Go-to Brooklyn parent resources Macaroni KID Brooklyn NW and Brooklyn Bridge Parents have teamed up to bring you some of the best family events for Brooklyn families as the summer kicks off with a range of joyful July events from outdoor movie screenings and July 4th celebrations to music festivals and community celebrations. Happy July!
1. Free Family-Friendly Outdoor Movie Screenings
Ready the picnic basket, it’s time for outdoor movie season! All movies start around dusk. Our picks:
- Wednesday, July 3: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) at Prospect Park | PG-13
- Sunday, July 7: Independence Day (1996) at Habana Outpost in Fort Greene | PG-13
- Wednesday, July 10: School of Rock (2003) at Prospect Park | PG-13
- Wednesday, July 10: Barbie (2023) at Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | PG-13
- Thursday, July 11: Past Lives at Brooklyn Bridge Park | PG-13
- Thursday, July 11: Summer of Soul (2021) 4th Street Plaza in Park Slope | PG 13
- Friday, July 12: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) at Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | PG-13
- Friday, July 12: Growing Pains: Coming-of-Age Stories (Short Films) in Fort Greene Park | Not Rated
- Wednesday, July 17: Clueless (1995) at Prospect Park | PG-13
- Wednesday, July 17: Much Ado About Nothing (1993) at McCarren Park in Williamsburg | PG-13
- Thursday, July 18: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (2023) in Coney Island | PG-13
- Thursday, July 18: Yesterday (2019) 4th Street Plaza in Park Slope | PG 13
- Friday, 7/19: Wonka (2023) at Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | PG
- Sunday, 7/21: West Side Story (2021) at Habana Outpost in Fort Greene | PG-13
- Wednesday, July 24: Much Ado About Nothing (1993) at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn Heights | PG-13
- Thursday, July 25: Mean Girls (2004) at Brooklyn Bridge Park | PG 13
- Friday, July 26: Barbie (2023) at Transmitter Park in Greenpoint | PG-13
- Friday, July 26: New York Non-Fiction (Short Films) at Green-Wood Cemetery | Not rated
- Sunday, July 28: Jurassic Park (1993) at Habana Outpost in Fort Greene | PG-13
2. Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Competition + July 4th Fireworks Spectacular
Thursday, July 4 | 11am-1pm competition, 9:30pm fireworks | FREE | Coney Island
The 7th Annual Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular starts at approximately 9:30pm. Visitors can view the fireworks anywhere on the Boardwalk from West 10th Street to West 23rd Street to see the show! And don’t forget the other famous July 4th Coney Island tradition: The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest! The Women’s competition kicks off at 11am and the men’s competition starts at 12:30pm. Stop by Luna Park or Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park to hit the rides while you’re there.
3. OLMC Feast and Giglio Carnival
Wednesday, July 10–Sunday, July 21 | Monday-Friday 6-11pm, Saturday 4pm-12am, Sunday 12pm-11pm | FREE entry | Williamsburg
Since 1887, the Italian American community has been celebrating their faith, culture, and family traditions on the streets of Williamsburg. Each July, the streets are filled with revelers from near and far to take part in a centuries old tradition known as the Dancing of the Giglio. The streets surrounding the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are transformed into a vibrant festival with rides, games, food vendors, and daily entertainment. Special events:
- Thursday, July 11 6:30-8pm: Children’s Giglio Lift
- Sunday, July 14 9am-5pm: Giglio Sunday including 9am parade, 11am mass, 1pm first lift
- Tuesday, July 16 10am: Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Mass
- Wednesday, July 15 7:30pm: Dancing of the Giglio Under the Stars
- Thursday, July 18 6:30-8pm: Children’s Giglio Lift
- Sunday, July 21 2pm: Old Timer’s Giglio Sunday
4. Fort Greene Jazz Festival
Saturday, July 13 | 3-7pm | FREE | Fort Greene Park
Get ready to listen to soulful sounds at the park! The Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival began in July 2010, when musician Eric Frazier realized his long-standing dream to have a jazz festival in his own neighborhood park. It provides live jazz entertainment for families, neighborhoods, communities, and New Yorkers each year.
5. City of Water Day Brooklyn Programs
Saturday, July 13 | Program times vary 9am-5pm | FREE | City-wide including Brooklyn
Now in its 17th year, City of Water Day, is a free region-wide day organized by the Waterfront Alliance, the NY-NJ Harbor and Estuary Program, and other great partners to raise awareness about the dangers we all face from sea level rise and climate change, and to advocate for a climate resilient New York and New Jersey harbor. Brooklyn program locations include Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bushwick Inlet Park, Transmitter Park, Gowanus Canal, Valentino Park, Waterfront Museum, Marine Park, and Coney Island. Find City of Water Day events and details:
6. Flatbush Avenue Street Fair
Sunday, July 14 | 12-6pm | FREE entry | Flatbush
The Flatbush Avenue Street Fair will take place on Flatbush Avenue from Parkside Ave to Cortelyou Road. Join them for plentiful fun, rides, shopping, food, and giveaways!
7. New York Transit Museum Nostalgia Ride to Coney Island
Saturday, July 20 | 10am-5pm | $60 adult, $40 child (ages 0-17) | Upper East Side to Coney Island
Leaving from 96th Street-Second Avenue station in Manhattan, the New York Transit Museum will take their 1930s R-1/9 train vintage cars for a two-hour jaunt to Coney Island. Once they arrive at their seaside destination, you can brave the rides at Luna Park, check out the action on the legendary boardwalk, or nosh on one of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. Visit the Transit Museum’s special exhibit Five Cents to Dreamland: A Trip to Coney Island on display at the Coney Island Museum or enjoy additional rides before heading out. Stay at the beach and make your own way home or join the Transit Museum for a return trip leaving Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue at 4pm and traveling to 96th Street-Second Avenue where the trip will end.
8. One Crown Heights Community Festival
Sunday, July 21 | 12-5pm | FREE | Crown Heights
Come out for performances, gastronomic delights, artisan marketplace, and family activities including roller skating. Brought to you by a dedicated team of volunteers, coalition members, and sponsors, the festival celebrates community, culture, and collaboration! The St. Mark’s Avenue Stage will feature performances from Batala, Laura Melnicoff, Kakande, Aaron Einhorn, and Tropical Fête. Enjoy the Small Wonder Puppet Show at Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s common theater. Partake in neighbor to neighbor community conversations 2-3pm.
9. STooPS Bed-Stuy Summer Festival
Saturday, July 27 | 1-7pm | FREE | Bed-Stuy
STooPS Bed-Stuy is paying homage to the legendary figures and enduring legacies that shape our vibrant community. The event features performances and artistic programs spanning generations and disciplines, art crawls, and block party! Don’t miss this unforgettable fusion of history, art, and community spirit at Bed-Stuy Legends and Legacies!
10. 7th Annual HealthJox Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, July 27 | 12-5pm | FREE | Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2 Basketball Courts
Get ready for a day of fun and fitness! HealthJox will be hosting basketball games, airodart, pickleball, zumba, kids’ games, face painting, balloon twisting, free snacks and drinks. Event partners include BK-Network, NY Liberty, Ladies Who Hoop, The Girl Scouts of America, Couch Ted Gustus, and LisaG. Fun for the whole family!
Bonus event across the river:
Seaport Kids x Music Fest
Saturday, July 6 | 11am-1pm | FREE | The Seaport
Head to Seaport Square on Saturday, July 6th for a day of music and fun with interactive music performances, dance parties, and fun filled activities for the whole family with Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents. On the big stage, Mr Marc will be spinning tunes and bringing the fun with a full schedule of musical performances and dance parties. Baba Yah of BK Music Learning will be leading an interactive Hip Hop workshop and music class for the kiddos. There will also be a giant sandbox, kids activities and refreshments at the Seaport Square. Optional free RSVP for the Fest here.
- 11-11:30 am: Dance party warm-up for all ages
- 11:30am-12:10pm: Interactive Hip Hop workshop and music class with Baba Yah of BK Music Learning
- 12:10-12:25pm: World Music with DJ Mr. Marc
- 12:25-12:35pm: Emily Roebling Song Student Performance
- 12:35-12:45pm: Interactive Family Dance Party for all ages
- 12:45-12.50pm: Hip Hop performances by Raise The Bar students
- 12:50-1pm: Family Dance Contest + Prizes
