July brings a jam-packed month of summer fun in Brooklyn, from outdoor movies to July 4th fireworks to street fairs and summer festivals. Our top picks include free water play and kids’ activities at Summer Saturdays in Atlantic Terminal Plaza, City of Water Day events on Brooklyn’s waterways, and a Nostalgia Ride to Coney Island aboard a vintage train car.
1. Catch a free outdoor movie
Pack your picnic and catch a free flick under the stars! Here are our picks for July:
- Inside Out 2 | Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | Friday, July 11 | Movie at sunset | PG | Free tickets here
- The Wiz | Coffey Park in Red Hook | Wednesday, July 16 | Movie at sunset | G
- Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story (Documentary) | Brower Park in Crown Heights | Saturday, July 17 | Seating at 7pm; film at 8:30pm | RSVP here
- Folktales | Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | Thursday, July 17 | Seating at 7pm; movie at 8:50pm | RSVP here
- Top Gun: Maverick | Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | Friday, July 18 | Movie at sunset | PG-13 | Free tickets here
- Trapped: Mind-Altering Shorts (Short Films) | Brooklyn Commons in Downtown Brooklyn | Wednesday, July 23 | Seating at 7pm; shorts at 8:30pm | RSVP here
- Waitress | Brooklyn Bridge Park | Wednesday, July 24 | Lawn opens at 6pm; movie at sunset | PG-13
- Selena y Los Dinos (Documentary) | Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park | Saturday, July 26 | 7:00-10:30pm | Not rated | RSVP here
- Mean Girls | Prospect Park | Wednesday, July 30 | Pre-film activities at 6pm; movie at sunset | PG-13 | RSVP here
- Dark Toons 2025 (Short Films) | Brooklyn Commons in Downtown Brooklyn | Wednesday, July 30 | Seating at 7pm; films at 8:30pm | RSVP here
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off | Coney Island Beach | Thursday, July 31 | Pre-film activities at 6pm; movie at sunset | PG-13 | RSVP here
For a full list of outdoor movies in Brooklyn this season, click here!
2. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast and Giglio Carnival
Wednesday, July 9–Sunday, July 20 | FREE | Williamsburg
The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Giglio Carnival is a beloved Italian tradition in Williamsburg that dates back to 1887. This family-friendly street festival features food vendors, rides, and games, but it’s best known for the Giglio—a 65-foot-tall, 4-ton wooden tower adorned with flowers and statues. In a dramatic display, 120 men lift the towering structure while a live band plays from the top. The festivities run from July 9 to 20; check out the full schedule of events here.
3. Summer Saturdays at Atlantic Terminal Mall
Saturday, July 12 | 11am-1pm | Ages 0-12 | FREE | RSVP here | Downtown Brooklyn
Join Brooklyn Bridge Parents and Atlantic Terminal Mall for Summer Saturdays with free water play, kids activities, giveaways and more fun for ages 0-12. Come out to play, cool off and make friends! (Rain date is Sunday, July 13.) Get a peek of the fun here!
4. City of Water Day
Saturday, July 12 | Program times vary | FREE | City-wide including Brooklyn
City of Water Day is a free, family-friendly city-wide day celebrating the region’s waterfronts and raising awareness about climate resilience. Highlights this year will include painting oysters in Red Hook, seining in Brooklyn Bridge Park, free kayaking in Shirley Chisholm State Park, canoeing on Jamaica Bay, birding in Marine Park, and so much more! The map below shows locations of Brooklyn programs, and you can view the the full schedule here.
5. Smurfs Summer at Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Sunday, July 13 | 11am-5pm | $15 admission | RSVP separately for Meet & Greet here | Crown Heights
Join for a hands-on day of art-making and fun to celebrate the new Smurfs movie, coming out on July 18. There will be a dance and sing-along on the museum’s rooftop, self-portrait making, face painting, a scavenger hunt, giveaways, and a meet and greet with Smurfette, No Name, and Papa Smurf. RSVP separately here!
6. Flatbush Avenue Street Fair
Sunday, July 13 | 12-6pm | FREE | Parkside Avenue to Courtelyou Road | Flatbush
The Flatbush Avenue Street Fair will take place on Flatbush Avenue from Parkside Ave to Cortelyou Road. Join for live music, rides, family-friendly activities, food, shopping and more!
7. Summer Stroll in Bay Ridge
Fridays, 6-10pm | July 18: 82nd Street to Marine Avenue | July 25: 68th Street to 82nd Street | FREE | Bay Ridge
Summer Stroll on Third Avenue is Bay Ridge’s beloved summer street festival, turning stretches of Third Avenue into a lively, car-free pedestrian plaza on select Friday evenings. Enjoy outdoor dining, live music, local shopping, and family-friendly activities.
8. Nostalgia Ride to Coney Island
Saturday, July 19 | 10am | $60/adult & $40/child | 96th Street-Second Avenue in Manhattan to Coney Island
Join the New York Transit Museum for their Nostalgia Ride to Coney Island on a vintage 1930s R1/9 vintage train car. The 2-hour ride will leave from 96th Street-Second Avenue station in Manhattan at 10am. Spend a day in Coney Island (see our guide here!) before you make a return trip from the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station at 4pm.
9. HealthJox Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, July 26 | 11:30am-4:30pm | FREE | RSVP here | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Come out for a day full of fitness, wellness, and fun at our 8th annual HealthJox Festival! Get ready to break a sweat with exciting workout sessions, and health workshops.
10. STooPS Summer Festival in Bed-Stuy
Saturday, July 26 | 1-7pm | FREE | Stuyvesant Avenue & Decatur Street | Bed-Stuy
The annual STooPS Summer Festival brings music, art, and performances to the stoops of Bed-Stuy, with a lively Block Party at 200 Decatur St. (between Stuyvesant and Lewis) and two Art Crawls—starting from Fulton Park at 1:30pm and Jackie Robinson Playground at 4pm. Expect food, drinks, local vendors, and family-friendly fun.
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Updated: July 5, 2025. Main Image: Summer Saturdays at Atlantic Terminal Mall.
