10th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival!

Earlier this month Brooklyners and other locals were able to enjoy Brooklyn’s 10^th annual folk festival.  For a long weekend of April 6^th to 8^th, there were concerts, jams, square dancing,  and even – for the first time – a Brooklyn Fiddle Contest. Beer was donated to Brooklyn folk by the Lagunitas Brewing Co., and the kids enjoyed a puppet show presented by the Boxcutter Collective.

Contributors to this amazing festival this year included: the Steel City Jug Slammers, Jackson & the Jacks, King Isto’s Tropical Spring Band, The HickHoppers, Feral Foster, Wyndam Baird, The Horse Eyed Men, Poorboy Krill and many, many more.

With thanks to all the sponsors including: The Folk Music Society of New York, Inc.,  the Howard Gilman Foundation, Rose Brand, Down Home Radio Show and Snowman Fabricators.

For those who missed it, not to worry, next month sees the Swamp in the City: A Cajun Music Festival on May 18-20^th.

Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day and this year’s theme is End Plastic Pollution.  Brooklyn has a lot of events to mark the occasion and to help find ways to change attitudes to how we deal with plastics.  Ultimately the hope is to find ways to substantially reduce plastic pollution.

One event – the TNOS Earth Day Fashion Show – is happening today in East Williamsburg at the Legendary Republic between 3 and 7pm.  Here, both local and independent designers and models will be able to show their clothing through the platform on the importance of the preservation of Mother Earth.

Tomorrow, one can join in the Bike to Work event.  Meeting at 8.30 in the morning at Prospect Park (441 Flatbush Avenue, Willink Entrance), this year the annual event is being started by borough President Adams. The idea behind it is the same as it always is – how to promote greener ways to move around Brooklyn and outer areas. 

Celebrating Bengali New Year

Yesterday Brooklyners were privy to celebrating Pahela Baishakh, the Bengali New Year right at home.  The Avenue C Plaza was open for revelers who came dressed in red, wearing masks to get their faces painted and enjoy Bangladeshi music, along with an all-female Samba drumline performance.  The event ended with a parade to Church Avenue and back.

The event was organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts (which was actually founded exactly 25 years ago in New York).  Jill Reiner helped to organize the event and made some of the dance masks that were used.  She said she really loved it this year and remarked on how “wonderful” it was to “see such a diverse group.”  She added: “People are beginning to introduce themselves to elements of a culture they don’t know about.”