Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Announces Spring Events Lineup
Opening the season is a series of videos and live performances as part of the immersive public art installation Drive-Thru.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Mar. 01, 2022
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership today announced the spring lineup of its annual event series, "Downtown Brooklyn Presents," which celebrates the people and the places of one of the nation's fastest growing downtowns. The spring launch marks the start of a season that brings Downtown Brooklyn and all of New York City together.
"We are excited to announce a spring calendar that will give Brooklynites something to look forward to," said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. "Downtown Brooklyn Presents finds creative ways to put one of our most important assets to good use: the open spaces that connect Downtown Brooklyn. We look forward to transforming the neighborhood with a vibrant calendar of events and having residents and visitors join us for fun, fitness, and entertainment outside."
Downtown Brooklyn's creative energy is in full swing with exciting events throughout the neighborhood. Opening the season is a series of videos and live performances as part of the immersive public art installation Drive-Thru, from design team Soft-Firm, on view at The Plaza at 300 Ashland until April 14, with an event honoring Women's History Month on March 29.
Also in honor of Women's History Month, DBP will host a celebration on Saturday, March 19th at Albee Square that will feature a self-defense class led by the women collective Malikah, followed by a live performance from up-and-coming, Brooklyn-based rapper Nappy Nina.
The popular happy hour music series at Al B's beer garden, and Pratt Institute's end-of-semester Live Look-Book experience for fashion design students, both return this year, along with the popular Zumba classes presented in partnership with Dodge YMCA, Ping Pong Happy Hours and Downtown Brooklyn's annual Earth Day celebration on April 24th.
With many activations planned for the streets and plazas of Downtown Brooklyn, this season offers an exciting lineup of safe, free outdoor events, all in accordance with social distancing and health safety guidelines. Advanced registration is encouraged, and in some cases, participants must sign a waiver to participate.
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PRESENTS 2022
Spring Calendar
Public Art Installation: Drive-Thru
February 17 - April 14
The Plaza at 300 Ashland
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Van Alen Institute, in partnership with Two Trees Management Co., present Soft-Firm's Drive-Thru, the winter public art installation at The Plaza at 300 Ashland. Inspired by the classic drive-in movie experience, Drive-Thru comprises a reconfigurable outdoor theater that incorporates light through rear projection, serving as an outdoor cinema that will host videos from Brooklyn-based artists that highlight New York City's communities and explore themes of urban life.
2/17 - 2/23: Ali Santana, Community: Rhythm / Movement / Joy (2022)
2/24 - 3/1: Nicholas Fraser, Follow/Unfollow (2016)
3/2 - 3/8: Simon Benjamin, Errantry (2021)
3/9 - 3/15: Luna X Moya, What the Pier Gave Us (2021)
3/16-3/23: Olalekan Jeyifous, The Frozen Neighborhoods (Fly-through) (2021)
3/25 - 3/30: Tanika I. Williams, (construct)Clearing (2021) and Sanctuary (2021)
3/31 - 4/5: Ezra Wube, Flatbushtopia (2017), Bridge Street (2015), At the Same Moment (2013), Words of Wisdom (2016)
4/6 - 4/13: Aisha Amin, Choir (2020) and Friday (2019)
Drive-Thru Live Programming:
Skeleton Architecture
Tuesday, March 29 | 6:30-7PM
The Plaza at 300 Ashland
In honor of Women's History Month, performing in tandem with Tanika I. Williams' videos, (construct)Clearing and Sanctuary, is Bessie Award-winning Skeleton Architecture, a vessel of Black women and gender nonconforming improvisational movement artists. Performers for this event are: Davalois Fearon, Jasmine Hearn, Nia Love, Charmaine Warren, and Marýa Wethers.
BEACON: Illuminating Lewis Latimer's Brooklyn: A Conversation on Latimer's Life and Work in 19th Century Brooklyn
Sunday, March 6 | 2-4PM
Virtual - link here.
Join this virtual conversation with BEACON artist, Shervone Neckles, Brooklyn historian and scholar, Prathibha Kanakamedala, Lewis Latimer House Museum Director, Ran Yan, Beam Center Director, Brian Cohen; and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President, Regina Myer, to explore Lewis Latimer's life, work, and activism in Brooklyn.
Downtown Brooklyn Women's History Month Celebration
Saturday, March 19 | 12PM-3PM
Albee Square
Celebrate Women's History Month with a self-defense class led by women-led collective Malikah, whose goal is to remake our communities as inclusive and safe, followed by a live performance from up-and-coming, Brooklyn-based rapper Nappy Nina, who has a gift for lyricism and delivers her perspectives as a Black queer woman with an infectious laid-back flow, with a delivery that is "smooth-sultry...and almost jazz-like" (WQED).
Be sure to also visit the Women's Makers Show at City Point.
Brooklyn United Youth Fair + Expo
Sunday, April 3 | 12PM-6PM
Albee Square
Brooklyn-based dance studios, football teams, marching bands, drumlines, soccer clubs, little leagues, and more! A variety of youth organizations come together for a day for Brooklyn families to explore the many local resources and activities available for kids. Organized by local Brooklyn United Music and Dance Program.
Pratt Fashion Live-Look-Book
Saturday, April 9 | 5PM
Albee Square
Pratt Institute's senior class of fashion designers will launch a site-specific presentation of their original works at Albee Square. The event will be live streamed on Instagram at @prattfashion.
Downtown Brooklyn Car Free Earth Day
Saturday, April 23 | 12PM-3PM
Albee Square + Albee Square West
Join us for an exciting and earth-friendly activation on the plaza at Albee Square. Albee Square West will be closed to traffic all day, so bring your bike, roller skates, and beach chairs to enjoy a car free street!
Brooklyn Marathon and Half Marathon City Point Cheering Zone
Sunday, April 24 | 7AM-11AM
Albee Square
Join your friends, neighbors and running enthusiasts at Albee Square to cheer on the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon and Half Marathon runners as they come through Downtown Brooklyn along Fulton Mall.
Willoughby Walks
Wednesday, April 27 | 2PM-7PM
Wednesday, May 4 | 2PM-7PM
Willoughby Street at Pearl Street
For two consecutive Wednesdays, lounge in our lawn chairs and bask in a car-free street! Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and DOT transform the streets with art, music, exercise, ping-pong, and fun activities, all free and open to the public! Full schedule to come.
KidsRead / KidsWrite: The Center for Fiction's Family Day
Saturday, April 30 (Rain Date: Sunday, May 1) | 11AM-1PM
The Plaza at 300 Ashland
Across the street from their home, The Center for Fiction presents an outdoor celebration of storytelling for young readers, featuring story time fun for your little ones. Booksellers will set up a mobile book fair for attendees. This event is part of The Center's KidsRead / KidsWrite program, which annually serves 2,500 students from NYC Public Schools with author-led reading and writing events.
Bang on a Can's LONG PLAY Outdoor Free Stage
Saturday, April 30 (Rain Date: Sunday, May 1) | 2PM-8PM
The Plaza at 300 Ashland
The free outdoor stage of Bang on a Can's new, three-day destination music festival, featuring dozens of concerts is at The Plaza at 300 Ashland. Fueled by more than three decades of Marathon concerts, the LOUD Weekend festival at MASS MoCA, Bang on a Can's LONG PLAY will be a supercharged ride - for musicians and audiences alike. Full line-up to come.
BAMkids SpringFest
Saturday, April 23 (Rain Date: Sunday, April 24) | 10:30AM-4PM
The Plaza at 300 Ashland & BAM Fisher Building (321 Ashland Place)
A day of activities and performances by local talent celebrating the spirit of spring and themes related to environmental advocacy and care. Co-curated by the BAMkids Parent Advisory Circle.
Kid-Friendly Ping Pong Happy Hours
Tuesdays, May 10 - 31 | 5PM-7:30PM*
Brooklyn Commons
DJs set the soundtrack on Tuesday evenings while you enjoy ping pong games with The Push. Participants will be required to sign a waiver for this event.
*Continues into June.
Zumba with Dodge YMCA
Wednesdays, May 11 - 25| 6PM-7PM*
Brooklyn Commons
Our wildly popular Zumba classes are back! Sweat it out Wednesday evenings with a free, one-hour Zumba classes by the Dodge YMCA with instructor, Natarsha. Participants will be required to sign a waiver for this event.
*Continues into June.
Albee Square Happy Hours
Thursdays, May 12 + May 19 | 5PM-7PM
Albee Square
Grab a drink at Al B's beer garden, enjoy some tunes by Brooklyn musicians and win Happy Hour drink tokens at this weekly happy hour music series. Artists to be announced soon.
BKLYN Indoor and Outdoor Block Party
Saturday, May 14 | 11AM-3PM
Albee Square and City Point
Back and better than ever! Brooklyn Bridge Parents will bring the party to Downtown Brooklyn at both City Point (indoors) and Albee Square (outdoors) with fun and free activities including arts & crafts, soccer, a bouncy house, music, and more. Perfect for kids ages 1 to 10!
Lawrence Street Happy Hour
Thursday, May 26 | 5PM-7PM*
Lawrence Street between Fulton and Willoughby Streets
Lawrence Street closes down to traffic for a block party! Bring all your friends to grab after-work drinks at Circa and enjoy tunes by local musicians, play our giant games, and lounge on another car-free street in Downtown Brooklyn.
*Continues on the last Thursday in June!
The full DTBK Presents Summer schedule will be released in May.
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