(Lyceum Theater, 149 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036) Vanities spans the turbulent '60s through the late '80s and explores how important friends are, as one faces life’s defining moments. Event Website

(International Center of Photography, 1133 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036) Richard Avedon (1923–2004) revolutionized fashion photography starting in the post-World War II era and redefined the role of the fashion photographer. He shook up the chilly, static formulas of the fashion photograph and by 1950 was the most imitated American editorial photographer. Injecting a forthright, American energy into a business that had been dominated by Europeans, Avedon's stylistic innovations continue to influence photographers around the world. This exhibition will be the most comprehensive exploration to date of Avedon's fashion photography during his long career at Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, The New Yorker, and beyond. Working closely with The Richard Avedon Foundation, ICP curator Carol Squiers and guest curator Vince Aletti will present new scholarship on the evolution and extraordinary, ongoing impact of his work. The exhibition will feature more than 200 works by Richard Avedon, spanning his entire career, and will include vintage prints, contact sheets, magazine layouts, and archival material. Event Website

(Various Locations) Over 250 participating NYC restaurants. (Lunch = $24.07. Dinner = $35.) Event Website

(USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park) More than 720,000 on-site fans, 75 million television viewers in the U.S. and 30 million online visitors enjoy the thrill and excitement of the US Open each year. The one-of-a-kind experience, the magnificent grounds and the breakthrough innovations that have become synonymous with America’s Grand Slam keep fans coming back year after year, making the US Open the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world. Event Website

(Riverside Park, Pier 1 @ 70th Street, New York, NY 10024) (Varies see website) Summer on the Hudson is the Parks Department’s annual outdoor arts & culture festival that takes place in Riverside Park South on the Upper West Side. With a mix of music concerts, dance performances, movies under the stars, DJ dance parties, kids shows, special events, and wellness activities, there is something for everyone! (FREE) Event Website

(New York Transit Museum, corner of Boerum Pl & Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201) (Tu - Fri 10AM to 4 PM; Sat. & Sun 12 noon to 5 PM) Incorporated in 1834, the Long Island Rail Road is the oldest rail road in the United States still operating under its original name. Initially built to be a shortcut to Boston, it has adapted to the ever-changing needs of its customers and survived competition, takeovers, hard times and bankruptcy. Today it is the busiest commuter railroad in the country and is embarking on a massive expansion project known as East Side Access which will bring LIRR trains into Grand Central Terminal. Historic and contemporary photographs, maps and illustrations ($5 adults; $3 children & Seniors (62+) Seniors free on Wednesdays) (718 694-1600) roxanne.robertson@nyct.com Event Website

(P.S.1, 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, Queens, NY 11101) The first solo exhibition of the New York-based artist at a New York museum. Working in video, sculpture, sound installation, and photography, Horowitz critically examines the cultures of politics, celebrity, cinema, war, and consumerism. Horowitz repositions news publications like Life and Time, evocative of wholesome American ideals, to draw subversive connections. Other work addresses the inverted politics of celebrity activism, whereby celebrities align themselves with particular issues in order to construct and reclaim their identities. Event Website

(Queens World's Fair Marina) Artist Mary Mattingly's The Waterpod has been touring her floating eco-habitat to various docks around NYC all summer, with tours, classes and lectures on board. The last stop is Queens World's Fair Marina. Event Website

(Rooftop of the Old American Can Factory, 232 3rd St at 3rd Ave, Gowanus/Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215) (8pm doors) Rooftop Films 2009 Summer Series, the 13th year of "Underground Movies Outdoors," will run every weekend from May 15 - September 20. Programming for the 2009 Summer Series includes feature-length films and programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature films are either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a filmmaker Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction, drama, comedy animation and more. Nightly: Live music presented by Sound Fix Records at 8:30pm, Film at 9pm. ($9) Event Website

(Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st St, New York, NY 10036) This revival of the classic musical about gamblers, showgirls, and the Salvation Army, stars Oliver Platt and Lauren Graham. Event Website

(Various Locations along the Hudson River, from Manhattan to Upstate Hudson Valley) The Hudson River Valley Ramble celebrates the history, culture and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, as well as the amazing landscape, communities, and trails throughout the region. This year, the Ramble takes places over four weekends in September and features nearly 300 individual events being offered in communities from Saratoga to NYC. Many Ramble events highlight themes such as the Revolutionary War, Great Estates, Hudson River School artists, Greenway Trails and the Hudson River Estuary. Whether you are interested in a challenging hike, bike or paddle, an inspiring walk through the grounds and homes of some of the Valley’s most notable artists, authors, and Great Americans, a trip back in time to experience the significant role the region played in the Revolutionary War, or a family-fun festival or river exploration event, the Hudson River Valley Ramble truly offers something for everyone! Event Website

(Governor's Island, Accessible by Battery Maritime Building, Slip 7, New York, NY 10004) (11am - 6pm) Presenting selections of work by more than 150 artists to the public for free. The site of a former military compound, Governors Island is a five-minute ferry ride (also free) from lower Manhattan, and comprises 22 acres of 18th-century fortifications, pre-Civil War arsenal buildings, Victorian and Romanesque Revival housing, early 20th-century neo-classical architecture, and a killer viewpoint of Lady Liberty. Event Website

(Morgan Lehman Gallery, 317 10th Ave, New York, NY 10001) Acutely aware of being different in a world of New York society, Smith struggled for years with her identity as a lesbian and an artist. As she came to terms with her sexual orientation, Smith found herself searching for positive role models within the gay community. While portraiture has been used for centuries to memorialize the family lineage, these visual depictions have focused almost entirely on the heterosexual family unit. Smith conceived of a project that would not only provide the role models she so craved, but would also contribute to the current cultural debate around homosexual unions by finding monogamous and stable exemplars. Event Website

(Riverside Park South, 72nd St & the Hudson River) (10am - 5pm) Join the Downtown Boathouse for 20-minute instructional paddles, and explore the Hudson River firsthand. Weather permitting. Kayaking will be available Saturdays & Sundays, May 16 – October 11. No registration required. (FREE) (212.408.0219) Event Website

(The Putting Lot, 12 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237) (Wed-Fri, 12 - 8pm; Sat & Sun 10 - 8pm) You're invited to play nine holes of miniature golf in a previously vacant lot in Bushwick, Brooklyn, each designed by a different team of artists or architects. Enjoy local Brooklyn-based bites at the snack-shack, participate in a variety of activities and events, or just stop by and hang out in the shade. The Putting Lot explores the possibilities of vacant lots in the city with an emphasis on community spaces. ($5/$3 children) Event Website

(Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave at 75th St, New York, NY 10021) Holzer’s pioneering approach to language as a carrier of content, and her use of nontraditional media and public settings as vehicles for that content, make her one of the most interesting and significant artists working today. Event Website

(Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036) The revival of the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical premiered last summer at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Event Website

(Tyler Rollins Fine Art, 529 West 20th St, New York, NY 10011) Considered to be one of Singapore’s preeminent contemporary artists, Ong has been noted for his large scale, figurative charcoal works on paper since his first solo exhibitions in the 1980s. During the past year, he became fascinated with the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic that recounts the exploits of Rama and his dutiful wife, Sita. Ong has brought his own unique viewpoint to this classic story. Inspired by the Ramayana’s characters and its dramatic themes of love, combat, and heroic adventure, he has created new narratives that are informed by his sensitivity as a gay man to the way gender roles play out in contemporary relationships. Event Website

(Madame Tussauds, 234 West 42nd St btwn 7 & 8th Aves, Times Square, New York, NY 10036) Madame Tussauds is offering a history lesson alongside its wax figurines this month: Beginning on Martin Luther King Day, visitors can participate in a special scavenger hunt, with clues based on African-American icons (like Malcolm X and Rose Parks) whose likenesses are in the wax museum. The clues can be downloaded from the website. ($22.40 - $35) (212-512-9600) Event Website

Tuesdays at 7pm, 3rd St & Prospect Park West; Wednesdays at 6:45pm, 236 West 73rd St; Saturdays at 9:15am, 236 West 73rd St Event Website

(Fighthouse, 122 West 27th St, New York, NY 10001) (5 - 7pm) Metro Wrestling is New York City's gay freestyle wrestling club. Gay, straight, male or female, all are welcome to attend. Event Website

(Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011) (3 PM) Join us for docent-led tours of our exhibition galleries. Highlighting works from both our permanent collection and our rotating exhibitions, tours are free with museum admission and start from the bookstore. (Free!) (212 255 0719) carolin@chelseaartmuseum.org Event Website

(Big Apple Ranch, 39 West 19th St, New York, NY 10011) (9PM) Founded in 1997, Big Apple Ranch has hosted a weekly country-western dance for the gay and lesbian community virtually every Saturday night for eleven years. Our huge dance floor welcomes people of all dance-abilities, and our friendly people go out of their way to make sure everyone has a good time and keeps coming back. The Ranch’s growing crowds are proof that the fun of partner dancing is contagious Polish up your boots, and come on and see what all these cowgirls and cowboys are talking about!! Event Website

(Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011) (3.00 p.m.) Docent Tours are held in Chelsea Art Museum every Saturday at 3.00 p.m. (free)