Loads of cool cultural things to do in Brooklyn this 4th of July Weekend:
1. Let's start with BAM, that bastion of culture in Ft. Greene:
—BAMcinematek Repertory is presenting a festival of films by Spike Lee, in honor of the 20th anniversary of Do the Right Thing.
–In the first run department: BAM Rose Cinema is showing: Away We Go, Food Inc. and the new Woody Allen: Whatever Works.Check their website for times.
—The AfroPunk Festival is
a-happening at BAM on July 4-6 and it is described thus: "Power to the
people! BAMcinématek and Afro-Punk celebrate five years of
rejoicing in the revolutionary spirit of July 4th with six days of
film, music, and other events that feature themes of Black power,
rebellion, and equality." There's also a skate park: the parking lot
by BAM will be
transformed into a killer skate park, complete with live music, skating
and biking demonstrations, and more. For full details on the Afro-Punk
skate park, the Nike SB skate clinic, and the URBANX Battle for the
Streets BMX/skate competitions.
2. Now for a little culture on Eastern Parkway: Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum on the 4th of July:
Alex Battles and the Whisky Rebellion
perform a roof-shaking, joyful medley of country, jump blues, and rock
‘n’ roll. Rain Plan: Rubin Glass Pavilion, 1st Floor. The legendary Mandingo Ambassadors
play authentic Guinean music, using their rich melodies and funky moves
to get you dancing. Rain Plan: Rubin Glass Pavilion, 1st Floor. Stitch
together your own patchwork quilt with fabrics and designs inspired by
the diverse cultures of Brooklyn. Free timed tickets (380) are
available at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m., The Namesake
(Mira Nair, 2007, 122 min., PG-13) follows one family as they adjust to
life in North America. Gogol, the American-born son of Bengali parents,
struggles to find balance between his family’s traditions and his own
path. Free tickets (340) are available at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m, Samba Nation takes the musical energy up a notch with its Latin grooves. Rain Plan: Rubin Glass Pavilion, 1st Floor. Cristina Garza, a Student Guide, gives a Sign Language–interpreted talk on Yinka Shonibare MBE.
And there's a dance party, too: Brooklyn-based indie rockers The Shondes
keep the evening hot with high-energy, politically savvy rock’n’roll
with Yiddish and classical influences. Rain Plan: Rubin Glass Pavilion,
1st Floor.
3. Think Swimming. Think Pools. About Brooklyn has a nice list of Brooklyn's public pools:
Swimming pools in Brooklyn are open from
late June through September 1 (with a few open year-round). Hours are
generally from 11am to 7pm, and swimming is free.
4. And what would the 4th of July be without Coney Island's 94th annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest? You
can watch this crazy, only in Brooklyn event. But get there early
because there's always a big crowd. Festivities start at noon on the
corner of Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue.
5. Vox Pop on Corteylou Road in the Ditmas/Flatbush neighborhood is having an all day Fourth of July Bash, a full day of music and
mayhem. Beginning at 3 pm with younger, up and coming musicians,
the event will continue through the evening with some wonderful,
explosive music. Line up will include Paul Decosta, Syndey and Mack
Price, Jake G and Friends, In One Wind, Eric Godoi and the Templates
and many more.
6. Music and dancing is the name of the game on July 5th at the BKLYN Yard on the banks of the Gowanus: "From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, Eamon Harkin, Doug
Singer and Justin Carter will return as resident DJs. Each weekend,
they are joined by incredible guests while we get busy eating
huaraches, drinking sangria, and dancing it all off.
7. Yes, the Brooklyn Flea is open on July 4th in Ft. Greene and on July 5th in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
8. The Park Slope Farmers Market (Fifth Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets) presents a live jazz trio from noon until 2 p.m on July 5th. Little Triumph is a virtuosic Brooklyn based trio that specializes in
improvisational
Americana music with undertones of jazz and
country. The band features Kirk Schoenherr on guitar, Nick Anderson on
drums/percussion and Spencer Zahn on acoustic bass.
9. Barbes is chock full of great music programming on July 4th and 5th, including on the 4th at 8 pm: Lucia Puludo A Colombian singer who specializes in a Pan-Latin-American repertoire and classic songs of "broken love": tangos,
waltzes and boleros. And on the 4th at 10 pm: The Stagger Back Brass Band presents one hundred and thirty eight years after the Commune, and twenty years
after Tiannamen square, come see how a brass band arrangement of
l'internationals sounds on Independence day – and then dance to the
Coceks, cumbias, waltzes and circus oddities. And on the 5th: French virtuoso Guitarist Stephane Wrembel channels the technique and the fire of Django Reinhardt. He studied for years
with the manouche (the French Gypsies) but has also gotten deep into
American vernacular musical styles. His weekly sets will mix up the
traditional Django repertoire along gypsy swing re-interpretations of
standards.
10. 38th Annual International African Arts Festival is all weekend in Commodore Barry Park Navy St, between Flushing and Park Aves,
Brooklyn: Hundreds of performers, artists and vendors gather for this
weekend-long festival celebrating African art and culture.
11. And here's something in Manhattan: On the 4th in Battery Park (State St, at Battery Place), the River-to-River Festival presents Conor Oberst with Jenny
Lewis as his opener. This event is not ticketed, but space is
limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The show starts at 3:30.
Tell me this isn't the awesomist list of stuff to do?