Downtown Brooklyn Partnership announced the spring and early summer schedule for Downtown Brooklyn Presents, its annual series of events designed to activate public spaces and celebrate cultural diversity.
The 2025 season features a range of events highlighting music, art, fitness and community celebration—spanning from Car-Free Earth Day to Juneteenth commemorations and the first anniversary of Abolitionist Place.
“We are excited to unveil a radiant spring calendar that will give every New Yorker a way to celebrate the season here in Downtown Brooklyn,” said Regina Myer, president of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “Downtown Brooklyn Presents puts the open spaces that connect Downtown Brooklyn to good use with celebrations, happy hours, family fun and more. We look forward to transforming the neighborhood with our calendar of events and having residents and visitors join us for springtime fun and entertainment.”
The festivities begin on April 26 with Car-Free Earth Day at Albee Square, featuring Bike Riding 101, recyclable crafts with Materials for the Arts, an e-waste collection in partnership with DSNY and 3x3, and a special performance by eco-music group Bash the Trash.
The season also brings back Future Music in Real Time, a happy hour music series spotlighting emerging hybrid producer-musicians on select Thursdays at Albee Square. On May 10, Brooklyn Org’s Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest will offer an afternoon of art, music and dance.
A highlight of the calendar is the May 8 celebration of the one-year anniversary of Abolitionist Place, a new green space named to honor Brooklyn’s anti-slavery history. The day will feature family-friendly programming and live music.
Also returning is playdate Fest, a curated concert presented by En Garde Arts showcasing the next generation of theater and music creators. In collaboration with City Point, Reading Rhythms offers a live music reading party designed to foster social connection.
On Tuesdays through June, Lunchtime at Brooklyn Commons features musical performances including Kréol Fest, Afro-Latina harmonies by Melvis Santa and Mai-Elka Prado, and LGBTQIA+ salsa group Las Mariquitas. Family fun continues with Puppets in the Park, highlighting NYC’s best puppeteers.
Fitness takes center stage with Zumba classes by Natarsha McQueen on Wednesdays, and weekly ping pong battles dubbed The Push, accompanied by DJ sets from DJ Mike.
At The Plaza at 300 Ashland, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) presents BAMkids Spring Fest, the DanceAfrica Outdoor Bazaar, and Alvin Ailey’s Revelations Celebration Community Workshop. Juneteenth will be commemorated with 651 Arts’ We Outside! A BK Juneteenth, Vol. III, and the season wraps with the 2025 finale of BRIC’s Brooklyn Poetry Slam, hosted by Mahogany L. Browne and Jive Poetic.
Also debuting in June is The Stories We Tell Our Machines: If We Don’t Who Will, a public art installation and AI lab by artist Stephanie Jenkins, commissioned by More Art. The project will explore overlooked knowledge and ancestral wisdom through interactive public engagement at 300 Ashland Plaza.
Advanced registration is encouraged for all events. Some activities may require participants to sign a waiver. The full event calendar is available via this link.
