Tag: Community Engagement

Caribbean American Heritage Month in Prospect Park

May 27, 2026

This June, celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month in Prospect Park! Join Prospect Park Alliance with Maple Street Afterschool, Brooklyn Book Bodega, I AM CARIBBEING and more to kick off a month of celebration in Brooklyn’s Backyard. Enjoy Caribbean music, food, dance, history, film and much more during this cultural celebration for Brooklynites of all ages.

Prospect Park is a central hub for many immigrant communities, including the first and only officially recognized Little Caribbean in the world. Share in the celebration of Caribbean culture at these events happening in June: 

One Love Fest
Sunday, June 14, 12–7 pm
Prospect Park Boathouse, Free, RSVP!
One Love Fest is back for its fifth year, and I AM CARIBBEING and Prospect Park Alliance are bringing the best of Caribbean culture to the Boathouse in Prospect Park. Get ready for live music that’ll keep you moving, dance workshops and performances that are full of flavor. You’ll find Caribbean vendors, makers, and some of the best island food in Brooklyn! It’s fun for all, so come along and let’s vibe together! Come through and celebrate Caribbean vibes like never before.

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Wayne Wonder + Lila Iké + DJ Gravy
Saturday, June 20, Doors 6 pm, Show 7 pm,
Lena Horne Bandshell, Free, RSVP!
Back by popular demand, a thrilling night of Caribbean music at the Bandshell. Dancehall legend Wayne Wonder will get everyone dancing to his iconic hit “No Letting Go.” Reigning reggae queen Lila Iké heats up the stage with her blend of classic reggae, soul, and gospel, while nightlife impresario DJ Gravy, founder of the Rice & Peas party and LargeUp.com, will keep you grooving between the live sets. This event is part of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, New York City’s longest-running, free, outdoor performing arts festival. View the full 2026 lineup here.

Caribbean Heritage Family Day
Sunday, June 28, 11 am–2 pm
Prospect Park Boathouse, Free, RSVP!
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Maple Street Afterschool for an uplifting community event to celebrate Caribbean heritage, community, literacy and play! Enjoy face painting, maker stations, mask making, Dance & Drum with Abundance Arts Academy as well as storytelling with our Alumni. Free books will also be provided by the Brooklyn Book Bodega.

Meet Our Ambassadors!

New Prospect Park Alliance Pilot Program Welcomes the Community to Brooklyn’s Backyard

Starting May 28, Prospect Park will have some new friendly faces to help our community enjoy and care for Brooklyn’s Backyard. Prospect Park Alliance, the nonprofit organization that operates the park in partnership with the City, is launching a new Ambassador pilot program that brings trained staff to popular areas of the park to welcome community members, inform them of park activities and destinations and promote park stewardship. 

“Prospect Park has never been more essential to our community, offering a space to gather with friends, families and neighbors, and enjoy unparalleled access to nature,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President. “With more and more people enjoying the park, we are launching this pilot program to help our community get the most out of their park experience and to encourage them to be ‘park champions’ through simple stewardship steps, such as depositing trash in containers or taking out what they bring in, as well as being mindful of our natural areas by staying on path and keeping dogs on leash outside of off-leash hours and areas.” 

The pilot will support two ambassadors who will be in the park from Thursdays through Sundays, from May 28 through Labor Day Weekend, in bright-yellow Prospect Park Alliance t-shirts. Ambassadors will provide directions, answer questions about park activities and encourage community members to care for our shared space. This pilot program is part of the Prospect Park Alliance strategic plan, a Thriving Park for a Thriving Brooklyn, and made possible through a grant from the Booth Ferris Foundation, and is being launched with support from Block by Block, a nationally renowned company that provides hospitality and outreach services for parks and other public spaces.

We hope you’ll say hello and ask an Ambassador to help you make the most of your time in the park.

Want to help care for Prospect Park? Take Our Park Champion Pledge:

  • I will responsibly dispose of my litter.
  • I will stay on paved or wood chipped paths in woodlands.
  • I will keep my dog leashed outside off-leash hours and areas.
  • I will enjoy the trees and not harm them by climbing or hanging objects.
  • I will smell the blooms but leave the flowers for bees and other pollinators.
  • I will protect our wildlife by not feeding birds or waterfowl and cleaning up fishing lines and other litter along our lakeshore.
c. Elif Altinbasak

Prospect Park Alliance Celebrates Black History Month

February 11, 2026

Happy Black History Month! Prospect Park Alliance is celebrating this important heritage month by making a path through history in Prospect Park.

The Drummer’s Grove—A Prospect Park Tradition
In the 1960s, an Afro-Caribbean community emerged just east of Prospect Park in the neighborhoods of Flatbush, East Flatbush and Crown Heights. In 1968, some of these “Little Caribbean” residents began to meet weekly at the southeastern corner of Prospect Park for a drum circle. Calling themselves the Congo Square Drummers, they came together in Prospect Park “to rehearse, and just to play and rejoice,” says Abiodun McCray, one of the group’s founders. Recalling African ancestors who brought their musical traditions to the West Indies in the 17th century, this was a way for the Congo Square Drummers to celebrate community and remember home in the midst of the African Diaspora.

Over the years, the drum circle grew, and in 1997 Prospect Park Alliance added seating to the area and gave it the name of Drummer’s Grove as a part of a renovation of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue Entrance. In 2021, the Alliance renewed the area with new seating carved from park trees and additional benches. Today the beat goes on in Drummer’s Grove, and it continues to be a place where anyone can stop by on a Sunday during the warmer months to play, dance, or simply enjoy the music.

Above photo courtesy of Elif Altinbasak. See a video of the Prospect Park Drummer’s Circle in full swing on YouTube, courtesy of Humberto Middleton.

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The Sacred History of Gran Bwa
Did you know that Gran Bwa, a sacred Haitian gathering spot, is located next to Prospect Park Lake?
As a part of the 20th-century wave of West Indian immigrants to Brooklyn, many Haitians settled in the neighborhoods of Flatbush, East Flatbush and Crown Heights. Deenps Bazile, one of these Haitian immigrants, was walking through Prospect Park in the 1980s when he felt spirits instructing him to carve a tree trunk next to the Lake. Bazile sculpted a large human head, two small human faces, a lion and a legba (a Haitian Vodou spirit) in the tree stump. This sculpture sparked the use of the area by the Haitian community, and it came to be named after Gran Bwa, the Haitian Vodou spirit associated with trees, plants and herbs. Although the sculpture is no longer in the park, its site continues to be an important gathering spot for the Haitian community.

The largest celebration at Gran Bwa, called Bwa Kayiman, happens annually in August. At this ceremony, participants memorialize the Haitian revolution—which propelled it to become the first black nation to attain independence from their enslavers—and nourish Haitian Vodou spirits. Says Makini Armand, “Gran Bwa is a place to experience the healing power of nature and community, for us to restore ourselves through experiences that bond us with one another and with the natural community around us… it’s an important part of our cultural background to keep families together, and preserve the Haitian heritage and keep the culture alive.”

Photo via Prospect Park Alliance Archives. See a video of the annual celebration in Prospect Park, courtesy of CityLore on YouTube.

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Shirley Chisholm, Brooklyn’s Hometown Hero
A local hero, Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn to Barbadian parents. She spent her childhood in Barbados but returned to Brooklyn at age ten and lived much of her life in Crown Heights, to the northeast of Prospect Park and blocks away from the site of the historic Weeksville village. Chisholm was the first black Congresswoman in U.S. history, and both a leader and an advocate for residents of Brooklyn and the country at large. Her notable achievements in Congress included working to expand access to food stamps, helping to pass Title IX and extending minimum wage requirements to domestic workers. In 1972, Representative Chisholm became the first Black major-party candidate to run for President of the United States. True to her famous slogan, “unbought and unbossed,” Chisholm refused to abandon the interests of her constituents, no matter what establishment politicians did to intimidate her or mitigate her efforts.

Prospect Park Alliance is honored to welcome a monument to Shirley Chisholm to the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to the park —a location where the Alliance is undertaking a significant restoration as part of the work to improve the park’s eastern perimeter. After an open call for submissions and public feedback, artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous were selected to design the park’s new monument—the first to be commissioned as part of the She Built NYC program, which seeks to expand representation of women in the City’s public art collection. The monument is slated to be installed in the coming year, and the Alliance is also created a new pavilion at the entrance that will include community gathering space, public restrooms and exhibit panels on Chisholm’s life and accomplishments. The pavilion is currently in the design phase, and slated to break ground in 2027.

Photo: a still from “Chisholm ‘72” from Realside Productions.

ReImagine Lefferts

In 2021, the Alliance launched the ReImagine Lefferts initiative, funded through a Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation. The initiative seeks to re-envision the mission and programming of the museum to focus on exploring the lives, resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. By focusing on stories of resistance, resilience, empowerment and joy, while also recognizing the legacies of dispossession, enslavement and oppression, the Alliance seeks to create a safe space for engaging with our collective past as well as contemporary issues affecting our communities today. To date, the Alliance has identified 25 people enslaved at the house between its 1783 construction and the 1827 abolition of slavery in New York. In 2024, the Alliance commissioned artist Adama Delphine Fawundu to create a site-specific installation inspired by this research, encompassing 25 fabric banners that transform the house’s Flatbush Avenue facade, honoring the heroism of these Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. Each spring through fall, the Alliance offers a range of cultural programs and exhibits that honors these histories. Visit our Lefferts web page for more information.  

Photo: Adama Delphine Fawundu: Ancestral Whispers, 2024. Photography by Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

A New Horizon for the Park’s East Side

January 13, 2026

A bright future is on the horizon for the Park’s east side perimeter! Starting in February, the Alliance, in partnership with NYC DOT, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and NYC Parks, will begin the restoration of the Ocean Avenue perimeter, which will include a new protected bike lane and the installation of a monument to Brooklyn trailblazer Shirley Chisholm. This $16.25 million project is made possible through funding from the Mayor’s Office, the New York City Department of Transportation, the Brooklyn Borough President and New York City Council District 40. 

This large-scale restoration will include a reconstructed sidewalk bordered by an allée of trees, and new historic lighting, seating and trash cans, which will extend from the Flatbush terminus of Ocean Avenue to the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to the park, and then along Parkside Avenue to Parade Place. Through the support of Council Member Rita Joseph, further restoration of the Parkside Avenue perimeter will take place in future phases. 

The protected, two-way bike lane on Ocean Avenue is elevated at sidewalk level and separated from the street with a strip of granite cobblestones as well as from the sidewalk by a grass verge featuring new trees and historic street lighting. 

This project will be undertaken in approximately 800-foot phases, with each phase slated to take two months to complete. Work will take place simultaneously on Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue, starting with the Flatbush terminus of Ocean Avenue. Work will conclude with the creation of a new pedestrian plaza at the Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue entrance, and the installation of a monument to Brooklyn political trailblazer Shirley Chisholm. 

A focal point of the new entrance, the monument honors U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm, who was both the first black Congresswoman and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. The design by artists Amanda Williams and Olalekan B. Jeyifous, “Our Destiny, Our Democracy,” was selected through an open design competition organized by the DCLA, which invited community members to vote for their favorite design. The design, made of painted aluminum, patinated bronze and carved stone, features a monumental portrait of Chisholm patterned with images of plants native to Brooklyn and Barbados, where Chisholm spent a portion of her childhood, including Pride of Barbados, American Chestnut and Wild Geranium, juxtaposed with the U.S. Capitol Building. The stonework surrounding the monument includes a Chisholm quote and an outline of the House of Representatives seating plan, with a bronze plaque representing Chisholm’s seat.

“Depending upon your vantage point and approach to the Ocean Avenue entrance of Prospect Park, you can see Ms. Chisholm’s silhouette inextricably intertwined with the iconic dome of the U.S. Capitol building,” shared Williams and Jeyifous in The New York Times. “This trailblazing woman was not diminutive and this monument reflects how Chisholm’s collaborative ideals were larger than herself.” The monument will be the first permanent public artwork in Brooklyn dedicated to a woman in history and the first to celebrate a woman and Black hero in Prospect Park.

This project continues the Alliance’s work to restore the perimeter of the east and south side of Prospect Park, which began with the restoration of the Flatbush Avenue perimeter in 2020 through funding from the Borough President and the City Council, which feature the first new entrances to the park since the 1940s.

Learn more about improvement projects in the park on our Capital Projects Tracker. 

 

Nature Play’s New Era

December 4, 2025

When Superstorm Sandy arrived in Brooklyn on October 29, 2012, the winds caused widespread destruction in Prospect Park. The storm felled over 500 trees throughout the park, including towering, century-old heritage trees. This devastation was turned into innovation when a handful of these downed trees found new life as the Donald and Barbara Zucker Natural Exploration Area. The Alliance’s team of architects and landscape designers created the park’s first natural play area in the park, where tree trunks, boulders and other elements of nature took center stage and imaginations ran wild. The Exploration Area, designed to inspire creativity and play, was an instantly beloved destination for families in the park.

After more than a decade of community love, Zucker will be closing in the coming months as the Alliance begins reconstruction of the surrounding Vale landscapes. Due to the incredible response to this nature play area, the Vale will include a new Natural Exploration Area when it opens to the public in 2028. 

“The Zucker Natural Exploration Area was always intended as a temporary installation, and to evolve and change over time as branches and logs eroded and children manipulated the play elements,” said Prospect Park Alliance Vice President of Capital and Landscape Management Christian Zimmerman. 

Informed by robust community feedback, the design of the Vale’s new Natural Exploration Area is inspired by the guiding vision of Zucker. “The essence of what makes Zucker Natural Exploration Area so special is kids’ ability to create their own play experience and enjoy truly unprescribed play. The new play area maintains a lot of the soul of that original Zucker design,” shares Prospect Park Alliance Landscape Architect Jillian Pagano.

Texture and sensory activity are core to the new play area’s design, which features natural materials that can be found in the park or ones reminiscent of the park’s natural areas, including the signature upside-down tree currently found at the Zucker Natural Exploration Area, an engineered wood fiber “mulch,” a sand area, boulders set into the landscape, wood decking and a water play area featuring a hand pump, as well as ADA accessible play elements to ensure opportunities for all children. The play area will feature a central tree to provide a large canopy of shade once fully grown, and a miniature pollinator meadow with native plantings to offer kids the chance to get to know pollinator insects up close. 

“The new Natural Exploration Area will honor the legacy of the Zucker Natural Exploration Area, but is designed for longevity to enable countless families to enjoy for generations to come,” shares Jillian.

When the Zucker Natural Exploration Area closes in early 2026, visit our Things to Do with Kids webpage to explore the park’s seven playgrounds and in the summer months, Splash Pad, the park’s largest water play area.

Playground Designs Move Forward

November 6, 2025

Prospect Park Alliance’s re-design of the park’s popular Lincoln Road Playground and Third Street Playground have been approved by the New York City Public Design Commission. The projects will bring new life to two of the park’s most beloved playgrounds, which have not been restored for many decades. The designs are informed by extensive community input through workshops, tabling sessions, and surveys, where families, caretakers and children shared feedback to help envision their future playground. Both projects are slated to begin construction in 2027 and open for the community in 2028, following the City’s three-phase design, procurement and construction process.

“We are so grateful to our partners at NYC Parks, the Mayor’s Office, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and Council Member Rita Joseph for their support of these projects,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco. “Prospect Park is a haven for families and youth, and we are thrilled to bring these restorations to life for future generations to explore and learn about Brooklyn nature through play.”

“Our public parks and playgrounds are vital community spaces for kids to play and neighbors to connect. Thanks to these investments, these two playgrounds will be upgraded with new play equipment and climbing structures, new water features, and enhanced landscaping for kids of all ages to enjoy,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “We’re grateful to our partners at Prospect Park Alliance and across City government for their commitment to these beloved spaces, and we look forward to continuing our work to ensure all New Yorkers have accessible, welcoming public parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods.”

Third Street Playground Rendering (left), Lincoln Road Playground Rendering (right)

Lincoln Road Playground

Through $4 million in funding from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, $500,000 from Mayor Eric Adams, and $500,000 from Council Member Rita Joseph via District 40 Participatory Budgeting, Lincoln Road Playground at the Lincoln Road entrance to Prospect Park, will be restored with a new accessible sensory area, updated water play features, woodland themed play equipment, tables for gathering spaces and more. Salvaged decking from the existing play equipment will be reused to create a tree-covered boardwalk providing additional shade through the middle of the playground. 

“It’s a great day in Brooklyn when our children get new and improved space to play and explore Brooklyn’s natural elements,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Thank you to the Prospect Park Alliance for spearheading the redesigns for two of Prospect Park’s playgrounds. I was proud to support the renovation of the Lincoln Road Playground and cannot wait to see Brooklyn’s children enjoy using both spaces once renovations are completed!”

“Green spaces in our communities are incredibly important for our health and well being,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. “The Lincoln Road playground restoration will open up opportunities for our communities and will allow for residents and families to enjoy. The restoration is about more than upgrading equipment; it’s about investing in our children, our families, and the future of our community. Safe, modern, and welcoming play spaces are essential for healthy childhood development and for building strong neighborhood connections. I’m proud to support this project because every child in our district deserves a place to learn, grow, and play right here at home.”

As Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, the Lincoln Road Playground restoration features new play equipment and imaginative play elements centered around the theme of “Layers of the Forest.” The playground features a tot area with woodland-themed play elements that are inspired by the forest floor, with slides, climbing and balancing structures, and equipment that encourages ground play.

The play area for ages 5-12 is inspired by the forest tree canopy, with a new climbing tower, slides, hammocks and more. The area will also feature accessible play equipment including a structure with ramps and 

The restoration will also include new water play features in both the tot area and 5-12 areas, shaded seating areas, accessible water bottle fill stations, new safety surface inspired by the colors of our forest, raised planters and a sensory garden, and the renovation of the surrounding path network.

Third Street Playground

Through $3 million in funding from the City, Third Street Playground at the 3rd Street and Prospect Park West entrance of Prospect Park will feature new accessible play equipment and climbing structures, new water play areas, lighting, benches and landscaping. 

The Third Street Playground’s nature-inspired design features imaginative play elements to engage youth of all ages and abilities, from rustic playhouses to seasonal water features, new tot swings and tire swings, a climbing course, an elevated rope bridge spanning two towers and three slides. The playground will include accessible play equipment with a wheelchair ramp connecting to a slide and playground fencing decorated with sensory play panels. The restoration will include environmentally-friendly features designed for families and the park ecosystem alike, including an elevated play area that will allow water to flow into surrounding planted areas. Children and their caregivers can enjoy the shade of three newly planted trees, flood and drought tolerant Swamp White Oaks and Red Maples, ensuring they’ll stand tall for generations to come. 

The reconstructed playground is estimated to be complete in Brooklyn’s Backyard in 2027 and will be among the park’s seven playgrounds providing engaging opportunities for safe and imaginative play in Brooklyn’s Backyard

Learn more about Prospect Park Alliance’s current Capital Projects.

Celebrate Halloween + Kick Off Ice Skating Season at Lakeside

October 14, 2025

Prospect Park Alliance kicks off the new season at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside with a Fall Harvest Festival and Halloween Celebration on the weekends of Friday, October 24, through Sunday, October 26, and Friday, October 31, through Sunday, November 2, 2025. On November 1 through November 2, also enjoy the first skate of the season with free skate admission, free skating mini lessons, as well as hockey, stick n’puck, and figure skating sessions! 

Join us for our Harvest Fest + Halloween Ice Skating Celebration! Learn More + RSVP: prospectpark.org/harvest. 

After serving the community for more than a decade, this year Prospect Park Alliance relaunched the Center after extensive renovations and with new operators in place for the rinks and the cafe, Ekstein Development Group and Purslane. Ekstein is the operator of beloved city rinks including City Ice Pavilion and World Ice Arena in Queens. Purslane, part of the Oberon Group, is known for their thoughtful, seasonal food, and also partners with the Alliance at the historic Prospect Park Boathouse, where it operates the Purslane Cafe. 

The LeFrak Center at Lakeside is Brooklyn’s premier skating destination, with 30,000 square feet of pristine skating surface on connected covered and open-air rinks, with scenic views of the 60-acre Prospect Park Lake. Enjoy time on the ice with new skate programs and a fleet of hundreds of new skates. Duck Island Cafe & Bar keeps you warm with seasonal beverages including hot chocolate, hot cider and a local favorite, hot Hibiscus Brew from popular Flatbush-based cafe, Hibiscus Brew. Plus, don’t miss new rinkside classics including chili hotdogs and sheet pan pizza.

Harvest Festival + First Skate Weekend

Enjoy two weekends of Fall and Halloween fun, plus the start of the ice skating season, with a pumpkin patch and pumpkin painting, as well as Halloween costume contests, arts and crafts, face painting, and on November 1 + 2, free admission to our skating rinks with special clinics and classes for figure skating, hockey, stick n’puck, and much more! Visit prospectpark.org/harvest to learn more and RSVP.

Pre-registration is required for all skating activities aside from Public Skate. 

Ice Skating Season at Lakeside

Plus, enjoy a full season of ice skating with daily skate sessions, and lessons and leagues for all ages and skill levels. Visit prospectpark.org/lakeside for more information and to register today!

  • Public Skating – Come skate with us! Enjoy skating on our covered and open air rinks daily.
  • Learn to Skate – With three semesters to choose from and classes for all ages, everyone is a skater at Lakeside!
  • Youth Hockey Programs – Have you ever wanted to learn to play from the NY Rangers and the NY Islanders? Well now you can with the NY Rangers Rookie League and the NY Islanders Learn to Play at Lakeside!
  • Adult Hockey Leagues & Pick-Up – From Open Hockey, Stick N’ Puck, Learn to Play, Women’s leagues and more we have everything a player could need.
  • Figure Skating Freestyle Sessions – Ice time for experienced skaters of all ages at pre-free skate level or higher. Work on your jumps, spins, and routines with your couch or on your own! Check out our schedule.
  • Birthday Parties & Private Rentals – Celebrate your party the Lakeside way, from parties, galas and corporate events and more we have everything you need to bring your vision to life. Check out our party packages or contact us at [email protected].
  • Duck Island Café – Hot chocolate, snacks, and cozy comfort food all season long.

Second United Lenape/Lunáapeew Nations Pow Wow

September 9, 2025

Join Prospect Park Alliance, the Éenda-Lŭnaapeewáhkiing Collective (EL Collective), and American Indian Community House for the Second United Lenape/Lunáapeew Nations Pow Wow at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 from 12–7 pm + September 14, from 12–5 pm. 

The first Pow Wow held in Prospect Park since 1972, and the second ever Lenape Pow Wow in New York City, this free, two-day public event welcomes the original Indigenous Lenape peoples who were forced to relocate across the continent back to their ancestral homelands to reunite and share their cultures with Brooklynites today. Join the weekend of family friendly fun, culture, art and learning with Indigenous dancers, drummers, and artisan craft and food vendors.

Free, RSVP Today!

Second United Lenape/Lunáapeew Nations Pow Wow
Saturday, September 13, 12–7 pm + Sunday September 14, 12–5 pm
LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park

Lenape/Lunáapeew means human beings or, more specifically, “the ones who came from thought,” and is the name of the indigenous peoples whose ancestral homelands encompassed what is today Brooklyn and the surrounding region. Pow Wows are gatherings where Lenape/Lunáapeew and neighboring Indigenous nations socialize and celebrate life. Prospect Park hosted intertribal Pow Wows from 1916 to 1972. EL Collective Founder George Stonefish organized the First United Lenape/Lunáapeew Nations Pow Wow at the Park Avenue Armory in 2018. In 2024, Prospect Park Alliance held a culture fair with the American Indian House and EL Collective as a precursor to this year’s Pow Wow. 

“Reviving the Pow Wow tradition in Prospect Park provides the Lenape/Lunáapeew who were forced to relocate across the continent back to their ancestral homelands to reunite and celebrate, and offers Brooklynites of all backgrounds the chance to immerse themselves in the cultures of the original stewards of this land,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that sustains the park in partnership with the City. “This historic event is a crucial step in healing deep-seated wounds from our nation’s past and ensuring that all in our community see themselves in our programming. We are grateful to our partners, EL Collective and the American Indian Community House, and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, for making this celebration possible.”

“New York’s Lenape heritage continues to have a profound effect on our city today, and I’m thrilled to see this rich legacy celebrated and honored,” said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “My agency is proud to support this remarkable event welcoming back the Lenape people to their ancestral homelands. It gives us all the opportunity to engage with and celebrate their rich culture through the artists, creators, performers, crafts and foods that will be included in the festivities. This first Pow Wow held in Prospect Park since 1972 also creates an especially meaningful moment for us to come together as we reflect on the 400th anniversary of our city’s founding as New Amsterdam.”

“We are thrilled to join our partners at Prospect Park Alliance, American Indian Community House and the City in our work to bring together our Lenape communities from across Turtle Island,” said George Stonefish, Founder of EL Collective, which brings together Lenape/Lunáapeew communities who have been displaced across Turtle Island (North America). “This Pow Wow serves as an educational message to the broader community, and a social and cultural message for us, the Lenape people. We want all to leave the Pow Wow with a deeper understanding about why we as contemporary Native Americans still follow our culture, practice our dances and share our songs today.”

“This event holds significant cultural and historical importance, serving as a vibrant celebration of the rich traditions, heritage, and enduring spirit of the Lenape/Lunáapeew people,” said Patricia Tarrant, Executive Director of American Indian Community House. “The Pow Wow not only fosters cultural awareness and appreciation but also brings together diverse communities in the spirit of unity and respect. Events like this provide an invaluable platform for both education and cultural exchange. We commend the organizers, participants, and supporters of the Pow Wow for their dedication and hard work in showcasing and honoring these traditions. It is through such gatherings that we can build stronger, more inclusive communities that recognize and cherish the contributions of Native American cultures to our shared history.”

“We’re proud to welcome the Lenape Pow Wow back to New York City and Prospect Park! Great public parks have the power to bring people together, build connections, and foster community, so it’s so appropriate that ‘Brooklyn’s Backyard’ will host this celebration of Lenape/Lunáapeewand heritage and culture,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “We look forward to welcoming everybody to this great event, reviving the tradition of formal Pow Wows in Prospect Park.”

The Pow Wow is part of the Alliance’s ReImagine Lefferts initiative, which is transforming the park’s Lefferts Historic House museum to explore the lives, resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans who were enslaved by the Lefferts family. On view at Lefferts in conjunction with the Pow Wow is Eelunaapéewi Ehaptoonáakanal: Voices of Lunáapeew/ Lenape, an exhibit celebrating 400 years of Indigenous resilience. Featuring video interviews with Lunáapeew/Lenape knowledge-keepers and culture bearers about their relationships to their ancestral homelands, including those with the EL Collective.

“New Yorkers are deeply interested in the original peoples of this land and their heritage, culture and art,” said Dylan Yeats Ph.D., Prospect Park Alliance’s Lefferts Historic House museum director. “Prospect Park Alliance seeks to welcome the original peoples of this land to the park and support their efforts to preserve and share their traditions. This Pow Wow will be very special since Lenape from across the continent will be reconnecting with their lands and each other. It is a real privilege and honor for Brooklynites to be able to host and participate in this historic event, which will also be incredibly fun.”

This Pow Wow is presented with support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and ally sponsorship from Middle Church.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside Begins New Chapter

July 10, 2025

With summer in full swing, Prospect Park Alliance is kicking off a new chapter at one of its most popular destinations, the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside. Following renovations and with new operators in place, the Center will reopen for rollerskating, boating and–for the first time–pickleball, on the weekend of August 2 + 3. 

Join us for a weekend of free events and rink admission to celebrate our new chapter! RSVP to receive the full schedule of events: prospectpark.org/lakeside-celebration.

“The LeFrak Center at Lakeside is one of the most ambitious projects in Prospect Park Alliance’s history,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco. “Since its opening in 2013, we have served hundreds of thousands of community members each year with dynamic programs and activities. With the selection of new operators, extensive renovations, and the appointment of the first LeFrak Center Director, we are looking at a bright future.”

Following a competitive request-for-proposal process, the Alliance has selected new operators for the LeFrak Center and its cafe: Ekstein Development Group and Purslane, respectively. Ekstein is a local company with a strong track record of running rinks, including City Ice Pavilion and World Ice Arena in Queens, and brings a deep passion for skating and engaging local communities. Purslane, part of the Oberon Group, is known for their thoughtful, seasonal food, and also partners with the Alliance at the historic Prospect Park Boathouse, where it operates the Purslane Cafe. 

“We are very excited to partner with Prospect Park Alliance to bring a wide range of year-round activities to LeFrak Center for the community,” said Erik Ekstein, President and CEO of Ekstein Development Group. “Lakeside will continue to provide ice skating, ice hockey, roller skating, roller disco, roller hockey, curling and boating in season, with the addition of new activities such as pickleball and yoga. Other sporting and entertainment opportunities for the community will be announced in the weeks and months ahead.”  

“We are excited to bring a refreshed experience to all community members seeking delicious food and drink in this vibrant area of the park,” said Henry Rich, Managing Partner of the Oberon Group. “We also will be partnering with local businesses in Flatbush and beyond to host pop-ups and special events.”

With the Center having surpassed its 10-year mark, the Alliance also has been addressing wear and tear at this heavily used facility. Among the recent renovations are improvements to the Splash Pad, the park’s largest water play area, which operates on the Center’s uncovered rink in the summer months, as well the restrooms and lighting on site. The Alliance has also appointed a LeFrak Center Director and an on-site team that will oversee operations and ensure an excellent visitor experience to keep the rink in a state of good repair. These efforts have been informed by feedback the Alliance has received from the community.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside is the largest and most ambitious project in Prospect Park since its creation over 150 years ago. Learn more about the Center and the Alliance’s work to transform the southeast corner of Prospect Park into a popular scenic and recreational destination.

Free Summer Meals in Prospect Park

July 8, 2025

Fuel up this summer in Prospect Park! Did you know that eating healthy foods can increase your lifespan, reduce risks of chronic disease and even boost your mood and support mental health? For the second year in a row, Brooklyn’s Backyard is a home to a free, summer meal truck.

Youth ages 18 and under can enjoy free meals in Prospect Park this summer! Every day from June 27 through August 29, free meals will be distributed by the NYC Department of Education in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue Entrance to Prospect Park. Visit the NYC DOE meals truck from 10 am–4 pm on weekdays and 11 am–3 pm on weekends.

View the Food Truck Menu.

Learn more about free summer meals.

MANJE ETE GRATIS
Pou tout moun ki gen 18 tan – anba.
KOTE
Lari kwa nan Parkside Ave ak
lanmè Avwa
DAT yo
27 jen rive 29 out
7 Jou nan semèn nan
Pa gen sèvis 4 jiyè
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM jou lasemèn
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Wann

COMIDAS DE VERANO GRATIS
Para todos los menores de 18 años.
UBICACIÓN
Cruce las calles de Parkside Ave y
Avenida del Océano
FECHAS
Del 27 de junio al 29 de agosto
7 días de la semana
Sin servicio el 4 de julio
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM De lunes a viernes
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Fines de semana