July has flown by! August is upon us, and with it, another week packed with free family-friendly activities in Brooklyn. This week’s roundup includes the Brooklyn Beach Sports Festival in Coney Island, a lacrosse clinic for kids in Brooklyn Bridge Park, basketball at The Court pop-up at The Seaport, free hours at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum new STEM makerspace, a performance and workshop by Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Soul Summit Music Festival in Fort Greene Park, and so much more.
Kids Yoga at Gates Avenue Plaza | Fort Greene
Monday, July 29 | 10-11:15am & 3-4:15pm
Stretch out on the plazas with us this summer! Join for a free yoga session led by Shala Yoga and local Yogi Tiffany Ratliff in Gates Avenue Plaza (Fulton at Vanderbilt) in Fort Greene. No pre-registration is necessary; simply arrive 10 minutes before start time and bring a mat, towel and water to stay hydrated outdoors!
Library Games: Capture the Cone at Brooklyn Heights Library | Brooklyn Heights
Monday, July 29 | 3:30-4:30pm | Ages 8-12 | Register here
Join us for an Olympics themed program for older school age kids in the multipurpose room! Have you ever played capture the flag? You’ll love this BPL adaptation where teams compete to capture the cone. Run off some energy, make new friends, and celebrate summer reading with us! Which team will come out on top? Join us to find out! Registration required.
Free Admission Days @ Pier 2 Roller Rink | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Sunday, August 4 | 10am-12pm
Pier 2 Roller Rink offers free admission hours on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays. Roller skate with amazing views of the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan! Skate rental is $8 per person.
Movement Mondays: Samba Roots with Quenia Ribeiro @ The Plaza at 300 Ashland | Downtown Brooklyn
Monday, July 29 | 6-7pm | Register here
Work it out on The Plaza every Monday with this energetic and motivating dance series! First ten attendees to check-in with us at the tent can take home a free Downtown Brooklyn-branded bandana! On July 29, The Queen of Samba, Quenia Ribeiro, introduces the various forms of Samba from Rio De Janeiro and Bahia. This series goes beyond dance and movement; it is an electrifying journey through rhythm and time!
Serve at St. Ann’s Food Pantry at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church | Brooklyn Heights
Tuesday, July 30 | 9:30-11:30am | Ages 10+ with a guardian, ages 13+ without a guardian | RSVP here
Each Tuesday, St. Ann & The Holy Trinity Church serves 100+ neighbors in need of fresh produce and other essentials. Over the summer months, they have fewer volunteers and could use some help! Tasks include setting up tables, organizing and greeting patrons, cleaning, breaking down boxes, and other assigned work. Volunteers must be responsible, reliable, eager to learn, and have a great attitude.
Tiny Storytime @ Books Are Magic | Cobble Hill & Brooklyn Heights
Tuesday, July 30 | 11am | 225 Smith Street in Cobble Hill
Thursday, August 1 | 11am | 122 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights
Join Book Are Magic for Tiny Storytime for ages 6-36 months, every Tuesday in Cobble Hill and Thursday in Brooklyn Heights!
Summer Lunchtime Jazz Concerts: Ricardo Strobert Ensemble @ Columbus Park Plaza | Downtown Brooklyn
Tuesday, July 30 | 12-1:30pm
Enjoy your lunch outdoors with some of Jazz’s celebrated musicians. On July 30, a performance by the Ricardo Strobert Ensemble! Ricardo Strobert hails from Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights in Brooklyn, NY. He was originally inspired by both his mother, Esther, and his older brother, drummer Andrei Strobert, with whom he formed an early duo, with “Ricky” on alto saxophone and flute. Since then, he has taught music extensively, worked internationally with such notable artists as Roy Haynes, Mike Glick, Roy Campbell Jr, Marvin “Hannibal” Peterson and Eric Frazier, and performed with Kellis and Maceo Parker, Ed Stout, Gene Ghee, Chief Bey, Montego Joe, Radha Botofasina, Reggie Workman, Bob Cunningham, Anthony Jackson, Ken “Makanda” McIntyre and others, while the Strobert Brothers composed and produced three CDs of their own.
Comics with Mr. Nick at Red Hook Interim Library | Red Hook
Tuesday, July 30 | 3-4:30pm | Ages 10+
Come to the brand new Red Hook Interim Library on Van Brunt St. to learn something new or indulge your love of drawing this summer. You will be drawing and learning about art from Mr. Nick. Topics such as how to make comic books, cartoons, and graphic novels will be covered. Mr. Nick is a professional artist who has created and published his own series of comic books. Don’t miss out. Beginners are always welcome! All supplies will be provided.
Jack and Friends Summer Concert Series: Rolie Polie Guacamole at Park Slope Library Garden | Park Slope
Tuesday, July 30 | 4-4:45 | Ages 2-7 | Registration will open 24 hours in advance
We are continuing our Jack and Friends Summer concert series with Rolie Polie Guacamole! Brooklyn’s kindie titans Rolie Polie Guacamole, have been perfecting their show over the last decade scooping up several Parents’ Choice awards along the way. Their shows incorporate fun, fresh and smart lyrics in a style appealing to kids and adults alike. They encourage the audience to get up and moving with a high energy show that will rock your guac off! In the case of inclement weather, the program will be moved to our auditorium and only those registered will be admitted entry.
Kids and Coffee at Artful Souls and Wellness | Williamsburg
Tween Tuesdays: Olympic Opening Trivia at Brooklyn Heights Library | Brooklyn Heights
Tuesday, July 30 | 4-5pm | Ages 10-12
If you are a Tween (10 – 12) please join us in the Teen Gaming Room on Tuesdays from 4 to 5PM! This week, we’re diving into an exciting Olympics trivia game. Get ready to brush up on your Olympic knowledge and impress your friends!
Brooklyn Lacrosse Clinic @ Pier 5 | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tuesday, July 30 | 5-7pm | Grades K-6th | RSVP here
You’ve seen us…we share Brooklyn fields with soccer leagues. We share Brooklyn park walls with tennis and handball players. We share Brooklyn basketball courts with hoopsters. We are Brooklyn Lacrosse and we are ready to share the game of lacrosse with any kid who is willing to pick up a lacrosse stick. We invite your kids to our Free Clinic on Tuesday, July 30th from 5 to 7pm at Pier 5. Whether they’re a beginner needing to learn the basics or they’ve been playing for a minute and are looking to tighten up a skill or two, they should come toss the ball with us for a bit.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Thee Sacred Souls & LA LOM | Prospect Park Bandshell
Tuesday, July 30 | Doors at 6pm | Show at 7pm | RSVP here
Thee Sacred Souls weave musical tapestries that combine ’60s soul with ’70s R&B. LA LOM, The Los Angeles League of Musicians, blend the sounds of Cumbia Sonidera, 60’s soul ballads, and classic romantic boleros that emanate from radios, backyard parties and dance clubs of Los Angeles with the twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country.
An Evening with Antoinette Montague | Commodore Barry Park
Tuesday, July 30 | 7-8:30pm
Please join for an evening with Antoinette Montague, featuring Danny Mixon (piano), Bryce Sebastian (bass), Bobby Sanabria (drums), and AC Lincoln (taps). The Emcee will be Shiela Anderson, OnAir Host, WBGO 88.3 FM. Bring chairs and blankets!
Outdoor Movies this week:
- Tuesday, July 30 | Photophobia | Brooklyn Commons Park | Downtown Brooklyn | Not rated
- Wednesday, July 31 | Sandlot (1993) | Valentino Pier Park | Red Hook | PG
- Wednesday, July 31 (Rescheduled date) | Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981) | Prospect Park | PG
- Thursday, August 1 | Love & Basketball (2000) | Coney Island Beach | PG-13 | Join the Brooklyn Nets and NY Liberty for basketball games and a painting experience before the show!
- Thursday, August 1 | Creed (2015) | Brooklyn Bridge Park | PG-13
- Friday, August 2 | Purple Rain (1984) | Transmitter Park | Greenpoint | RATED R: Material may be inappropriate for children
- Saturday, August 3 | Close-Up | Pier 3 | Brooklyn Bridge Park | Not rated
- Sunday, August 4 | Mars Attacks (1996) | Habana Outpost | Fort Greene | PG-13
Dance and Music with Cumbe | Fort Greene Park
Wednesday, July 31 | 10-11am | RSVP here
Join us at Monument Plaza for dance workshops hosted by us in partnership with the Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance! No prior dance experience is needed. This event is family-friendly, and kids are encouraged to join us. All ages are welcome. Watch master artist, Shari Cheverez, perform, then experience the joy and learn the movements through a class and a dance jam.
Free Admission at New York Aquarium | Coney Island
Wednesday, July 31 | 3-6pm | Reserve tickets here; free tickets are made available at 3pm the Monday before
Take advantage of free admission hours at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. The aquarium’s Aquatheater is now reopened after renovations, and the sea lions and their trainers are performing once again! Check out the interactive “Sea Lion Celebration: Sea Lions in the Big City.” Daily schedules here. There’s so much to do while you’re in Coney Island; check out our guide to planning a day trip to Coney Island this summer! Note that advance timed tickets are required; the Wednesday Afternoon Ticket Store will open on Monday at 3:00 pm for that Wednesday’s reservations. Do not come to the aquarium without a reserved ticket! There’s a maximum of 4 tickets per order.
The Court at the Seaport | Seaport Square
Thursday, August 1–Friday, August 9
Hoops. Buckets. And dunks galore. Start warming up and save the week of August 1–August 9 for this year’s session of The Court at the Seaport, a celebration of all things basketball. In partnership with LA non-profit Hoopbus, The Court will host an open tournament (featuring men’s and women’s divisions), dunk contests, open play, and daily youth programs featuring celebrity coaches. Fun challenges, music and entertainment will be part of the mix throughout the week. Come on down, hit the court, and take part in activities presented by partners including FC21 Qualifier with Bobbito Garcia, AM Hoops, Junior WNBA, Lay the Guns Down, Wheelchair Sports Federation, and appearances from George the Messiah, Cole Holiday, Ball is Life Zay, and more!
Nature Exploration: Wildlife Appreciation | Prospect Park
Saturday, August 3 & Sunday, August 3 | 10-1pm
Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs on Thursdays and Fridays at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, the first urban Audubon Center in the nation. Programs include:
- Nature Around Us | Enjoy different seasonal discovery stations and nature themed activities that will introduce you to the plants, insects and animals that call the park home.
- Animal Encounter | Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection.
- Family Bird Walk | 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.
Visit Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s STEM Makerspace: Nature’s Engineers | Crown Heights
Thursday, August 1 | 2-5pm
Brooklyn Children’s Museum has a new natural science-inspired makerspace, and you can visit it for FREE during Amazon Free Hours on Thursday afternoons! Nature’s Engineers is designed for children to learn from nature and engage in hands-on STEM activities, fostering creativity and critical thinking. Learn more here!
Summer Movie: Cool Runnings (1993) at Brooklyn Heights Library | Brooklyn Heights
Thursday, August 1 | 3-5pm | Ages 5+
Bilingual (Mandarin) Storytime in the Park | Fort Greene Park
Thursday, August 1 | 4-4:45
Sing, read, and play with librarians from Brooklyn Public Library! Have fun hearing great picture books read aloud and playing with other children during this program featuring guest musical artists from Urban Stages. For children of all ages and their caregivers. On August 1, Storytime in the Park will feature a bilingual program and host a performer singing in Mandarin. Storytime in the Park will be located at the bottom of the monument stairs in Fort Greene Park’s northwest corner. In case of extreme heat or inclement weather, the program will be held at Walt Whitman Library.
Live at the Archway: Gentleman Brawlers & Annick Martin | DUMBO
Thursday, August 1 | Doors at 5pm | Music at 6pm | RSVP here
Live at the Archway is an annual series of free concerts and visual art in the unique setting of the Dumbo Archway. Acclaimed by the BBC’s Tom Robinson as “a virtuoso live band, grooving together like a beautifully engineered machine,” the Gentleman Brawlers blends disco-based horn lines, sticky highlife guitar, and polyrhythms from West Africa, Trinidad, and Brazil, into live shows that ignite a community-based, improvisational energy. A Design Director at Nickelodeon, Dumbo-based Annick Martin brings her playful, colorful aesthetic to the Art Wall.
Midsummer Nights: Four Evenings of Music at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music | Park Slope
Thursday, August 1 | 6:30pm | RSVP here
As the hot sun sinks, Midsummer Nights will bring another kind of heat to Seventh Ave with four golden-hour concerts on BKCM’s front stoop. This year’s series is curated by rising jazz star and 2023-24 BKCM Jazz Leadership Fellow Melanie Charles andMake Jazz Trill Again, the NYC-based collective she co-founded. Melanie has handpicked a lineup of artists who are expanding the borders of contemporary jazz in NYC, infusing elements of R&B, hip-hop, Latin, African and experimental musical traditions across four concerts that offer something for music lovers of all ages and backgrounds. Limited seating will be available in front of BKCM’s building at 58 Seventh Ave.
Summer Music Series: Ed Martinez & Conjunto Sabor at Bushwick Inlet Park | Williamsburg
The Summer Music Series at Bushwick Inlet Park returns for its fourth year! 6 weekly evening concerts featuring jazz, Caribbean, Latin and old-time music will take place on the 86 Kent Avenue waterfront plaza of Bushwick Inlet Park.
Kids Create: Art Nature Play @ Brooklyn Heights Library | Brooklyn Heights
Friday, August 2 | 3:30-4:30-pm | Ages 4-12
Join our volunteer artist, Lee, in our craft room, for an hour of fun and creativity! In this craft session we work with material from nature to make beautiful and unique creations you can take home with you.
Vanderbilt Open Streets | Prospect Heights
Friday, August 2, 5-10pm | Saturday, August 3, 12-10pm | Sunday, August 4, 12-5pm
Vanderbilt Avenue’s Open Streets program features activities and performances for the community. Stay up to date on their Instagram to see what live music performances and other programming is coming this weekend!
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Meshell Ndegeocello & Talibah Safiya | Prospect Park Bandshell
Friday, August 2 | Doors at 6pm | Show at 7pm | RSVP here
GRAMMY-winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello will unveil her groundbreaking and visionary album No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin. Through a performance transcending musical boundaries, let yourself be ignited by the passion and legacy of James Baldwin’s storytelling and activism. Prepare to be moved by our opener Talibah Safiya, a Memphis-born soul artist whose captivating lyrics and minimal instrumentation evoke powerful and undeniable emotions.
Live Salsa Music @ Sahadi’s | Industry City | Sunset Park
Every Friday | 6:30-9:30pm
Come join us at Sahadi’s for an unforgettable evening of summer Salsa music. Cuarteto Guataca plays high energy acoustic Son Cubano and Salsa with an old school sound, making people dance in clubs, parks and streets of NYC since 2012. See all upcoming salsa nights here.
Sounds at Sunset: PAAK Appreciation | Pier 3 Greenway Terrace | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Friday, August 2 | 7-9:30pm
Ease into the weekend with live music, and a beautiful sunset. On Friday, August 2, Anderson devotees can hear songs, samples, and collaborations across Paak’s growing body of work (pre-Oxnard) with this DJ set and drum clinic, hosted by drummer and producer George “Spanky” McCurdy.
Weekly Friday Night Fireworks | Coney Island
Every Friday | Fireworks begin at 9:45pm
Head to the Coney Island boardwalk to catch weekly fireworks kicking off on the Summer Solstice! Arrive early for a trip to neighboring Luna Park, New York Aquarium, or a Brooklyn Cyclones game at Maimonides Park. Check out our summer guide to visiting Coney Island here!
Brooklyn Beach Sports Festival | Coney Island Beach
- Calisthenics Skills Exhibition and Competition (Youth and Seniors start at 10am, Adults start at 12pm): Pull-ups, Dips, Pushups
- Tug O’ War Competition
- Family-friendly activities: Sand Pickleball, Cornhole, Music, Salsa, and Line Dancing, Accept the Challenge Obstacle Course , Flag Football Clinics, Morning Stretching and Relaxation.
Storytime at The Center for Fiction Bookstore | Fort Greene
Saturday, August 3 | 12pm | RSVP here
Join us every Saturday at noon for Story Time at The Center for Fiction Bookstore, where each week we read from some of our favorite books for young people! Led by our booksellers, this is a free community event open to people of all ages.
Young Naturalists | Fort Greene Park
Saturday, August 3 | 12-1pm
Young Naturalists is a youth-led program for kids ages 5-13 to share and grow their knowledge about the world around them using Fort Greene Park as their open lab. Held biweekly from 12-1 p.m., with sessions ranging from bird identification and recycling minigames, to sharing all sorts of knowledge with one another, kids can expect to participate in hands-on activities and experiments and learn from their fellow Young Naturalists. Sessions are free to attend! Simply meet the Youth Leader of the day, at the Visitors Center and enjoy a youth-led session.
Free Skateboarding Class at Vanderbilt Avenue | Prospect Heights
Saturday, August 3 | 12-3pm
Skate Everything School is back at Vanderbilt with a skateboarding class for all levels! They’ll have boards and gear to borrow, or you can bring your own.
Urban Farm Tour | Governors Island
Saturday, August 3 | 2-3pm | RSVP here
Discover a world of bees, compost, and organic gardening right in New York City! Join the Bee Conservancy, Earth Matter NY, and GrowNYC for a tour of the Urban Farm on Governors Island, and learn about each organization’s work. Tours take place on the first Saturday of every month from 2 – 3:30pm (weather permitting).
Mark Morris Dance Group | Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, August 3 | 2-4pm | RSVP here
On Saturday, August 3, we’re excited to welcome Mark Morris Dance Group back to Brooklyn Bridge Park for a special, outdoor performance and an all-ages family-friendly workshop at Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn. The workshop begins at 2:00 PM, where all ages and abilities are invited to dance with Mark Morris Dance Group. It will be followed by their performance at 3:00 PM. The repertoire will include Water, Words, and a new piece (unnamed). Words will be performed with live music by a pianist, who will also be providing musical interludes between pieces.
Community Science Fishing @ Pier 5 | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, August 3 | 3-6pm | Register here
Learn the basics of catch-and-release fishing with our next Community Science Fishing clinic! No experience is necessary and all equipment is provided. All ages and free.
First Saturday: Sol/Soley/Solo | Brooklyn Museum
Saturday, August 3 | 5-10pm | Advance registration required
Celebrate the dynamic cultures and traditions across the Caribbean with an evening of music, poetry, and film at the Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturday! Advance registration is required (no walk-ups). Admission is subject to our capacity at the time of your arrival. Doors close at 9:30 pm. See full lineup of programming, including a storytime, hands-on art-making, films, live music, poetry and more here.
Kids Day Fest at Patchen Community Square Garden | Bed Stuy
Sunday, August 4 | 10:30am-3:30pm
DUMBO Family Games on Car-Free Washington Street | DUMBO
Sunday, August 4 | 11am-1pm | Washington Street from Front Street to Water Street
Join every Sunday on car-free Washington Street for free kids activities and a community hang! Curated by the DUMBO BID x Brooklyn Bridge Parents and supported by Leaf Medical & Leaf Dental in DUMBO.
The Dance: Tap Dance, from Master Juba to Hip-Hop @ Lefferts Historic House | Prospect Park
Sunday, August 4 | 12-5pm | RSVP here
Join Prospect Park Alliance and joseph webb and friends for an interactive and engaging exploration of tap dance, affectionately called The Dance by tap dancers, and its historical relationship to New York City. Starting with African American Master Juba, considered the father of tap dance, this performance takes the audience on a journey from the early 1800s, through the swing jazz and bebop era to modern-day hip-hop. Africans enslaved in Kings County brought their dance traditions and creativity to Catherine Market on the East River in lower Manhattan where they sold produce in the early 19th century. The “dancing for eels” competitions they held to make extra money at the market inspired the tap dance traditions that came to define American dance today. Some of the Africans enslaved at Lefferts Historic House likely attended or even shaped the development of this dance culture. Come experience dance history at one of its origin sites and try the tasty fried eels early tap dancers won for their skills!
Family Day at Barcade | Williamsburg
Sunday, August 4 | 12-5pm | Ages 10+
Join us for Family Day in Brooklyn! From 12-5pm on the first Sunday of each month, bring the family out for some classic arcade games and pinball! As this location doesn’t have a kitchen, feel free to bring a lunch! We also have snacks available for purchase. All children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Soul Sundays @ Atlantic Terminal Mall | Downtown Brooklyn
Get ready to groove and vibe with Soul Sundays at Atlantic Terminal’s outdoor plaza! Join Atlantic Terminal for Soul Sundays with DJ Ace throughout the summer and celebrate the rich culture of old-school hip-hop in a lively outdoor setting.
Soul Summit Music Festival | Fort Greene Park
Sunday, August 4 | 3-8pm
Join the dance party this summer! The Soul Summit Music Festival is an event that takes place in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoons, 3pm-8pm during the summer. Organized and led by Soul Summit Music, the DJ collective founded in 2002 by Sadiq Bellamy, Tabu, and Jeff Mendoza. Always free and open to the public, the festival showcases artists of various backgrounds, including DJs, bands, dance companies, fashion designers, filmmakers and photographers, just to name a few. Over the past thirteen years Soul Summit Music has become an institution developing a loyal following that brings the hills of Fort Greene Park alive with families, food, and dancing. The festival provides the backdrop for access to music, networking and other activities. In just thirteen years the Soul Summit Music festival has become one of the most anticipated outdoor events in New York City, successfully creating a hub of activity in the immediate community and beyond attracting visitors from all over the tri-state area.
GorrillaFest ft. Ghostface Killah @ Coney Island Amphitheater | Coney Island
Sunday, August 4 | 5-9pm
Updated: July 27, 2024. Main Image: Brooklyn Beach Sports Festival at Coney Island Beach.
