To Do in Dumbo
Free bike valet parking, a show in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge… Sounds like Movies with a View, but it’s the Brooklyn Bridge Park’s new Music at the Bridge series, featuring bands presented by area venues like Union Hall and Issue Project Room. It begins tonight with the Barbès-curated headliner Las Rubias del Norte, a dreamy Latin pop sextet, video art and Brooklyn Brewery beer, inside the Tobacco Warehouse. Doors at 6. Free! brooklynbridgepark.org

At the same park on Saturday, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival returns with old-school superstar KRS-ONE, and young emcees like Blu of Blu & Exile. brooklynbodega.com

Tomorrow, July 10, at the Melville House Bookstore, La Esquina’s ex-executive chef, Rene Ortiz, delivers a 10-minute lunchtime lecture on his own ex presumably. It’s titled “Chefs, and Why Their Wives Don’t Stick Around,” and if you miss the 1:15 talk, check back at the site, 10minutelectures.com, for the mp3 recording.

Balls Out Bastille Day
You can’t compete in the annual petanque tournament on Smith St., the largest in the U.S., but you can cheer on teams from Australia, Italy, France, and yes, Brooklyn, while chowing on mergez sausages and frites this Sunday, noon-10 between Bergen and Pacific on Smith… OR you can escape the crowds this year and head to French wine bar Cafe Cornichon in the WB, which outfitted its garden with a court for its first-ever petanque match on Saturday.

Prices are Still Insane
Shoe Market at 160 N. 6th kicks off a 10-day, buy one, get one half off sale Thursday, July 10 with free champagne and charm necklaces beginning at 5 pm. Stuart & Wright is holding a 30-75 percent off sample sale today, July 9-July 13, and the precious, gorgeous summer dresses of Ayoma Itchome are heavily discounted at Callalilai, 291 Atlantic Ave.

Literary Lights
Philip Gourevitch, editor of the Paris Review and staff writer for the New Yorker, teamed up with legendary documentarian Errol Morris to write “Standard Operating Procedure,” an in-depth examination of the abuses at Abu Ghraib, which Morris covered in his film of the same name. Tomorrow, Gourevitch reads from their powerful, disturbing book at Bookcourt.

Tuesday, July 15 at the Bay Ridge Public Library, Nicole Krauss discusses her breathtaking novel, “The History of Love,” a must-read if you haven’t already. (If any of you know Nicole, tell her we’re dying to find out her summer book recs.) site>>

Big Deal
The big Feist show might be sold out tonight at the Prospect Park Bandshell (check craigs for tix), but there are still plenty of great concerts in Brooklyn this week. The Lascivious Biddies, the classiest, most original girl group ever, perform a free show tonight at 8 at Rose Live Music. OD on hot young bands at The Yard this Saturday as High Places, Vivian Girls and 13 others start the party at noon. On Sunday, Kim Deal reunites her other revered band, The Breeders, for a free McCarren Park Pool Party show, with the energetic and always lovable Matt & Kim opening (Hear one of their songs on our June Mix Tape).

Last Chance
BAM’s Afro-Punk Festival closes with a bang on Saturday with a concert in Fort Greene Park and a Clinton Hill block party Sunday. bam.org

If you have still not seen the Murakami show at the Brooklyn Museum, the pop artist’s fabulous retrospective is up through Sunday, July 13. brooklynmuseum.org

Sent by Nicole and Keith. Thanks to Erin for the Cafe Cornichon tip!

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