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.”
