DANCE

MEET THE PRIMA BALLERINAS The Young Friends of New York City Ballet Committee hosts “An Evening with Friends at the Ballet,” which begins with a pre-performance reception and buffet dinner. A presentation and performance is given by a selection of the company’s dancers. The program includes the George Balanchine-Stravinsky dance trilogy, “Apollo, Orpheus, and Agon.” A backstage tour of the New York State Theater, the home of NYCB, follows. Friday, 7:30 p.m., reception begins at 5:30 p.m., Lincoln Center, New York State Theater, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, between 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue, 212-870-5666, $70–$95.

FOOD & DRINK

GRILL MARKS Whole Foods Market and Food Bank for New York City present “Goodwill from the Grill,” a benefit lunch to raise funds for the nonprofit organization that provides 250,000 free meals a day through 1,000 food programs across the city. Burgers, sides, snacks, and cold beverages are offered for sale. Thursday, noon–3 p.m., Union Square Park, 14th Street and Union Square West, 866-692-3663, $5.

MUSIC

CLASSICAL STYLES The 92nd Street Y’s final concerts in the “Chamber Music at the Y” series, feature violinist Daniel Hope and cellist Paul Watkins, who join violinist Jaime Laredo, violinist Bella Hristova, cellist Sharon Robinson, violist Mark Holloway, and violist Ida Kavafian. They perform Franz Schubert’s String Trio in B-flat Major, D. 471, and String Quintet in C Major, D. 956. The evening also highlights works by Gideon Klein and Erwin Schulhoff. Tonight and tomorrow, 8 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $40 general, $25 limited tickets for attendees 35 years old or younger.

PAINTINGS

ON THE GROUND “Waking at Night” is an exhibit of new paintings by Linda Stojak, who studies the human form in her paintings through dramatic “psychological self-portraits.” Selections include “Figure 38” (2007), above. Through Saturday, May 26, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Stephen Haller Gallery, 542 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-741-7777, free.

TALKS

DIDN’T START THE FIRE Vincent Bugliosi’s “Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy” (W.W. Norton) takes the entire Kennedy case into account, essentially “prosecuting” Lee Harvey Oswald for his crime in the face of recent polls showing that many Americans believe that Oswald was the object of a conspiracy. Mr. Bugliosi is best known as the prosecutor in the infamous Charles Manson trials. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., the Cooper Union, the Great Hlal, 7 E. 7th St. at Third Avenue, 212-353-4195, free.

LANDMARK PLACES “The African Burial Ground and NYC: An Untold Story of America” is a free talk presented by the Arts, Culture, and Fun at Manhattan Recreation Centers series. A historian and the curator of the Schomburg Center, Christopher Moore, discusses how the burial ground was rediscovered and preserved. Dating to colonial New York, the “Negro Burial Ground” was located just north of present-day Chambers Street, in what during the 18th century was the edge of the settled city. Slaves and freed blacks were interred here dating back to the late 1600s. Overlooked by many New Yorkers, the city developed the area around the burial ground in the 1800s. The remains were rediscovered when construction of the Federal Building at 290 Broadway got underway. In 2003, the burial ground was made a national landmark. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., Pelham Fritz Recreation Center, 18 Mt. Morris Park West at 122 Street in Marcus Garvey Park, 212-860-1380, free. For more information, call 311.

FABULOUS FUNGI “Exquisite Mushrooms,” a discussion of the lore and history of the fleshy, fruiting bodies, is featured as part of the ongoing Adventures in the Global Kitchen series at the American Museum of Natural History. The talk is led by the author of “The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushroom” (Knopf), Gary Lincoff, and a chef and co-author of “The Mushroom Lover’s Mushroom Cookbook and Primer” (Workman), Amy Farges. The pair explore its medicinal and dietary uses throughout time, and guests are invited to sample mushroom-based dishes prepared by Ms. Farges. A question-andanswer session follows. Tonight, 7 p.m., AMNH, 175 Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5200, $20 general, $18 members, students, and seniors. For complete information, go to amnh.org.

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