Celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month and Juneteenth at Lefferts Historic House

May 23, 2023

Join Prospect Park Alliance and partners to celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month and Juneteenth at Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park. Brooklyn’s Backyard will be home to a month of celebrations of Black and Caribbean cultures. Enjoy music, dance, storytelling, drumming  and much more for Brooklynites of all ages.

Legendary Traditional Characters of J’Ouvert
Sunday, June 11, 2 – 5 pm, Free
Lefferts Historic House
Learn More + RSVP
Join Prospect Park Alliance and JouvayFest Collective, Bush Wo/man Conversations Project, and 2J & Friends at the Lefferts Historic House for a fun and informative family-friendly  event about the legendary traditional characters of J’Ouvert. J’ouvert (pronounced Jew-vay) translates as ‘I Open.’ It marks the beginning of the annual Carnival celebrations in many Caribbean islands. J’Ouvert was started by formerly enslaved Africans in the predominantly French speaking colonies, when they began participating in the pre-Lenten festivities of the ruling class. In Trinidad and Tobago, the tradition was further solidified through the Canboulay riots in 1881. J’Ouvert remains a potent living tradition and symbol of the power of history and culture in the Caribbean, Brooklyn, and beyond. This event will be held rain or shine.

Juneteenth + One Love Little Caribbean Day
Sunday, June 18, 12 – 5 pm, Free
Lefferts Historic House 
Learn More + RSVP
Prospect Park Alliance invites you to pull up to Juneteenth, I AM CARIBBEING style, with DJ sets and games presented by Fun With Friends and Little Caribbean artisans.

Steelpan Day
Sunday, June 25th, 5 pm – 7 pm, Free
Lefferts Historic House 
Learn More + RSVP
Prospect Park Alliance and I AM CARIBBEING invite you to celebrate Brooklyn’s Steelpan Day with live performances by Hearts of Steel alongside steelpan musicians from Little Caribbean and beyond.

Rise in Spirit: A Juneteenth Celebration
Sunday, July 2, 1 – 6 pm, Free
Lefferts Historic House
Learn More + RSVP
Join Prospect Park Alliance for a Juneteenth Celebration produced by the Brooklyn-based Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation. The family-friendly event will take visitors on a journey of the African Diaspora that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the people of Africa and African descendant cultures. The theme for this Juneteenth celebration at Lefferts Historic House is “Rise in Spirit.”

Enjoy performances by African dancers and drummers from the Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, IET Band jazz quartet, tap dancer Joseph Webb, the St. Paul’s Baptist Church gospel choir and theatrical readings by Sharon Gordon. Alliance educators will also provide cooking demonstrations, historic games and more.

The Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to its core tenets to enrich, educate and entertain. They aspire to empower and strengthen youth by offering them an opportunity to learn, study and experience the history, movement and beauty of African Diaspora dance, music and culture at its highest level. They are entering their third decade, and oversee a School of the Arts, the Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater, an award-winning professional dance ensemble, a Children’s Summer Art Camps, and an Arts Outreach program that services public and charter schools throughout the greater New York area. Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation also curates original programming and produces an array of special events and  concerts

The Juneteenth celebration is part of ReImagine Lefferts, an initiative funded through a Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation that is re-envisioning the mission and programming of the museum to explore the stories of resistance and resilience by 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. The event is also funded in part through support by NYU Brooklyn.

I AM CARIBBEING is supported by NYC Department of Small Business Services, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council for the Arts, Con Edison, TD Bank and KeySpan.

Martin Seck

Nature Exploration

May 18, 2023

Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation.

Nature Around Us, 12–3 pm:  Enjoy different seasonal discovery stations and nature themed activities that will introduce you to the plants, insects and animals that call the park home.

    • June: Discover how nature recycles by learning about the fascinating cycle of decomposition in our urban forest.
    • July: Get to know pollinators and find out why they are so important and why they need our help.
    • August – Labor Day:  The Lake and Lullwater are home to many plants and animals. Help us to test the water quality and investigate pond samples that are filled with living organisms.

Animal Encounter, 2–3 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 2 pm.

Family Bird Walk, 3–4 pm: Prospect Park is a stopping point for hundreds of bird species each year! Join us as we search for these amazing creatures and other nature around the park. Binoculars and bird guides are provided. This program departs from the Audubon Center promptly at 3 pm.

Molière in the Park: Tartuffe or The Hypocrite

April 20, 2023

Join Prospect Park Alliance and Molière in the Park for a free full production of Tartuffe or The Hypocrite at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park.

Learn more and reserve your free tickets here!

Performance Dates:

Saturday, May 6, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Sunday, May 7, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Sunday, May 7, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 9, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, May 10, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Thursday, May 11, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Saturday, May 13, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Sunday, May 14, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Sunday, May 14, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 16, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, May 17, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Thursday, May 18, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Saturday, May 20, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Saturday, May 20, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Sunday, May 21, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 23, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Tuesday, May 23, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, May 24, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Thursday, May 25, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Saturday, May 27, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Saturday, May 27, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

About the Play:

Presenting a never seen before “Tartuffe” seems unimaginable. Yet, that’s what you’ll get a chance to see in Prospect Park this May.

Molière in the Park is offering a full production of Molière’s original “Tartuffe”, which was immediately banned by the King of France and lost to history, until now, 359 years later. This original play was reconstructed by Georges Forestier, a renowned French Historian, through a process of historical genetics, and  premiered at La Comédie Française in Paris in 2022. It will be presented in English for the first time ever, on the Molière in the Park stage.

About Molière in the Park:

Molière in the Park’s (MIP) mission is to promote empathy and unity within the diverse communities in Brooklyn through the arts. MIP offers free opportunities for all to come together in Prospect Park and experience the benefits of theater. MIP’s vision is of a Brooklyn where all communities can benefit equally from access to theater and the Arts.

Learn more about Molière in the Park.

Molière in the Park: Tartuffe or The Hypocrite

Join Prospect Park Alliance and Molière in the Park for a free full production of Tartuffe or The Hypocrite at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park.

Learn more and reserve your free tickets here!

Performance Dates:

Saturday, May 6, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Sunday, May 7, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Sunday, May 7, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 9, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, May 10, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Thursday, May 11, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Saturday, May 13, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Sunday, May 14, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Sunday, May 14, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 16, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, May 17, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Thursday, May 18, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Saturday, May 20, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Saturday, May 20, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Sunday, May 21, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Tuesday, May 23, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Tuesday, May 23, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Wednesday, May 24, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Thursday, May 25, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Saturday, May 27, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Saturday, May 27, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm

About the Play:

Presenting a never seen before “Tartuffe” seems unimaginable. Yet, that’s what you’ll get a chance to see in Prospect Park this May.

Molière in the Park is offering a full production of Molière’s original “Tartuffe”, which was immediately banned by the King of France and lost to history, until now, 359 years later. This original play was reconstructed by Georges Forestier, a renowned French Historian, through a process of historical genetics, and  premiered at La Comédie Française in Paris in 2022. It will be presented in English for the first time ever, on the Molière in the Park stage.

About Molière in the Park:

Molière in the Park’s (MIP) mission is to promote empathy and unity within the diverse communities in Brooklyn through the arts. MIP offers free opportunities for all to come together in Prospect Park and experience the benefits of theater. MIP’s vision is of a Brooklyn where all communities can benefit equally from access to theater and the Arts.

Learn more about Molière in the Park.

Martin Seck

Nature Exploration

April 19, 2023

Join the Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation.

  • Discovery Pack, 10 am–12 pm: Explore nature on your own with Discovery Packs,  backpacks filled with nature activities and exploration tools that are perfect for families and kids who want to interact with the park in a whole new way!
  • Animal Encounter, 11 am–12 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 11 am.
  • Nature’s Helpers, 12–1 pm: Help do your part to keep Prospect Park healthy by cleaning up the lakeshore. In this citizen science activity, Audubon staff will guide groups to remove litter and record the findings. Fun for all ages and all materials are provided. This program departs from the Audubon Center promptly at 12 pm.
Martin Seck

Nature Exploration

Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation.

  • Discovery Pack, 12–3 pm: Explore nature on your own with Discovery Packs,  backpacks filled with nature activities and exploration tools that are perfect for families and kids who want to interact with the park in a whole new way!
  • Animal Encounter, 2–3 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 2 pm.
  • Family Bird Walk, 3 – 4 pm: Prospect Park is a stopping point for hundreds of bird species each year! Join us as we search for these amazing creatures and other nature around the park. Binoculars and bird guides are provided. This program departs from the Audubon Center promptly at 3 pm.

2023 Winter Checklist

January 19, 2023

As we kick off 2023, enjoy all the fun that winter has to offer in Prospect Park! From sledding, skating, winter walks and more, we’ve put together 6 activities in a  Prospect Park Winter Checklist for you to check off your list this season for a winter well-spent. Take a look and we’ll see you in the park.

1. Explore an Underground Soundwalk in Prospect Park

Gain a new perspective of your park this season! While winter may seem like a quiet time in Brooklyn’s Backyard, there is a bustling ecosystem of sound and movement happening just below the soil’s surface all year long! Beginning at a trailhead by Dog Beach, explore the deep resonant sounds of the insides of trees, the roots of plants, shifting soil, waterways and more through Nikki Lindt’s The Underground Sound Project.

2. Sledding in Brooklyn’s Backyard

Both through nature and by design, Prospect Park’s landscape is dotted with rolling hills, which makes it prime territory for winter sledding on a snowy winter day. When conditions are right, make sure to check out the top sledding destinations in Brooklyn’s Backyard. Tip: make sure to get there early, spots on the slopes of Prospect Park fill up early on snowy days, and don’t forget to #BeAParkChampion and carry any broken sledding materials with you out of the park!

3. Mid-Winter Recess at the Audubon Center

Get to know the plants and animals that call Brooklyn’s Backyard home in the winter with family friendly programming at the Prospect Park Audubon Center! Enjoy seasonal discovery stations and investigate pond samples at 12 pm, learn from the Alliance’s Naturalists about the ​​animals in the Audubon Center’s collection, and set out on a winter wilderness walk at 3 pm and search for woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and more.

4. Ice Skating at LeFrak Center at Lakeside

Prospect Park’s two open-air ice skating rinks are not to be missed this winter. Enjoy hours of winter fun gliding through Brooklyn’s Backyard, and even try your hand at hockey or brush-up on your skating technique at skate school. Plus, after your hours out on the ice, don’t forget to fuel-up with a treat from Bluestone Cafe.

5. Enjoy a Winter Walk

Prospect Park is scenic in all seasons, but wintertime provides a sense of serenity unlike all else. Enjoy the season in Brooklyn’s Backyard by exploring the many walking trails and stunning vistas in our urban oasis. Have a favorite winter walking route? Share it with us by tagging us in your winter walking photos @prospect_park!

6. Join a First Sunday Birdwatching Outing

Start your month off with some chirp and cheer and join the Brooklyn Bird Club and Prospect Park Alliance on the first Sunday of each month in search of the many bird species that visit and live in the park. Keep your eyes open for exciting winter species-sightings and learn about the different habitats in Prospect Park and why they are important for all types of birds. Please bring your own binoculars.

Completed your 2023 Prospect Park Winter Checklist? Check out more events in Prospect Park to make the most of the season.

Summer Movies Return for 2022 Season

July 6, 2022

Spend your summer nights in Prospect Park with SHOWTIME® In The Park, the free, outdoor movie series presented by SHOWTIME® in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Magazine and Prospect Park Alliance. The series will take place on Wednesdays in August on Prospect Park’s Long Meadow, and continues the longstanding “Summer Movies Under the Stars” series offered in Prospect Park for many years through the support of the Borough President.

Learn more + RSVP for Prospect Park movies: prospectpark.org/movies.

This year, the series extends to Fort Greene Park in July with partner Fort Greene Park Conservancy, offering nostalgic classics and feel-good fan favorites for all ages. The two-month series lineup will include the “West Side Story” remake by Steven Spielberg, “Crooklyn,” “Back to the Future,” “Spider-Man No Way Home,” and more. See below for the full lineup. The themes throughout deal with connectivity, perseverance, friendship, family (chosen and otherwise), self-empowerment, creativity and fantasy — just what we could all use this summer.

SHOWTIME® in the Park has become one of the many summer events Brooklynites get excited for each year, and I’m looking forward to enjoying this year’s movie line-up in my new role as Borough President with my family. Supporting free and friendly community gatherings is critically important to me as the Chief-Promoter-of-Brooklyn and I hope more organizations emulate investing in such events so we can grow the number of activities around the year for families and individuals alike. Thank you again to Prospect Park Alliance and the Fort Greene Park Conservancy for your partnership,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

“We are thankful to the Borough President for continuing this long-cherished tradition of bringing our community together for free movie nights under the stars in Brooklyn’s Backyard, and to SHOWTIME® and Brooklyn Magazine for their support of this series,” said Deborah Kirschner, VP of Communications and External Relations for Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park. “We also are delighted to partner with the Fort Greene Park Conservancy to expand the series to our sister park for another season of outdoor fun.”

The films will begin shortly after sundown at the north end of the Prospect Park Long Meadow, located nearest to the Grand Army Plaza entrance. The closest subway stations are the Grand Army Plaza and the Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stops on the 2, 3 lines or the B41 bus lines.

Visit the SHOWTIME® table for a complimentary lawn chair while supplies last.

The following is the full lineup:

Fort Greene Park
For more information and to RSVP, click here. 

West Side Story (2021)
July 7
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

Selena
July 14
The true story of Selena, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart-topping albums on the Latin music charts.

Crooklyn
July 21
Spike Lee’s vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973.

Clue
July 28
Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.

Prospect Park
For more information and to RSVP: prospectpark.org/movies.

Back to the Future
August 3
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown.

Ghostbusters (1984)
August 10
Three parapsychologists set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.

Encanto
August 17
A Colombian teenage girl has to face the frustration of being the only member of her family without magical powers.

Spider-Man: No Way Home
August 24
With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help. When a spell goes wrong, dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, forcing Peter to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

RSVP now to let us know you’re attending the summer film series at Prospect Park. This event is free and open to the public, and RSVPs are not required for entry. 

Please note that events will be cancelled in the case of inclement weather. Please visit prospectpark.org and  Prospect Park Alliance’s social media channels for up-to-date information. Any cancelled events will be rescheduled for the rain date of Wednesday, August 31.

For more information + to RSVP, visit: prospectpark.org/movies.

About Prospect Park Alliance
Prospect Park Alliance is the non-profit organization that sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s Backyard, in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. Learn more at prospectpark.org.

About TF Cornerstone
Founded by Tom and Fred Elghanayan in 1970 with the renovation of a small brownstone in Lower Manhattan, TF Cornerstone (TFC) now owns and operates nearly 10,000 residential units in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island City, and over 4 million square feet of commercial, office and retail space in NY, DC, VA and PA. With their rapid expansion into burgeoning Brooklyn markets and several momentous developments on the horizon, including 595 Dean St in Prospect Heights, TFC continues to build on its tradition of long-term investment and ownership by acquiring, developing and repositioning residential and commercial real estate. Learn more at tfc.com.

Additional program support provided by TF Cornerstone.

Spring Break at the Prospect Park Audubon Center

March 17, 2022

Enjoy your Spring Break with Prospect Park Alliance from April 15 – April 22. Visit Prospect Park for family-friendly activities at Prospect Park Audubon Center.

Nature Exploration
Thursdays + Fridays 12–4 pm
Prospect Park Audubon Center, Free

Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation.

  • Discovery Pack, 12–3 pm: Come explore nature on your own with our Discovery Packs, a backpack filled with nature activities and exploration tools, perfect for families and kids to interact with the park in a whole new way!
  • Animal Encounter, 2–3 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 2 pm.
  • Family Bird Walk, 3–4 pm: Prospect Park is a stopping point for hundreds of bird species each year! Join us as we search for these amazing creatures and other nature around the park. Binoculars and bird guides are provided. This program departs from the Audubon Center promptly at 3 pm.

Nature Exploration
Saturdays + Sundays, 10 am–1 pm
Prospect Park Audubon Center, Free

Join the Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation.

  • Discovery Pack, 10 am–12 pm: Come explore nature on your own with our Discovery Packs, a backpack filled with nature activities and exploration tools, perfect for families and kids to interact with the park in a whole new way!
  • Animal Encounter, 11 am–12 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 11 am.
  • Nature’s Helpers, 12–1 pm: Help do your part to keep Prospect Park healthy by cleaning up the lakeshore. In this citizen science activity Audubon staff will guide groups to remove litter and record the findings. Fun for all ages and all materials are provided. This program departs from the Audubon Center promptly at 12 pm.
c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

The Last Stand: An Experimental Opera for Trees

August 12, 2021

Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks Art in the Parks is partnering with Creative Time to present artist Kamala Sankaram’s first public artwork, The Last Stand, in Brooklyn’s Backyard.

On view September 18–October 10, this public sound installation and experimental opera for and about trees invites audiences to consider the complex and expansive life cycle of one of our most vital natural resources. 

Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn’s last remaining forest with more than 30,000 trees and many species of native flora that are an integral habitat to the hundreds of species of birds and wildlife.

“Since our founding in 1987, Prospect Park Alliance has played a critical role in revitalizing the park’s 250 acres of core woodlands,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance and Park Administrator. “The park’s 30,000 trees are the ‘lungs’ of Brooklyn and are vital to our community’s health and well-being. We are so pleased to be hosting The Last Stand, and drawing attention to the importance of trees to our environment and future.”

The Last Stand chronicles the lifespan of a 300-year-old Northern Red Oak—the “Mother Tree”—from the years 1750–2050. The rich soundscape tells the story of the Mother Tree in Black Rock Forest, a nearly 4,000-acre diverse ecosystem in upstate New York with tree species tracing back 14,000 years. Sankaram personally created field recordings of the environment to develop sounds for the installation, which will be experienced through rhythms, looped sounds, and the physical vibrations they generate.

“In the wake of this year’s catastrophic heat, storms, and floods, the immediacy of the climate emergency has only become clearer. We can no longer hold ourselves separate from the world around us. Rather, to stave off the most devastating effects of climate change, we must recognize the interconnectedness of humankind with our delicate world and all the living beings that inhabit it. It is my hope that by allowing ourselves to try and step inside the perspective of a tree, to experience its different intelligence and sense of time, we can rekindle this sense of connection,” said Kamala Sankaram. 

Over the course of 10 hours, the opera spans the Mother Tree’s life from acorn to its “last stand,” the final burst of life-giving energy a tree gives to its vast forest life network before it dies. Trees and visitors will experience sounds native to the natural environment, including animal and tree canopy noises, as well as sounds that mimic moments of life-altering tragedy, including invasions from non-native insects to human-induced threats such as excess rain, logging, and fire. Finally, the narrative carries the audience into the future with sounds that hint at the catastrophic effects of climate change, calling attention to the symbiotic and sometimes negative relationships within ecosystems.

The Last Stand is the winner of Creative Time’s 2021 Emerging Artist Open Call, which offers the opportunity for an artist to create their first-ever public artwork. Lead Project Support for The Last Stand is generously provided by Costa Brazil.

Learn more about The Last Stand, on view in Prospect Park from September 18–October 10, 2021.