one near Red Hook is on February 4 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on 4th street and 5th Avenue.

For the literary, poet Carl Phillips is reading at the famed KGB bar on February 5. Dave Eggers launches his latest book, “The Monk of Mokha” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on February 11 at 8:00 pm; he’ll be in conversation with Mokhtar Alkhanshali, the coffee entrepreneur who inspired the work. Novelists Sigrid Nunez reads her latest novel “The Friend” and discusses with novelist Peter Cameron at Greenlight Bookstore on February 26 at 7:30 pm.

On February 6 at 8:00 pm, Union Hall hosts “Don’t Think Twice,” featuring comedians Ophira Eisenberg, Sydnee Washington, Mike Feeney, Menuhin Hart and Justin Brown. Alternatively, you can reenter the 90s with a Tom Green show at The Bell House, February 8 at 8:00 pm.

Until February 11 in Gowanus, the intriguing multi-disciplinary artist Rose Nestler is displaying her first solo show called “Strange Business” Ortega y Gasset Projects on 363 3rd Avenue. Grab your bike and 20 minutes later you’ll be at the Brooklyn Museum. The Brooklyn Museum has a series where artists give lectures on current exhibits. On February 10 at 2:00 pm, photographer Farah Al Qasimi will discuss the museum’s featured exhibit “Ahmed Mater: Mecca Journeys.”

At Pioneer Works, make sure you check out interconnected exhibits by Kathleen White, “Spirits of Manhattan,” and Nan Goldin’s “Kathleen” before Feb 11. Pioneer Works opens their next major exhibition, “Compositions” by Japanese artist Shuta Hasunuma, on February 23.

Chinese New Year is February 16 in 2018, and there are a flurry of celebrations around the city. Leading up you can explore making authentic dishes at the gallery Court Tree Collective, which on February 10 will become a kitchen. The Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts hosts a lunar dance and music extravaganza on February 11 at 3:00 pm. Then of course you can travel to Manhattan’s Chinatown to see some huge dragons and legions of dancers on February 25, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Men’s Fashion Week runs February 5 to 8, and the big names show around Manhattan on February 8 to 11. While most shows, especially for established brands, aren’t public, there are a host available. Who knows, maybe you’ll see the next big thing. Check out Fashion Week Online for a continually updated list of shows that are open to the public.

Depending on your relationship status, you can dance your (oh so independent) heart off at the anti-valentines party on February 9 and 10 hosted at Littlefield, or if you’re feeling lucky, check out the “House of Love” costume party on February 10, followed by a “Queer Valentines” on February 11 at House of Yes in East Williamsburg.

Mardi Gras is February 13th this year, and there are a host of events around the city to enjoy jazz and lobster. Bryant Park hosts a “SK8 Night” on Fat Tuesday (7:00 pm to 10:00 pm) where the rink is lit in green, purple and gold. Expect sounds from New Orleans and free beads everywhere. If you want some Louisiana style food, Bar LunÀtico in Bed-Stuy is a sure bet, and if it’s the sound of New Orleans you’re after, Brooklyn Bar dedicates two nights to New Orleans musicians on February 12 & 13.

On February 15, The Brooklyn Historical Society presents award-winning historian and Brooklyn College professor Jeanne Theoharis, author of “A More Beautiful and Terrible History.” Theoharis analyzes contemporary political use of the Civil Rights Movement, often in a way that fails to consider the mammoth resistance white voters had toward the movement.

Hear contemporary reimaginings of Beethoven at Roulette on February 28 when Bearthoven takes the stage at 8:00 pm. And don’t miss “Introductions” at Trestle Gallery in Greenwood. Curated by Enrico Gomez, the exhibit brings together more than 50 compelling artists.