The Weekend: 8.7-8.9

Lobsters. Soap box derbies. Pool parties. It's definitely summer in Brooklyn this weekend.

Here's a look at what's happening in a neighborhood near you.

Friday, August 7

Food: Lobster and summer go together like pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving, and luckily, BKLYN Yard in Gowanus is putting together a lobster bake so you don't have to fumble around like Woody Allen in "Annie Hall." The Red Hook Lobster Pound will be providing the crustaceans, while the menu will also include coleslaw or potato salad, corn and lots of butter. Cost is $22 for a full mean and you're own shell cracker. Advance tickets are available here. Doors at 6 p.m. Located at 388-400 Carroll Street.

Art: "You are Standing into Danger," an exhibition of 22 artists working or living in Red Hook, starts its run at Space 414 in Red Hook tonight, running until September 11. According to the event, the more than two dozen works of painting, sculpture, photography, video, printmaking, illustration and embroidery "mediate the instability that persists between the contents of artwork and the honest and oftentimes horrific confrontations with contemporary life." Reception starts at 7 p.m. at the gallery, located at 65 Union Street.

Saturday, August 8

Music: This one's for the kids. At Carroll Park in, of course, Carroll Gardens, Putumayo brings artist Jay Mankita to Brooklyn as part of its Kids Picnic Playground tour, to mark a new CD of international songs for children that, in this edition, deal with food. Mankia is a guitarist, singer and songwriter from Massachusetts who, in the green spirit, drives a van that runs on recycled vegetable oil. The concert starts at 4 p.m. The park is bounded by Smith, Court, Carroll and President streets.

Soapbox Derby: Open Source Gallery in Park Slope has been hosting a Soap Box camp all summer long. Today, the sessions culminate with a derby and block party on 17th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The children's race starts at 11:30 a.m., followed by the adults' race at 1 p.m. You can sign up by emailing the gallery here, or stop by in the morning.

Game: Channel your inner Viking in a Kubb Tournament in Prospect Park today. Kubb is a lawn game that combines elements of horseshoes, bowling, chess and blocks of wood. Sound like your cup of tea? Email the organizers, Metro Metro Land, with the name of your team, the team players (only 2-6 people), and their email addresses. Spectators are also encouraged. From noon to 6 p.m. at Prospect Park's the Nethermead (a rolling meadow near the center of Prospect Park).

Books: Celebrate the release of Douglas Century’s new book, “Barney Ross,” about the famed boxer, with a party at none other than Gleason's Gym (77 Front St., 2nd Floor) in DUMBO, starting at 9 p.m. The event is free, and also features an open bar and music from Soulico. RSVP here.

Festival: The Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival takes over the Old American Can Factory today, with 12 hours of performances from electronic artists including The Juan Maclean and Young Love. It's from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. at the Gowanus venue ( 232 3rd St.). Tickets are $25.

Sunday, August 9

Pool Party: Next up at the Pool Party are The Fiery Furnaces (read our feature on the duo here), Dark Meat, and The Netherlands, as well as a DJ set from Simian Mobile Disco. Gates open at 2 p.m. The concert series takes place along the Williamsburg Waterfront at 90 Kent Avenue and are free. (Does the "Draconian" fence system at the Pool Parties bother you? Read all about it here).

Fair: Looking to jazz up brunch this weekend? Check out Littlefield as Hot Pot Brooklyn brings you 7 Sundays, featuring all-you-can-eat Belgian waffles and eggs, as well as a Rebel Roots sample sale, with t-shifts ranging from $15-$20, as part of its continuing multiform art and performance benefit series. There will also be a fashion showcase from Sacha Selhi's line, hommegirl, and music from resident Hot Pot music curator, DJ Carpetbagger of Fanny Pack. The event is free, and all received donations go towards building Hot Pot, a cubicle-free, communal work + play creation space for independents and freelancers in the downtown Brooklyn area.