Opening Weekend 2018
On April 7 + 8, Prospect Park Alliance kicks off the start of spring with a full weekend of special events and activities! Enjoy a family-friendly fair, a scavenger hunt, a campfire conversation, Smorgasburg Prospect Park and more!
RSVP to let us know you are coming!
Please note: select events require advance registration + most events are rain or shine. Check back for event status updates.
Sponsored in part by NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital; Media Partner: Brownstoner.
Saturday, April 7
Opening Weekend Family Yoga
Saturday, April 7, 8:30-9:30 am
Free, advanced registration required.
Join the Alliance and Bend + Bloom Yoga for this free family yoga class. Located in the historic Picnic House, young yogis and their families can take in stunning views of the Prospect Park Long Meadow while Bend + Bloom’s experienced instructors lead a fun and interactive class all ages will enjoy. Participants should bring their own mats. Please note: capacity is limited and paper tickets will be required for each participant. Please RSVP for yourself, your child and any other family members who wish to attend. Open to children under 12 accompanied by at least one adult.
CANCELED: Opening Weekend Baseball Parade + 1860s Exhibition Baseball Game
PLEASE NOTE: Due to field conditions, the Parade and Exhibition Game have been canceled. Stay tuned for a rescheduled date for the exhibition game by checking our website.
Prospect Park Alliance Opening Weekend Fair
11 am–3 pm, Free
Bartel-Pritchard Entrance I Map It
Join the Alliance and community partners for music, activities and food the whole family will enjoy, including tennis, roller hockey and juggling clinics, face painting and craft activities, a “touch a truck” experience with the NYPD, kids zumba, the bookmobile and much more!
Prospect Park Grillout at Greenmarket
11 am–1 pm, Free
Grand Army Plaza I Map It
Join Prospect Park Alliance and GrowNYC as we celebrate spring with a grill out of meats and veggies sourced from Greenmarket farmers.
Prospect Park Running History Tour
11 am–12 pm
Free, advance registration required.
Join New York Road Runners and Prospect Park Alliance to experience the Park’s history at a comfortable pace (10 min/mile) that will allow for plenty of photo ops and questions along the way. Register today!
Prospect Park Scavenger Hunt
12–3 pm
Free, advance registration required. Please register once per team, with 4 people max per team.
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Urban Archive for an historical scavenger hunt of Prospect Park in celebration of Opening Weekend! Participants of all ages can join as a team or individuals, and explore this 151-year-old Park, locating historic landmarks and racking up points. Participants will need at least 1 team member with an iPhone (iOS 10.0+) and the Urban Archive App. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams!
Introduction to Bird Watching
12–1 pm
Prospect Park Audubon Center, Free
Join Prospect Park Alliance for a birdwatching walk in Prospect Park. Learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!
Campfire Conversations: Opening Weekend Open Mic
Saturday, April 7, 7–8 pm, $3 Suggested Donation
Lefferts Historic House I Map It
Prospect Park Alliance and the Brooklyn Public Library present Campfire Conversations, a series of readings and talks set around an outdoor campfire, complete with music and refreshments. Bring your poetry or music to share for our first Open Mic night, in partnership with Urban Word NYC. Sign up for a 3-minute slot, available on a first come, first served basis. MC to be announced.
Sunday, April 8
Early Morning Bird Walk
8 am–9 am, Free
Audubon Center | Map It
Join Prospect Park Alliance to welcome the earliest migrants of the year, and to say goodbye to some of our winter residents. This birdwatching tour is led by the Brooklyn Bird Club and leaves promptly at 8 am.
Opening Weekend Fun Run
9 am–10 am
Free, advance registration required.
Join Prospect Park Alliance and the Prospect Park Track Club for a celebratory run through Brooklyn’s Backyard! The route will spell out “Park” in honor of Prospect Park’s Opening Weekend.
Prospect Park History Walking Tour
Sunday, April 8, 10:30 am–12:30 pm
$20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $10 for children
Advance registration required.
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Turnstile Tours for a special guided walking tours of Prospect Park, which will examine the Park’s many layers of natural and human history, from the flora and geology to the architectural eras visible in the built environment.
Smorgasburg Prospect Park
11 am–6 pm
Breeze Hill I Map It
Ring in spring with a visit to Smorgasburg Prospect Park, the celebrated open-air food market. On Sundays from April through October, over 100 local and regional food purveyors will gather on Breeze Hill to offer a range of cuisines. Learn more about this year’s line up!
All Weekend
Nature Exploration
Saturday + Sunday, 10 am–1 pm, Free
Prospect Park Audubon Center I Map It
Celebrate the season opening of the Prospect Park Audubon Center! Join the Prospect Park Alliance for Animal Encounters (11 am–12 pm), where you can learn more about the animals in the Center’s collection; and Nature’s Helpers (12–1 pm), where you can help the Alliance clean up the lakeshore. Families are also invited to check out a free Discovery Pack, ready-to-go kits filled with nature activities for families.
Spring Planting
Saturday + Sunday, 1–4 pm, $3 Suggested Donation
Lefferts Historic House I Map It
It’s time for spring planting. Join Prospect Park Alliance to celebrate the start of spring at Lefferts Historic House! Help plant our annual flax crop, then make a small newspaper pot, fill it with soil and plant some seeds to take home.
Ice Skating Fun
Saturday, 12–9 pm + Sunday, 12–5 pm
$10 Admission; $7 Skate Rentals
LeFrak Center at Lakeside I Map It
Last chance to hit the ice! Come out to the LeFrak Center at Lakeside for this final weekend of ice skating before the rink closes for the season.
Carousel Rides I Map It
Saturday + Sunday, 12–5 pm
$2.50 per ride; $11.50 for book of 5 rides; Free with Alliance Family Supporter membership.
What better way to enjoy the start of spring then with a spin on the Park’s historic 1912 Carousel, featuring hand-painted horses, a lion, a giraffe, a deer and two dragon-pulled chariots.
Prospect Park Zoo I Map It
Saturday + Sunday, 11 am–4 pm
Children under 12 free; Adults, $8; Seniors (65+), $6
Prospect Park Zoo is home to nearly 400 animals of more than 100 species. Kids will be amazed by close-up views of some of the wild’s most unusual animals. For Opening Weekend, all children 12 and under can visit for free!
