STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Now that spring is really here, Staten Island is out in force with an impressive variety of entertaining and fun events this weekend.

There's music, like the funkified sounds of Steely Dan at Snug Harbor; there's craft beer at the ballpark; there's art, from the pages of comic books to the walls of the Newhouse Center.

Above all, there's culture, like with Saturday's Cinco de Mayo Festival in Port Richmond's Faber Park. The borough's most culturally authentic fiesta takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2.

The free event will have entertainment from a DJ, many styles of live music, including mariachis, traditional folkloric dance, Mexican food, and free bouncy rides for the kids. The ninth annual festival is back in its original location of Faber Park after having to move last year while the park was undergoing renovations.

Save room: Americanized celebrations of Mexican food and drink will be all over the borough on Tuesday, May 5 (check out Pamela Silvestri's "Where to Eat, Drink & Be Mariachi Guide" here).

BEER IS IN THE AIR

Beer and chicken wings go together like birds of a feather. The fourth annual Staten Island Brewfest & Wing Showcase is this Saturday at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George. The new Buffalo wing component will feature guest restaurants.

Ballpark admission that day is $30 a guest ($40 the day of the event), which entitles a body to domestic beer tastes offered in a complimentary sampling glass. That general admission status allows revelers a pass at food and drink between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Designated drivers pay $22.60.

Upsells include an additional hour's worth of folly -- entry is granted to the Ballpark at 1 p.m. -- for VIP status that costs $85 in advance and $100 at the gate. VIP ticket holders have access to the "Ippolito Lounge" which serves Goose Island product plus free appetizers and finger foods prior to the start of general admission.

An S.I. Brewfest t-shirt is part of both general and VIP packages. And, revelers can buy "wing tickets" in 10-packs to be used at all food stations.

For more information on tickets available and participating breweries, check out Pamela Silvestri's preview of the event here.

COMIC BOOKS FOR EVERYONE

Saturday is "Free Comic Book Day" -- the joyous day of the year when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books to anyone who comes into their shops.

On Staten Island, kids and teens can visit the public libraries in Stapleton and Port Richmond to take part in the festivities. Check out Kathryn Carse's roundup of these library events, along with many other kid and teen-friendly events this weekend.

Or, check out Hypno-Tronic Comic Book Store on 156 Stuyvesant Place. They'll be participating in Free Comic Book during their open hours, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Comic Book Jones on 2220 Forest Ave. will be open all day, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with collections featured on its website and some visits from notable comic book illustrators like Evan Dorkan, Matt Minor and Rob Geronimo.

For those 21 and up, swing by JHU Comic Books on 299B New Dorp Ln. starting at 9 p.m. not only to celebrate the holiday, but to hear a special edition of the Super Live Adventure comedy podcast. Super Live Adventure is a weekly podcast recorded in front of a live audience and hosted by comedians John Szeluga, Chris Sorrentino and Bryan McGuckin.

The jokesters will be joined by Marvel Comics editor Jennifer Grunwald. Come to the comic book store for some free comics, then stick around after closing to be a part of the live audience. BYOB.

BREAKING DOWN THE FOURTH WALL -- IN MUSIC

At Saturday's Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble performance, musicians will be featuring the commissioned world premiere of "Gemini" by composer Tina Kenny alongside an original film by local filmmaker Don Arangio.

The piece is unique in that the music was composed first and the film set to the score. In keeping with the "Beyond the Wall" theme of the Chairs' season, there are visual cues contained in the film for the audience to play along and be part of the music.

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Staten Island Museum on 75 Stuyvesant Place with a chat between the composer and the filmmaker. The performance starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 General, $12 SI Museum Members, $5 Students (22 and under with ID) Tickets are available at mcensemble.org or at the door (door is cash only)

For more information please contact: info@mcensemble.org or 718-907-3488

CONTEMPORARY MEETS CONFERENCE HOUSE

The Conference House Association has embarked on a program of events designed to speak to the needs of the community with a free art expo.

On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be over 40 artists and craftsmen from Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Toronto exhibiting their work in two large tents as well as in the Conference House itself.

"Imagine touring through this house, traveling through centuries and experiencing contemporary art in a new way!" said Deborah Woodbridge, Committee Chair of the ELEMENTS ART EXPO NYC.

An installation piece, taking up a room on the second floor, titled "Quills", by Nancy Quin and Woodbridge, will be on view for the Expo and continuing through Bird Fest which will be on May 16.

Resiliency and Elements, the sister show at the Lenape Gallery in the Conference House Park visitors center will be up. Outside, adjacent to the gallery, they will have the newly installed work by Doug Latourette, titled "Bird Rest Stop."

ANIMAL TALES FROM STATEN ISLAND

Staten Island Playwrights Collective is producing six one act plays, by Staten Island writers, that use the theme of animals, literally or figuratively.

Performances will be May 1 and 2 at 8 p.m. and May 3 at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Church, 312 Fillmore St. Plays were selected by submissions from Staten Island writers and this is the fifth annual short play festival. Tickets are $15 General Admission and $12 Students/Seniors.

For more information on the plays, visit the event's Facebook page.

TAKE A WALK ON THE HARBOR SIDE

Thousands of New Yorkers will take to their feet this weekend to explore nooks and crannies of all the boroughs for the annual Jane's Walk.

Sponsored by the Municipal Arts Society, the 200-plus free guided outings include nine walks from St. George to Prince's Bay that will provide both insider and outsider perspectives on the borough's history, scenery and place in the Big Apple.

More of a "walking conversation" than a lecture, Jane's Walks were inspired by the late Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), a keen observer of how cities work or don't, who wrote "The Death and Life of Great American Cities." Nearly all of the Island walks are family and senior friendly.

For a list of all the Janes Walks on Staten Island, check out Kathryn Carse's feature here.

KENNETH IS 'LIVING' THE LIFE

Borough photographer Kenneth Paul Graham unveils his "bodyscaping" concept in his debut exhibit: "Living with Art" goes up at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at Hub 17 in the SIABC Building, 73 wave St., Stapleton; SIABC.net.

"The concept behind the 'Living with Art' Photo Exhibit is based on my view of women as living works of art," Graham said. "One of the ways I chose to capture that is through Bodyscaping."

Images involve shadowy images of the female form and music by DeeJay Millz and Louie Lake. Prints will be available for purchase.

The event will be hosted by former Miss Richmond County, Sam Toscano and Claudia Russo formerly of The Drunken Monkey. There will be refreshments and dj music for entertainment. There will be a raffle of one of the works. This Hub 17 event is being sponsored by The Projectivity Movement. More information: 917-558-5271; kengraham@mac.com.

BURNT SUGAR GIVES STEELY DAN THE FUNK TREATMENT

At Saturday's concert at Snug Harbor, the classic rock sounds of Steely Dan will bring the familiarity. Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber will bring the funk.

Jazz/funk/classical/rock orchestra, Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, will perform a tribute concert to the great American rock band, Steely Dan. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. in Snug Harbor's historic Music Hall. Admission is $25.

Grammy Award-Winning artist and Staten Island resident Vernon Reid of the group Living Colour will be guest conductor. Reid is a guitarist, songwriter, composer and bandleader, as well as the founder and songwriter for the rock band Living Colour.

For tickets and reservations for the concert, please visit www.snug-harbor.org, or call 718-425-3525 or go to www.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door the day the event.

GREEN MARKET COMES TO ST. GEORGE

The St. George Greenmarket opens Saturday, May 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

And, after lengthy discussions as to its potential new location, Grow NYC finally confirmed farmers will sell at the corner of St. Mark's Place and Hyatt Street -- it's usual home, as per the past few growing seasons.

Note: Initial greenmarkets typically are lean with few food vendors in attendance. That's because product comes to market as it is produced or grown. As spring and summer progress, more farmers will populate the space, which is situated in a parking lot behind the St. George Theatre.

Check out Pam Silvestri's write-up for more information on the vendors and food available at the Green Market.

HARBOR IN BLOOM

If April showers bring May Flowers, this weekend's Harbor in Bloom Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden should be a colorful one.

The Saturday and Sunday event free and takes place on the 83-acre Snug Harbor campus at 1000 Richmond Terrace from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The festival will include an array of events and attractions, including live entertainment, a new art exhibition, a health and wellness center, plant and orchid sales, and tours of Snug Harbor's gardens and Heritage Farm.

This year's health and wellness component is new to the festival, as is the spring opening of a new FLUID exhibit at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art. The exhibition features the works of 22 artists who explore water as an integral part of our world. A public reception will be held from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday.

The health and wellness activities will take place on Saturday on the South Lawn. Activities will focus on mental, physical and spiritual well-being, with demonstrations of zumba, meditation and yoga. Festival participants will have the opportunity to be tested for blood pressure, glucose levels and diabetes.

Live entertainment on Saturday will include a number of Staten Island performers including rock & roots band Allergic to B's, folk/rock group Cadre, Joan Caddell and the Midnight Choir, Staten Island's original band and the Staten Island Conservatory of Music.

On both Saturday and Sunday, perennial and annual plants and seedlings will be available for sale at the Carl Grillo Glass House, and an orchid show and sale will be held in the lobby of Building P. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Participants will be invited to visit the new herb spiral at the compost demonstration plot adjacent to Heritage Farm to learn about perennial herb companion planting and how to apply compost in their own gardens. Also on Saturday, 150 trees will be given away on a first-come-first-served basis. The tree giveaway, in cooperation of Million Trees NYC, will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at Cottage D.

CARMINA BURANA

Carl Orff's dramatic musical piece Carmina Burana has been excerpted everywhere from rap songs to commercials. But this weekend, the 20th century cantata will be heard in Snug Harbor's Music Hall. You'll recognize it when you hear it:

The Music Department of Wagner College opens its presentation of Carmina Burana at on Sunday at 4 p.m.

The college's faculty baritone, Anthony Turner, will be the show's principal soloist. Turner, a seasoned, expressive performer with international credentials, will be joined by soprano Adrienne Patino Dunn. Alan Dornak, Wagner voice instructor and Director of the Opera Workshop, will participate as the hapless swan. Dornak has also performed with the Metropolitan Opera.

The score's music will be performed by Wagner College Choir, several percussionists and two pianists, Ok Kyung Kang and Barbara Lee, under the direction of faculty member Roger Wesby.

The elite youth chorus, Young Voyces, conducted by Beth Johanning, also on the faculty of Wagner College, will open the concert with a brief performance.

Admission is $15 and Information and Reservations can be accessed at 718-390-3205.