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Things to look forward to this spring in Brooklyn

Spring is here at last, bringing warmer weather and a ton of exciting events for families to enjoy! Our guide, running through Memorial Day weekend, highlights the return of favorite outdoor events like Open Streets, Brooklyn Flea, and Smorgasburg, as well as celebrations of Earth Day and Easter. Plus, there’s endless springtime fun waiting for you at Prospect Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Governors Island. Get ready for an unforgettable season of family-friendly fun!

Brooklyn Flea & BQ Flea | DUMBO & Williamsburg

DUMBO | NOW OPEN | Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-5pm 

Williamsburg | NOW OPEN | Sundays, 10-5pm

Brooklyn Flea is reopening for the season, located in the DUMBO Archway and Pearl Street Plaza. The flea includes a huge variety of vendors of vintage clothing, furniture, art and antiques, and more. This year, check out the new BQ Flea, under the BQE overpass in Williamsburg where Meeker Avenue meets Union Avenue and Lorimer Street. It will be open every Sunday starting April 6. Learn more here!

Luna Park | Coney Island

NOW OPEN | Free admission, rides start at $4

Get ready to kick off the season at Luna Park! Take a ride on the historic Cyclone, and enjoy more rides for all ages, plus shopping, and family-friendly food options. The Coney Island amusement park is debuting new arcade games this year, and they have also expanded outdoor seating at the restaurant Salt & Sizzle. The park will be open daily during Spring Break (April 11-20) and every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until Memorial Day weekend. After that, Luna Park will be open daily for the entire summer season.

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park | Coney Island

NOW OPEN | Open daily April 14–18 | Then weekends only through May 18, then daily May 23–September 3 | 11am-6pm | Ride pricing here

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, celebrating its 105th season in Coney Island, will kick off the season on Sunday, April 13 with its 40th Annual “Blessing of the Rides” at 10am. Following the blessing, the first 105 guests riding the iconic Wonder Wheel for free! The amusement park also has many kiddie rides, which will open at 11am, with adult rides opening at 12pm. Deno’s will be open daily during Spring Break (April 14–18), then on weekends only through May 18, then daily from May 23 through September 3, and on weekends and holidays from September 6 through October 26.

Pier 2 Roller Skating Rink | Brooklyn Bridge Park

NOW OPEN | $12 admission, $8 skate rental | FREE admission Mondays & Fridays, 3:30-6:00pm and Sundays, 10am-12pm

The roller skating rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 is reopening for the 2025 season! Check out their calendar to see all public skate times and fun themed events, including a chance to skate with the Easter bunny coming up in April. There are also special Free Skating hours on Mondays (3:30-6pm), Fridays (3:30-6pm), and Sundays (10am-12pm). Skate rentals are $8.

Prospect Park Carousel | Prospect Park

NOW OPEN | 12-5pm | $3 per ride, $13 for a book of 5 tickets

After being closed all winter, the Prospect Park Carousel is reopening for the season! Take your first ride of spring on the historic carousel on Opening Day, Friday, March 28. Visit the beloved carousel from 12–5 pm on Thursday–Sunday and holidays.

Smorgasburg | Prospect Park & Williamsburg

NOW OPEN | Saturdays, 11am-6pm | Marsha P. Johnson State Park | Williamsburg

NOW OPEN | Sundays, 11am-6pm | Breeze Hill | Prospect Park

Now in its 15th year, Smorgabsurg is back, running from April through October on Saturdays at Marsha P. Johnson Park in Williamsburg and Sundays at Breeze Hill in Prospect Park. This year, the food festival has over 70 stalls, including 20 new rookies. Newcomers this year include Jamaican Coco Bred, ancient Chinese dragon beard candy from Dragon Lulu, and pastrami sandwiches from Pastrami Underground out of Mill Basin, Brooklyn. See the full lineup of vendors here!

Spring fun on Governors Island

It’s time to plan a spring day trip to Governors Island! The Spring 2025 schedule for South Brooklyn ferries is now in effect, making it even easier to get there from Brooklyn. The Yard Adventure Playground is now open for the season, from 12-4pm every weekend from mid-spring to mid-fall, with a suggested donation of $5/child. You can also visit The Governors Island Urban Farm, which includes GrowNYC’s Teaching Garden, a compost learning center, and a bee sanctuary. Don’t miss Slide Hill, NYC’s longest slide at 57 feet, and Hammock Grove, for a relaxing break. Save the date for a special Earth Day Celebration on April 19!

 

Open Streets in our neighborhoods

Open Streets programs across our neighborhoods will be back in starting in early April, offering free, family-friendly fun on car-free streets. See our full guide here, with all dates, times, and locations. Many of Brooklyn’s Open Streets programs will kick off with Car-Free Earth Day on April 26!

Spring nature programs in Prospect Park

Kick off the spring season with family-friendly nature activities in Prospect Park! Discover Prospect Park’s bird population during the program Nature Exploration on weekends in April, and celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day. There’s so much more as the season continues, explore their full calendar here!

Spring at Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Prospect Heights

The cherry blossoms will start blooming soon at Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Use the BBG’s CherryWatch to see when trees are in full bloom and mark your calendar for Hanami Nights in late April and Weekends in Bloom in April and May. Spring First Discoveries, a program for the garden’s youngest patrons, happens on Wednesday & Friday mornings. Brooklyn Botanic Garden admission is $18/adult, $12/students 12+ with ID, and free for children under 12. Starting April 1, BBG opens early Friday–Sunday: 8am-6pm and opens early and late Tuesday–Thursday: 8am-8pm. Admission is $22/adult, $16/students 12+ with ID, and free for children under 12. A portion of each day’s tickets are available free of charge to those who need them.

Annual Brooklyn Org Volunteer Day | Various Locations

Saturday, April 26 | Times vary by project | Sign up here

Join Brooklyn Org and The Service Collection across the borough at multiple family-friendly volunteer sites throughout the day! You’ll get to learn about the day-to-day work of these amazing Brooklyn nonprofits and lend a helping hand. As a bonus, all volunteers will receive a complimentary Brooklyn Org t-shirt! See project with open spots and sign up here!

Car-Free Earth Day | Downtown Brooklyn, Boreum Hill, Williamsburg & beyond

Saturday, April 26 | Times vary by location

Car-Free Earth Day is an annual car-free event hosted by NYC’s Department of Transportation, with many participating locations in our neighborhoods, including Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn, Hoyt Street in Boerum Hill, and Berry Street in Williamsburg.

  • Car-Free Earth Day at Berry Street & South 4th Street
    Saturday April 26 | 10am-3pm | FREE | RSVP here | Williamsburg
    Meet community groups, play games, learn, and make a greener North Brooklyn with us! There will be a yoga class run by Artful Souls & Wellness, a performance by Jody Sperling, plus classes by LEIMAY dance studio and East River Pilates. It will be a fun day for whole family! Final schedule of events to come, stay tuned.
  • Downtown Brooklyn Car-Free Earth Day in Albee Square
    Saturday April 26 | 11am-3:30pm | FREE | Downtown Brooklyn
    Join us for an exciting earth-friendly celebration at Albee Square Plaza and Albee Square West – which will be closed to traffic all day. Bring your bikes, scooters and roller skates and enjoy a car-free street! There will be workout classes, composting, sustainable art projects, free books, poetry writing, a live DJ, and much more! See the full lineup of activities here.
  • Car-Free Earth Day at Hoyt Open Streets
    Saturday April 26 | 12-3pm | FREE | Boerum Hill
    Hoyt Open Streets will kick off their season of programming with car-free Earth Day on April 26. Drop by for live music, clothing mending by Expressive Repair, donate your e-waste, and check out a special art installation created just for our community and Hoyt Street. Bonus: free plants!

FAD Markets | DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill & Williamsburg

Select Saturdays & Sundays, 11am-6pm | Next up: Earth Month in Brooklyn Heights on April 26 & 27 | See full schedule here

FAD Market is back this spring, with pop-up markets at Empire Stores in DUMBO, the Center for Brooklyn History in Brooklyn Heights, St. Paul in Cobble Hill, and Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg. Check out their full lineup here!

Earth Day Festival at Fort Greene Park | Fort Greene

Saturday April 26 | 11am-2pm | FREE

Spend a fun, family-friendly day in Fort Greene Park celebrating and caring for the earth. The festival features crafts, games, workshops, and sustainable swaps for all ages. Stay tuned for a full schedule of events here!

Earth Day Festival | Brooklyn Bridge Park

Saturday April 26 | 11am-2pm | FREE

Come to Emily Warren Roebling Plaza for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Earth Day Celebration! There will be E-Waste Collection, an Eco-Art Project, Interactive Exhibits, live performances, and more!

Green-Wood’s Green Adventure For Families | Green-Wood Cemetery

Sunday, April 27 | 10am-1pm | FREE | Registration recommended

Green-Wood Cemetery is hosting a family-friendly day during the global City Nature Challenge, where people in cities across the world join together to find and identify as many species of wildlife as possible. Expert naturalists will be leading walks to collect data on birds, insects, fungi, and plants at the Cemetery. To participate, all you need is a smart phone with a camera and an iNaturalist account and they’ll help you photograph wildlife at Green-Wood!

Invent & Imagine Earth Day Celebration at Atlantic Terminal | Downtown Brooklyn

Sunday, April 27 | 12-3pm | FREE

This Earth Day event at Atlantic Terminal will celebrate our planet and spark creativity in the name of sustainability! Build new inventions using recycled and found materials with KoKo NYC and get free books with at Brooklyn Book Bodega’s sustainable book giveaway.

Celebrate Holi at Brooklyn Children’s Museum | Crown Heights

Saturday, May 3 | 10am-6:30pm | $15/person

Brooklyn Children’s Museum is keeping the colorful celebrations going a little longer this year! Their Holi festival will feature Bollywood dancing, colorful puppet shows, delicious treats, art-making, music, and, of course, pounds of color powder for the ultimate color toss. Families are encouraged to wear white and get messy as the festival will travel to neighboring Brower Park to celebrate springtime, renewal, and joy.

Montague Open Streets | Brooklyn Heights

Opening Day: May 4 | Sundays, May 4–June 29 | 10am-7pm

Montague Open Streets returns for another exciting season on Sunday, May 4. Montague Street will be car-free from Clinton Street to Hicks Street for eight Sundays (except Sunday, May 26), running through Sunday, June 29. Mark your calendars for Brooklyn Bridge Parents’ Spring Fling on Sunday, May 18. The streets will be alive with 25 free kids activities and puppet show (1 pm). We will have games, arts & crafts, soccer, face painting, building activities and obstacle course, much more. RSVP here!

Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest at CityPoint and Albee Square | Downtown Brooklyn

Saturday, May 10 | 11am-2pm | Ages 1-10 | FREE | RSVP here

Brooklyn Org, Brooklyn Bridge Parents, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and City Point will unite the community, leading cultural organizations, and nonprofits with the second free “Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest” at City Point in and Albee Square. Best for families with kids ages 1 to 10. The event will also include hip hop workshops, music making, face painting, live music, and more!

Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk | Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill & Downtown Brooklyn

Saturday, May 10–Sunday, May 18 | 12-6pm 

The Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk is a free, 1.5-mile, self-guided event from Fourth Avenue to the Waterfront, showcasing a diverse collection of art from over 125 emerging and established local artists at 60+ participating businesses such as galleries, salons, restaurants, and home decor shops. Visitors of all ages can stroll through the historic neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Downtown Brooklyn to see the art of various mediums including paintings, drawings, three-dimensional art, mixed media, photography, live art and walking tours.

DUMBO Family Games | DUMBO

Opening Day: Sunday, May 11 | Sundays in May, June, September & October | 11am-1pm | FREE

On Sundays in May, June, September and October, join for free kids activities and a community hang on Washington Street between Water & Front Streets. Curated by the DUMBO BID x Brooklyn Bridge Parents and supported by Leaf Medical & Leaf Dental in DUMBO. This year’s DUMBO Family Games will kick off on May 11, Mother’s Day!

Willowtown Annual Spring Fair | Brooklyn Heights

Saturday, May 17 | 12-5pm | FREE

The annual Willowtown spring fair will take place on Saturday, May 17 at Willow Place in Brooklyn Heights featuring face painters, bouncy house,  bake sale, magic show, games and more.

Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair | Park Slope

Sunday, May 18 | 10am-6pm | FREE

This annual street fair on 5th Avenue in Park Slope stretches between Sterling and 12th Street and features tons of local food, shopping, art, music and family-friendly fun!

BAM DanceAfrica Festival | Fort Greene & Brooklyn Bridge Park

Friday, May 23–Monday, May 26 | Performances at BAM start at $25

The nation’s largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music returns to the stages and streets of Brooklyn for its 48th year on Memorial Day weekend. In 2025, the festival will feature traditional dance and music from Mozambique. Learn more here! The Festival will feature performances on BAM’s stage, plus an outdoor bazaar in Fort Greene, a free DanceAfrica Community Class in Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 24, and more.

Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade | Bay Ridge

Monday, May 26 | 11am

A Brooklyn tradition since 1867, the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade is considered to be the oldest continuously run Memorial Day parade in a large city in the nation. Veterans, civic groups, schools, and marching bands parade along 3rd Avenue toward the Verrazzano Bridge ending with a service honoring Veterans.

DUMBO Drop | DUMBO

Friday, May 30 | Drops at 5pm & 7pm | DUMBO Archway Party 4-7pm | $25/person

The annual DUMBO Drop including the free Brooklyn Bridge Parents Kids Zone will take place on Friday, May 30, from 4 to 7pm. Watch elephants parachute into Dumbo—for a good cause! The event supports DUMBO’s PS 307 and The Dock Street School. Presale for locals is open, get your tickets for the elephant spectacle here!

Spring produce from Brooklyn Greenmarkets and CSAs

Spring produce, plants, and flowers are returning to Brooklyn Greenmarkets, and local CSAs are opening sign-ups for the 2025 season! Check out our full guide to CSA sign-ups in our Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Outdoor and rooftop dining

As the weather warms up, we can look forward to eating outdoors again! Check out our guides to family-friendly restaurantstop brunch spots, and date night restaurants in Brooklyn, many of which will be reopening patios, rooftop spaces, and more outdoor areas for dining.

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Updated: April 21, 2025. Main Image: Cherry Esplanade at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

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