It’s Archtober, and NYC’s architecture and design month features hundreds of events, tours, and exhibitions. Four of these tours are taking place right in Brooklyn’s Backyard, and you’re invited! Presented in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours, check out the month’s lineup:
Prospect Park Tour: Hidden Treasures
Sunday, October 6 , 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours to explore some of the little-known corners of Prospect Park in this tour that uncovers some of the park’s hidden treasures. Once prime attractions, these areas are currently the focus of Prospect Park Alliance restoration efforts to revitalize the Park. The tour includes the Rose Garden and Vale of Cashmere in the park’s northeast corner, and well as a guided walk through Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, the 150-acre Ravine.
Prospect Park Tour: Art + Architecture
Friday, October 11 , 4 pm – 6 pm
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours for a special Friday evening tour in celebration of Archtober. For over 150 years, Prospect Park has been a showcase of public buildings and artwork. This tour examines beautiful representations of Beaux-Arts, City Beautiful, New Deal Modernism, and LEED-certified park destinations.
Prospect Park Tour: Waterways + Wellhouse
Sunday, October 13 , 10:30 am – 10:30 am
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours for a tour in celebration of Archtober. Prospect Park is a marvel of engineering, with a man-made watercourse weaving through forests and meadows to a 60-acre lake. Explore the restored watercourse as well as the 1869 Wellhouse, once the world’s largest well, now home to the first composting toilets in a NYC public park.
Prospect Park Tour: Exploring the East Side
Saturday, October 26 , 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours for a tour in celebration of Archtober. Explore Prospect Park’s East Side, including works in progress (Rose Garden, Flatbush Avenue perimeter), upcoming improvements (Lefferts Historic House), and recent and historic park treasures (Carousel, Lakeside and WPA art + architecture of the Prospect Park Zoo).
Today, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, and Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue celebrated the start of construction of new entrances to Prospect Park along Flatbush Avenue, the first new entrances to the park since the 1940s. With overwhelming support from the community, Prospect Park Alliance received $3.2 million in funding from Mayor Bill de Blasio for this project through NYC Parks’ Parks Without Borders initiative, which seeks to make parks more open by improving entrances, transforming underutilized areas and creating vibrant public spaces.
“For the first time in more than seven decades, we’re giving New Yorkers a new way to enter one of the City’s most beloved parks,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “Thanks to the Mayor’s investment in Parks Without Borders we are changing the way parks intersect with the communities, and increasing accessibility. Upon its completion, this new entrance into Prospect Park will be a gateway for generations of families to come in and explore everything this historic park has to offer.”
“Prospect Park Alliance is committed to making Prospect Park open and accessible to all communities it borders,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “I want to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks Commissioner Silver for their innovative Parks Without Borders initiative, and the many community members who came out in support of this project. These new entrances will serve as an important gateway to the park for our east side communities, and to the park’s northeast corner, a focal point of our future restoration efforts.”
From Left: City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, Borough Parks Commissioner Martin Maher, Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Alliance President Sue Donoghue, Alliance Landscape Architect Svetlana Raguliana, Alliance VP of Capital and Chief Landscape Architect Christian Zimmerman
“The Parks Without Borders project on Flatbush Avenue perfectly complements my administration’s multi-million dollar investment in revitalizing the eastern and southern borders of Prospect Park, the crown jewel of our borough’s open space,” said Borough President Eric L. Adams. I am excited to see us progress toward increased access for recreation and relaxation opportunities, which will offer a safe and welcome entrance for pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, and anyone who wants to enjoy the park.”
“After many years of advocacy by the community, we finally broke ground on the two new entrance ways for Prospect Park on Flatbush Avenue, and are looking forward to improvements of the park perimeter on Flatbush, Ocean, and Parkside Avenues,” said Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo. “For the first time in over 70 years, Prospect Park will be renovated with new entrances featuring welcoming sitting spaces, a rock-scrambling trail and much more. As a community dedicated to excellence and culture, our public spaces should reflect those high standards of upkeep, beauty, and community. We’re so excited to be a part of the preservation and beautification of Brooklyn’s flagship park! The crown jewel in the Borough of Kings. Looking forward to the opening in the summer of 2020! “
“Excited to see Prospect Park open its doors wider and create more welcoming spaces. I’m grateful to the Mayor’s office for investing in making the park more accessible and glad to contribute to preserving and strengthening the long tradition of horseback riding in the Prospect Park,” said Council Member Brad Lander.
“I want to commend the NYC Parks Department, the Prospect Park Alliance, and Mayor Bill de Blasio for their advocacy on behalf of Prospect Park,” said Council Member Mathieu Eugene. “We are so privileged to have such a wonderful green space in our borough, and I am delighted that by working together, we are going to make Brooklyn’s Backyard even more vibrant and accessible for the next generation of New Yorkers. I am proud to support the Parks Without Borders initiative because it is an investment in the future of our city. We will be transforming the entrances of Prospect Park along Flatbush Avenue into new public spaces for all New Yorkers to use. It is my hope that through this initiative we will continue to improve Prospect Park for years to come.”
Background on the Project
A major entrance will be created in the northeast section of the park near the park’s former Rose Garden, the site of future restoration efforts by the Alliance, and a minor secondary entrance will be created just north of the Prospect Park Zoo. The entrances will feature new lighting, seating and trees, as well as new plantings. The major entrance will align with a future DOT traffic signal and pedestrian crosswalk, intersecting a berm retained by a three-foot-high granite wall. This will open onto a small public plaza with two levels of terraced seating that provides views of the surrounding woodlands. Stepping stones will lead to an informal running trail atop a berm. The plaza will also feature a rock scramble of boulders sourced from the building site of nearby NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Settees will be installed along the paths and between the boulders. The project is slated to be completed in Summer 2020.
Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux did not intend for entrances to the park along Flatbush Avenue. Their original design included a footbridge crossing above Flatbush Avenue to a reservoir that is located in what is now Mount Prospect Park on Eastern Parkway. Their intent was that pedestrians approaching Prospect Park from the east could walk through the reservoir grounds and then cross by the footbridge over to the park. The connection appears in park plans until an 1874 update of the design, but it was never constructed.
Additional Park Improvements
The creation of these entrances is part of a comprehensive restoration of the Flatbush Avenue perimeter of Prospect Park, which is currently in construction. Through $2.4 million in funding from Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, Prospect Park Alliance will restore the Flatbush Avenue perimeter from Grand Army Plaza to the Prospect Park Zoo to its original grandeur. Formerly, the narrow, 20-foot-wide sidewalk had few functioning street lights, heavily cracked pavement, sparse and unhealthy street trees, and an incomplete and deteriorating iron fence along the park. Following the original design of the park’s creators Olmsted and Vaux, the sidewalk is being expanded into a 30-feet-wide promenade. The Alliance has removed invasive plants that have overtaken the area, and planted trees to create an allée reflecting Olmsted’s design. New decorative fencing, lighting and benches will provide a welcoming and inviting pedestrian experience.
Prospect Park Alliance also is undertaking a $9.4 million restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue perimeters and entrance to the park, which is made possible through $6.4 million in funding by the New York City Department of Transportation; $2 million in funding from Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams; and $750,000 in funding from New York City Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene. This large-scale restoration will include new sidewalks and paving; new historic lighting and street furniture; new trees and landscaping; and the addition of a protected bike lane. A focal point of the entrance will be a new monument to Brooklyn political trailblazer U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, who was both the first black Congresswoman and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. This project continues the Alliance’s work to restore the perimeter of the east side of the park, including the Flatbush Avenue perimeter, which is also being funded by the Borough President, as well as Council Member Laurie Cumbo.
Additional capital improvements slated for this area include $2 million in funding from the Office of Mayor Bill de Blasio to enable the Alliance to restore approximately 1,200 linear feet of paths, replace park benches and add more lighting in the park’s northeast corner. In addition, Prospect Park Alliance is creating a covered horseback riding ring north of the Prospect Park Zoo for public and therapeutic riding. This $4.1 million project is funded through the support of former New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and New York Council Member Brad Lander.
Pick out your party outfit—on Saturday, October 5, Prospect Park Alliance hosts its annual Gala at Bartel Pritchard Square. More than just a fun Saturday night of dining and dancing in the park, the Gala is the Alliance’s most important fundraiser of the year and raises critical funds to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park. This year at the Gala, the Alliance will honor three Brooklynites who have devoted much of their lives and work to Brooklyn’s most vital green space: longtime Alliance supporters Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo, as well as iconic New York City journalist Pete Hamill.
Longtime Brooklynites Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo live just a stone’s throw from the park, by Grand Army Plaza. And if their names ring a bell, it might be because they have generously provided the matching sums during the Alliance’s annual spring and summer fundraisers for years, encouraging thousands of dedicated park supporters to give back to the park. The DiPaolos have always recognized the value in this cherished public space, believing firmly that as neighbors to the park and natives of Brooklyn, it is their duty to make sure the park is supported.
A born-and-bred Brooklynite, Pete Hamill has made his career as a journalist at countless New York City publications, and as an author, notably of his lauded memoir, A Drinking Life (1994). Hamill shares with Lorraine and Gordon a love of Prospect Park, having grown up exploring the woodlands and hanging out as a teenager at what he called “the totes,” short for totem poles—the way Hamill and his friends referred to Standford White’s columned entrance at Bartel Pritchard Square. His family lived in various locations during his childhood, never further than two blocks from the park. Says Hamill, “the park and the Public Library branch on 9th Street and 6th Avenue insured us that we might be poor but we were never impoverished!” Over the years, Hamill has written fondly of long walks through the park with his mother and siblings. For Hamill, the park’s hills and meadows have always been a home to return to, and we are grateful for the opportunity to honor his deep appreciation of Brooklyn’s Backyard.
Meet Adam Odeh, a 16-year-old student at Sunset Park High School and a current member of the Woodlands Youth Crew. Along with other high school students, Adam has spent his summers alongside Prospect Park Alliance staff working to restore Prospect Park’s nearly 200 acres of fragile woodlands: Brooklyn’s only forest. We caught up with Adam at the end of his final season with the crew to learn about his experience in Prospect Park.
Hi Adam! How long have you been a part of the Woodland Youth Crew?
I’ve been working as a member of the Woodlands Youth Crew for two years, since early August of 2017.
What is your favorite part of being on the Woodland Youth Crew?
My favorite aspect of the job has to do with the community. We have a great organization behind us and a crew that honestly feels like family. We work hard together throughout the heat and intense physical work but no matter what, we always find ways to work together and get through tasks we otherwise find impossible.
Another aspect I find extremely enjoyable is the satisfaction of taking a step back after multiple days of hard work and being able to soak in the massive change we have created. Not only do we positively affect the environment, but also we improve the experience for visitors of the park by making the landscape even more inviting.
Do you have favorite projects that you’ve worked on?
My favorite project we’ve done in the park was cleaning areas of the watercourse of an invasive species called aquatic primrose. It rapidly spreads on top of lakes, and can destroy the ecosystem. The whole crew gets dressed up in waterproof waders, and goes into the lake with a mission to reduce the amount of primrose. It turned out to be an amazing experience.
Are there any skills you’ll take with you from the Woodlands Youth Crew?
I’ve learned a tremendous amount of skills throughout the two years I’ve been a part of the woodland youth crew. I plan to use the skills I learned by integrating it into my everyday life such as: never give up on tasks that may seem impossible, work smarter not harder because it’ll make life a lot less stressful, and don’t be scared to ask for help.
I can honestly go on and on about it and I’m grateful for it all.
The Brooklyn Arts Council Folk Arts program and Prospect Park Alliance announce the second annual Brooklyn Roots Festival taking place on Sunday, July 28, in the Prospect Park Children’s Corner. The folk arts festival celebrates Brooklyn’s traditional artists and immigrant communities through a daylong schedule of performances, workshops, interactive family activities, and more. The free event serves as the culminating program of BAC’s Tracking Traditions Along the B/Q series of public programs, celebrating cultural and artistic traditions from communities along Brooklyn’s B and Q train lines.
“The Brooklyn Roots Festival hopes to help bridge the divides from geographic isolation that many of these communities face,” said BAC Folk Arts Director Christopher Mulé. “We look forward to celebrating these cultural traditions and bringing diverse groups together in the setting of Prospect Park, and to seeing what community connections we can help foster.”
“Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s Backyard, and a haven for the diverse communities of this borough,” said Prospect Park Alliance Vice President of Programs Maria Carrasco. “The Alliance is dedicated to providing free public programs that celebrate the history and traditions of Brooklyn, and we are thrilled to continue to partner with BAC on the Brooklyn Roots Festival.”
The festival’s Main Track Stage will feature performances from Dancing Crane Company, Diwas Gurung, and groups representing Russian, Chinese, Pakistani, Haitian communities and more.
In addition to the performance stage, a workshop station will engage audiences with activities led by groups and artists including tai chi group Qi Tao, Ukrainian Village Voices, and more. The Kids’ Caboose children’s area at Lefferts Historic House will present family-oriented performances and activities from Marvarid Uzbek Dance Group, Folk Dance Club Kaleidoscope, and more.
Food trucks will be on-site with refreshments for purchase.
Programmatic partners for the festival include Endangered Language Alliance, the Center for Art, Tradition & Cultural Heritage, CityLore, and In Concert Productions.
Brooklyn Arts Council events and programs are made possible, in part, through public funds from: National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council, and Humanities New York. Additional support is provided by Green Mountain Energy. Translation and captioning services made possible by the Theatre Development Fund.
c. Jordan Rathkopf
University Open Air Brings Free Lectures to the Rose Garden
June 10, 2019
This June, Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Public Library present University Open Air, a free, three-week series of classes from June 11 through June 30, in Prospect Park’s former Rose Garden. University Open Air brings immigrant teachers and professors outdoors to be a part of a pop-up university with lectures on topics ranging from Urban Anthropology to Data Science to Contemporary Taiwanese Poetry.
Featuring courses and workshops from mathematicians, social scientists, urban planners, an actor, and historians from more than 15 countries across the globe, University Open Air will span from urban anthropology to Islamic history, gender equality, data science research, LGBTQI and gender studies, linguistic preservation in Tajikistan, and more. Courses will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, expanding the Library’s role as a catalyst for civic engagement for the borough’s 2.6 million residents, and the Alliance’s mission to provide innovative programs in the park for its more than 10 million annual patrons of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
For a full schedule of courses and to register, please visit bklynlibrary.org/university-open-air. Courses will be accessible and open to all levels of knowledge. Please check the website for the most current schedule. Walk-ins will be welcome.
“Prospect Park’s former Rose Garden is the next area of focus for Prospect Park Alliance in terms of our mission to restore the park and provide spaces where the public can interact and enjoy nature,” said Maria Carrasco, Vice President of Programs at Prospect Park Alliance. “University Open Air directly addresses many of the qualities that the public has voiced for public programming through our community outreach efforts. We serve so many immigrant communities in the park, so to bring together such a diverse roster of faculty makes this program quite special; while the areas of focus are ambitious, the courses will be accessible to all members of our community no matter their level of knowledge on the topic at hand, so we welcome everyone to register and enjoy.”
As part of University Open Air, Prospect Park Alliance Horticultural Supervisor and artist, Ronen Gamil, has created a site-specific installation, Threshold. Extended paths lead visitors through meditative, immersive environments offering a reflection on the hurdles, anxieties, unknowns, promises, opportunities and dreams of migration and education. Threshold hints at the challenges migrants face through interactions with a State Apparatus. The space within evokes State control and monitoring while its colors, patterns and textures celebrate the beauty and richness of ethnic diversity. The horizontality of the installation echoes a broadening and expansion of horizons intellectually, culturally and geographically, while participants are exposed to glimpses of the interior beyond– an obstructed view layered with complexity and unknowns.
Following the open call, the Library and the Alliance worked closely with the Library’s robust immigration and outreach services team, along with Upwardly Global, Emma’s Torch, and World Education Services to bring together a diverse range of professorial candidates. In advance of the lectures, professors will participate in a teacher’s training session to help structure the classes. All professors will be compensated for their work. University Open Air will continue with an indoor winter semester and will return to Prospect Park again for a summer semester in 2020, expanding the opportunities for potential professors to share their knowledge with the New York Community. Following last summer’s Democracy Lab, the collaboration between the Library and the Alliance broadens both organizations outreach to engage with citizens, as well as serve as a vital resource for Brooklyn’s diverse immigrant communities.
Celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month in Prospect Park with caribBEING and Prospect Park Alliance. Brooklyn’s Backyard will be home to a month of workshops, art installations and other special events. Enjoy Caribbean art, music, dance, food, wellness and much more during this cultural celebration for Brooklynites of all ages. All participating artists and vendors are based in Brooklyn, and hail from Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad, Panama, Barbados, Dominican Republic and Guyana.
Learn More and RSVP at prospectpark.org/caribbeing! Please note all events are subject to change.
Media Partner
Art Installation: Gallery June 1–30, 2019
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 6, 4–6 pm
All ages, Free
Lefferts Historic House
Caribbean-American artists Devin Osorio and Tania L. Balan-Gaubert’s Gallery transforms the Lefferts Historic House front porch into a Caribbean veranda with a multimedia installation featuring Osorio’s tropical-patterned Dracaena Cane Coil Curtain, comprised of hanging coiled balls, and Balan-Gaubert’s salvaged furniture sculptures, Somewhere in the Unfinished. Says Osorio: “I am referencing the plants and types of objects that my grandmother decorated her own patio at her home in the Dominican Republic. This was my favorite place to be when I visited, and I want to bring that same joy and sense of island summer ease to Lefferts Historic House.” Says Balan-Gaubert: “Chairs placed in front of homes in a way that suggests continued use are evocative of the lives inside who come outdoors to enjoy the weather or be in the company of others, and can be visual representations of a city… Stoop life… porch sitting… block parties and barbecues signal the aesthetics of community.”
Mind, Body + Soul
June 2, 2–4 pm All ages, Free, RSVP!
Lefferts Historic House
Discover traditional Caribbean herbs used as a means of holistic healing for the mind, body and soul with Brooklyn’s own Golden Flourish; tea made from herbs in the Lefferts garden will be served. Then join our pop-up wellness stations, powered by Minka Brooklyn, including yoga, Reiki and more (please bring your own mat, but mats are not required).
Soca Skate Party with Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco
Thursday, June 13, 7:30–10 pm Ages 21+
Tickets: $20+ This event sells out! Advance tickets recommended at prospectpark.org/socaskate; tickets will go on sale Friday, May 17.
LeFrak Center at Lakeside
Join this hi-energy Soca-themed skate party with Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, featuring a DJ spinning the hottest Soca dance floor grooves from the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and today; plus live entertainment, a skate dance competition, costume contest and more exciting surprises!
Smorgasburg Prospect Park Jerk Festival
Sunday, June 16, 11 am–6 pm All Ages, Free Admission, Food Prices Vary, RSVP!
Breeze Hill
Love spice? Dig into Brooklyn’s finest Flatbush aka “Little Caribbean” eateries Peppa’s and Creme and Cocoa Creamery alongside Smorgasburg vendor Excell’s Kingston Eatery. Enjoy live music and Caribpolitan packaged goods by Breukelen Rub and Shaquanda Can Feed You.
Prospect Park Soiree
Saturday, June 22, 5–10 pm Ages 21+
Tickets: $45+ This event sells out! Get advance tickets at prospectpark.org/soiree
Prospect Park Peninsula Join caribBEING and Prospect Park Alliance for the Alliance’s annual pop-up dinner party in the park, and enjoy a tropical tableau photo booth installation by artist Tiffany Smith. New to the Soiree? Join thousands of friends and park lovers for dining and dancing under the stars: you bring the food, wine, beer and table decor, and the Alliance provides live entertainment and the spectacular setting!
Wukkout!
June 23, 2–4 pm All ages, Free, RSVP!
Lefferts Historic House
Learn how to juk, wuk-up, and wine in this high-energy Caribbean movement workshop led by Brooklyn-based professional choreographer and founder of Wukkout!, Krista Martins.
Textile Circle
June 30, 2–4 pm All ages, Free, RSVP!
Lefferts Historic House
Relax and join our guided textile circles with Caribbean teaching artists led by artist Devin Osorio, to create textile ornaments and embellish our exhibition installation Gallery, inspired by a traditional Caribbean porch.
Sponsor:
caribBEING Prospect Park is presented in part by the Kings Theatre.
Art Credit: Caribopolitan illustration by the artist Andrea Pippins for Caribbeing.
NYC Parks
NYC Parks Cuts Ribbon on Alliance-Designed Stroud Playground
May 22, 2019
Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue joined NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver and City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo to celebrate the opening of the restored Stroud Playground in Crown Heights. The design of the playground was undertaken by Prospect Park Alliance pro bono as part of the City’s Community Parks Initiative (CPI). The Alliance also contributed designs for two additional CPI projects: Epiphany Playground and Penn Triangle, both in Williamsburg.
“Prospect Park Alliance has an award-winning team of landscape architects and designers, and were pleased to be able to share our expertise to help create this playground in the Crown Heights community,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “Stroud Playground features many of the amenities desired by the community, and also improves the environment by adding more trees and absorbing stormwater runoff. We hope it will serve as a model for future New York City playgrounds.”
The renovated playground features new play equipment for children of all ages and abilities; an interactive spray shower; a synthetic turf area for open play; basketball and handball courts; and a walking track and fitness equipment. The landscape was enhanced with a number of additional trees and plantings that provide shade for new seating areas and, with new lighting and lower fencing, beautify the space. A garden serves as an area for relaxation and an outdoor classroom for PS 316 and MS 383 students.
“Stroud Playground was one of the original five sites in Brooklyn announced as part of the Community Parks Initiative, and it is rewarding to finally see the community enjoying the very space they dreamed up,” said Commissioner Silver. “The transformation of Stroud Playground is remarkable, and we could not have done it without our partners at the Prospect Park Alliance, City Council Member Laurie Cumbo, and of course, the many passionate community members who supported the project and contributed to its design.”
Not sure what to hit up? We put together a checklist of some of the events you won’t want to miss:
Brooklyn Atlantics 1860s Ballgame, Saturday, May 18, 11 am–2 pm, Long Meadow Ball Field 1: take me out to the ballgame at this 1860s exhibition “base ball” game, played as it was in 1864, the year of Brooklyn’s first undefeated championship season. The Brooklyn Atlantics will take on the Monmouth NJ Furnaces in historic uniforms and gear. Come see the ghosts of history come to life and don’t forget to root for the home team, the Atlantics!
Harvesting Color + Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Saturday, May 18, 1–4 pm, Lefferts Historic House: Join Prospect Park Alliance on an exploration of color from the natural world in workshops from 2-4 pm. Learn how to use natural ingredients such as flowers, berries and food scraps to naturally dye fabrics. Bring one natural fiber item (cotton, linen, canvas, or silk) to dye. Space is limited, and is on a first-come, first-served basis. At 1 pm, enjoy a performance by the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre of Bessie’s Big Shot, about a cow dreaming of joining the circus (45 minute performance).
Spring Fling Fair, Sunday, May 19, 12–3 pm, Prospect Park Children’s Corner: Join the Alliance and community partners for music, activities and food the whole family will enjoy. At this year’s fair, among many fun activities, families can get moving with Bend + Bloom Yoga (12:30-1:30 pm), celebrate National Scooter Day with a Micro Kickboard scooter giveaway, enjoy a pop-up soccer clinic with Super Soccer Stars, and a performance by the Brooklyn Conservatory Bluegrass Jam Ensemble at Lefferts Historic House (2-3 pm). Plus, stop by the Brooklyn Public Library Bookmobile; learn about renewable energy from Green Mountain Energy; make giant bubbles with Park Slope Parents, enjoy performing and visual arts fun with BAX, nature games at the Alliance’s Pop-Up Audubon, stained glass artmaking and subway history fun with the New York Transit Museum, face painting with Prospect Park YMCA, breakfast tacos from King David Tacos, and much more!
Art + Architecture Tour of Prospect Park, Sunday, May 19, 10:30 am–12:30 pm, $20, advance registration required: For over 150 years, Prospect Park has been a showcase for beautiful public buildings and artwork, with representations from eras including Beaux-Arts, City Beautiful, the New Deal Modernism and contemporary LEED-certified projects. This tour, presented by Turnstile Tours in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance, will examine some of the fine architectural details and current restoration work, from the era of Vaux and Olmsted to the present day.
Trail Run, Sunday, May 19, 10–11:30 am, Prospect Park Wellhouse: Enjoy a relaxed pace five-mile route through the park’s trails with the Prospect Park Track Club, incorporating historic points of interest along the way.
Molière in the Park, The Misanthrope, May 19 + 20, 7 pm, LeFrak Center at Lakeside: You’re invited to watch a staged reading of Molière’s masterpiece, The Misanthrope, with original music by Tony and two-time Obie Award winner STEW, presented by Molière in the Park in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance. In a time of fake news, fake politicians and the increasing normalization of hypocrisy, Molière’s classic comedy is a refreshing, timely, biting satire and love story with humor tailor-made for a contemporary Twitter account. A second reading will take place Monday, May 20, at 7 pm, and both are free and open to the public. For reserved seating visit www.moliereinthepark.org, or bring a blanket and grab a patch of grass! Refreshments will be available at Lakeside’s Bluestone Cafe.
Plus, many more activities including It’s My Park Day, Smorgasburg, a themed ’90s roller disco, bird walks, sheep shearing demonstrations at the zoo and much more.
Today, New York City Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene and Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that sustains the Park, cut the ribbon on a new adult fitness area at the Prospect Park Parade Ground, which was funded as part of a $750,000 restoration that also included the installation of a new misting line along heavily used artificial turf soccer fields—a first for a New York City public park—and other park improvements.
The adult fitness area, located on the east side of the Parade Ground by the Crooke Avenue entrance, contains 12 types of fitness equipment, and was selected to be accessible to people of all abilities. There is an open area for group classes and custom concrete “step-up” blocks. The misting line, set on timers, provides a cooling screen of mist when the artificial turf fields are at their busiest and hottest. Additional improvements include fixing drainage problems at Baseball Field 7; reconstructing the volleyball court; and adding more shade trees and new seating near the adult fitness area. The project kicked off in spring 2018.
“I want to commend the Prospect Park Alliance for the tremendous work they do to keep the Parade Ground a vibrant recreational area,” said Council Member Eugene. “This section of Prospect Park is so important for this neighborhood, because it allows our residents to engage in outdoor activities that are beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the community. I am honored to allocate funding for the new Adult Fitness area as well as infrastructure improvements that will increase the sustainability of the Parade Ground. It is my hope that by working together we will continue to create a welcoming environment for all New Yorkers to enjoy.”
“Parks are essential to the health and wellbeing of our communities, and this new adult fitness area and other Parade Ground improvements will make a significant impact on our neighbors quality of life,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “We are deeply grateful to Council Member Eugene for his long standing support of Prospect Park Alliance and our work to keep the Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that consider the Park its backyard.”
Prospect Park Alliance is currently in design on a $500,000 participatory budgeting initiative from Council Member Eugene in the southwest corner of Parade Ground, which will provide even more fitness amenities to the park. The project is estimated to be completed in two years time. Learn more in the Alliance’s Capital Projects Tracker.
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Prospect Tickets are on sale now for Brooklyn’s most magical gathering—the Prospect Park Soiree! Attend the most celebrated party of the year: We provide the entertainment and breathtaking setting, you gather with thousands of friends and neighbors to enjoy an evening under the stars in Prospect Park.
