New York Holiday Ideas About Brooklyn Festivals
Thinking of booking a trip to New York? While you are there, why not check out some of the festivals going on in Brooklyn. There are activities happening throughout the year that will cater for all tastes.
Celebrate Brooklyn
A famous highlight of the Brooklyn calendar is the Celebrate Brooklyn festival, and from the looks of things Brooklyn has a lot to celebrate. This year the line-up features David Byrne of Talking Heads, as well as They Might Be Giants and MGMT.
The festival has taken place every summer for the past thirty years offering free concerts, free theatre, free dance, free everything at the Prospect Park bandshell. The festival now lasts for eight weeks of every year, so you will never be short of something to do.
The Mermaid Parade
Since 1983 this weird and wonderful celebration of the sea has been wowing the crowds on Coney Island. Every year on the first Saturday of summer, floats parade through the streets with everyone donning their best, or craziest mermaid or sea-themed costume.
Making their way to the beach to officially launch the summer swimming season, the crowd then throw fruit into the Atlantic to the appease the sea gods. Crazy but true.
West Indian-American Day Parade
The biggest parade in New York City is the Brooklyn Carnival, or West-Indian American Day Parade. The parade celebrates Caribbean-American culture and takes place on Labor Day each year. As well as the fabulous carnival parades, Caribbean-themed arts events are staged all week throughout Brooklyn.
The parade starts at the corner of Eastern Parkway and Rochester Avenue. Try to arrive early to get a spot. As a little tip, a great viewing point is between the Brooklyn Museum and Grand Army Plaza.
The Cherry Blossom Festival, or Sakuri Matsuri
Outside of Japan, you will not find more cherry trees than in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It houses 42 different varieties, and each year when the blossoms fall, the festival celebrates the blossom and Japanese culture.
The festival takes place over one weekend and hosts manga classes, art, music, haiku, dance, theatre and food displays, as well as the natural beauty of the cherry blossom trees themselves. The gardens can be found at 900 Washington Avenue.
