Given the last 18 months have been very lacking in any kind of celebratory events, it’s perhaps even more exciting to see that festivals are returning. Here, we take a look at what is going on locally.
The Brooklyn BagelFest – perhaps the only one of its kind (I
mean, who else has ever heard of a bagel festival?) – begins next Saturday at City
Point, BKLYN Studios. Planned for the daylong event – that takes place from 9:30am-3:30pm
– is bagel-themed games, a musical performance (bagel-themed of course!) as well
as a Who’s Who? Of bagel stores, beer and coffee.
Then there is the
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival, a free event for New Yorkers to
celebrate Brooklyn and New York. Every night the festival celebrates a
different genre or culture. The festival
– which has been going on for over four decades – is a way for all New Yorkers to
appreciate music icons from around the world, with a specific emphasis on jazz
artists, indie bands, dance troupes, and more.
In addition, a virtual reality performance is staged. And, because of
COVID concerns, a virtual multi-platform
destination so that the spirit of the festival can be
brought to people’s homes. The festival started in 1979 as a way of bringing
Brooklyn together. What better time to
do this than now, after more than a year of people being stuck in and not
celebrating much at all. While indeed it
is virtual, it is still a way to connect people. Around 25,000 people come from
around the New York area.
Get out there. Or
stay home online. But either way, meet
people, connect, and try to have fun even in these crazy times!
