Lineup of Paramount+ Movie Nights at Prospect Park is announced, and Park Slope celebrates Memorial Day. Plus, Violet Hour Pilates opens a new location.
Plus, jazz, dancing, & gin at a former 1920s speakeasy, a seafood boil, and the return of yoga in Prospect Park.
Presented by:
Here’s what’s happening this week:
Prospect Heights-based Violet Hour Pilates is opening their 2nd location at 327 5th Avenue between 3rd and 4th streets (in the former Good Wine spot). Opening is slated for the beginning of June!
Paramount+ and Prospect Park Alliance have announced their full lineup of free summer movies in Prospect Park: Mean Girls on July 30th, The Smurfs on August 6th, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on August 13th, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade on August 20th, and Miss Congeniality on August 27th. Click here for more info.
Prospect Park Yoga is back! Starting on Thursday, May 29th, Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Flow will present free, outdoor yoga on the Long Meadow weekly at 7 pm. These free, outdoor group yoga classes in a low-pressure, beautiful environment run through August 28th. Get more info & register here.
Pecking House was forced to close their Prospect Heights location due to mandated construction updates that affect their building. To support the restaurant while the team determines the best course of action for their Brooklyn outpost, check out the new menu at their Chinatown location starting May 23rd.
A new waterfront park has opened on the west side of the Gowanus Canal between Degraw and Union Streets. Check out photos of the public space taken by SJ Avery, Co-Chair of Forth on Fourth Ave (FOFA).
Special Feature: Waste Less, Grow More — Get $125 Off Mill for Memorial Day!
Say goodbye to food waste and hello to sustainability with Mill – the innovative food recycler that turns your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich material for plants.
Easy to use, odor-free, and perfect for reducing landfill waste, Mill is a game-changer for eco-conscious households. If you’re looking to make a positive impact, Mill makes composting effortless (empty it monthly!) and rewarding.
For a limited time from today until May 26, you can save $125 when you purchase the Mill food recycler with the ‘Buy now’ option below:
Learn more and purchase your Mill food recycler here
[To get featured here as a Sponsor, email info@parkslopeliving for more info]
Our Top Picks
Events with an asterisk* tend to sell out- reserve tickets early!
Thursday, May 22nd (Today):
Music Production at the Library: Guided Studio Session @ Brooklyn Public Library (Central Branch), 3:30-5:30pm*: Learn to use the recording studio located at the Brooklyn Public Library. Limited to five participants, this workshop opens the doors to the recording studio for intermediate users. With the help of a facilitator, you will be guided step-by-step through a studio session -- setting up a mic and recording vocals, using computer software and a MIDI keyboard, plugging in a guitar, and adding live sounds. This two-hour workshop will be student-run, meaning the only curriculum is to create music together, all while exploring the studio along the way. FREE-registration required.
Friday, May 23rd:
Jazz & Gin: A Speakeasy Soirée @ The Urbane Arts Club (Ditmas Park), 7pm-12am: Enjoy a night of hot jazz, cocktails and dancing at a former 1920s Brooklyn speakeasy, now an elegant art nouveau salon! This monthly event features NYC’s best swing bands and swing DJs, classic burlesque, craft cocktails, and a free dance lesson. Today this gorgeous club is just a 5 min walk from the Beverly Road Q or B subway station— during Prohibition, hooch was smuggled through a tunnel in the basement from the illicit distillery next door! $21.83.
Weekend-long event:
DanceAfrica Bazaar 2025 @ BAM (Sat, May 24th, 12-10pm & Sunday, May 25th and Monday, May 26th, 12-8pm): DanceAfrica’s beloved bazaar returns, featuring more than 150 vendors from around the world, offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion. Celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Africa and its diaspora—and see the streets surrounding BAM transformed into a global marketplace. FREE.
Saturday, May 24th:
Dance Fitness with Shape Up NYC @ The Prospect Park Boathouse, 10-11am: Join Prospect Park Alliance and Shape-up NYC for a dance fitness zumba class at the Boathouse! Zumba is a fusion of Latin, International and popular music dance themes creating a dynamic, exciting, effective fitness system. All levels are welcomed and encouraged. Whether you want to learn some new choreography or need a space to step-touch and sing, this class is for you! FREE.
BAM DanceAfrica Community Class @ Brooklyn Bridge Park, 11am-12pm: BAM DanceAfrica present this fun-filled, free community class! Families deepen their engagement with DanceAfrica in this outdoor workshop, led by BAM teaching artist Dánice Jones, learning rhythms and movement from the African Diaspora. FREE—registration required.
Unheard-of + The Gowanus Dredgers Present: Summoning You Feat. Leila Adu @ The Gowanus Dredgers Bunker, 7:30-10pm*: Electropop, avant-classical singer-songwriter Leila Adu joins Unheard-of to kick off the 2025 Cultural Ecologies season with new and recent arrangements of her music including her Freedom Suite and music from her latest album Moonstone & Tar Sands. Hawai’i-based jazz guitarist, composer, and improvisor Jessica Ackerley opens the performance with a set of her original work. FREE for on-shore reservations.
Sunday, May 25th:
Chef Brock Middleton’s Seafood Boil @ Farm.One, 1pm: Eleven Madison’s Park’s Research & Development Chef, Brock Middleton, heads up this free boil featuring delicious hands-on and twist & pull seafood eats, drinks, and fun. No RSVP required! FREE.
Memorial Day Weekend Open Mic @ Whisk & Whiskey, 6pm: Celebrate the long weekend with a night of drinks, good vibes, and community creativity. Hosted by Morgan Tapp, the evening kicks off with a special acoustic guitar performance by Morgan before the mic is opened up to the community. Sign up early by emailing hello@whiskandwhiskeybklyn.com or hop on during the final open set in the last hour! FREE.
Monday, May 26th:
Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade (Bay Ridge), 11am: This year is the 158th Memorial Day Parade, making it one of the oldest parades in Brooklyn.
The parade kicks off from 78th Street and Third Avenue in Bay Ridge and continues along Third Avenue to Marine Avenue up Fourth Avenue and over to John Paul Jones Park. FREE.
Memorial Day Concert @ Green-Wood, 2-4pm*: Grab a blanket, pack a picnic, and bring your friends to enjoy the 25th year of this beloved tradition that marks the unofficial start of summer. This year, Green-Wood welcomes back the talented musicians of the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street, led by music director Paul Corn and guest conductor Brian P. Worsdale. The concert will feature stirring works that honor those who have served in the armed forces, while also spotlighting music by some of Green-Wood’s own permanent residents, including James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein. FREE—tickets recommended.
Wednesday, May 28th:
2025 Brooklyn Ceramic Arts Tour Kickoff Party @ A.MANO Brooklyn, 6:30-9:30pm*: A.MANO Brooklyn is proud to be hosting this kickoff event for the third year running! Join them for The Light Show: A Celebration of Illuminating Ceramics—a curated group show featuring work by Brooklyn ceramic artists—plus Boleyn Clay Reclaim Ceramics Carnival, drinks, BCAT swag, raffle, community and fun! FREE.
Book ahead for these popular events:
Bike Day @ Prospect Park— Saturday, May 31st, 2-5pm*: This family-friendly, educational afternoon of fun will offer something for everyone, whether you're new to cycling, a delivery worker, a parent, or a seasoned commuter. Enjoy giveaways, conversations around bike infrastructure, cyclist protocol, and safety conversations, free minor bicycle repairs, NYC bicycle maps, delivery worker support & protocol, adult group rides, a children’s learn-to-ride workshop, & more. FREE—advance registration required for some events.
Community Day @ Powerhouse Arts (Gowanus)— Saturday, May 31st, 11am-5pm: Join Powerhouse Arts for a celebration of creativity, connection, and joy—featuring hands-on workshops, art activities, live performances, and more! Meet artists and fabricators and take part in hands-on activities for all ages at this event that takes place across three floors in the Powerhouse Arts purpose-built art-making facility. FREE with RSVP.
Submit an event to be considered for this weekly events roundup!
Did we miss anything? Add in comments below. 👇
Local Business Buzz ✨
On Saturday, May 24th, Pretty Horse will kickoff their 2025 season at the Prospect Park Farmers Market in Grand Army Plaza. Pretty Horse is a fully worker-owned cooperative, and is known for their homemade Kale Chicken Caesar Wraps & Fizzy Lemonade! Yum!
Anastasia Inciardi announced the arrival of her Mini Print Vending Machine at Barclays Center last Saturday, May 17th, which will be available for all NY Liberty home games this season. More prints will be released throughout the season!
Slope Steal of the Week 💰
Burger Mondays @ Greenwood Park: Enjoy a free 16 oz draft beer with the purchase of any burger on Monday nights! Visit Greenwood Park at 555 7th Ave between 19th & 20th streets.
Weekly Way to Give Back 🎗️
Have you met Byron Neal? He’s a a 74-year-old clean and sober homeless shoeshine shoe repair man— from the old school. His friend, Park Slope resident Joshua Waterman, has shared a snippet of his story here:
Since settling into Park Slope 12 years ago, Byron has become a fixture of the neighborhood. Byron mentors and helps to support other homeless neighbors. His positive spirit, sense of community, and unbridled selflessness have earned him the nickname "The Light on the Corner."
If you haven't had the pleasure to meet him, this video should give you an idea of who he is:
I hope you'll go visit him in front of The Shaking Crab, at 5th ave and President St. He's available to shine and repair shoes. and he's raising money to buy a custom shoeshine chair. He hopes to have an unveiling later this summer. Until then, he has a smaller set up that will be out in full force on Saturdays for Open Streets. Thanks for watching! And for donating to/ sharing the GoFundMe.
Thanks for being part of this community!
If you enjoyed this newsletter, like this post so other readers can find it on Substack, or share/gift it to another fellow neighbor who might enjoy this too! A special thanks to subscribers who pay for this publication, or expense it as an educational resource to stay informed about local news, business buzz, community events, and real estate.
Upgrade today to support our work and unlock:
In-depth neighborhood guides: Brunching in the Slope: A Comprehensive Guide, 11 Beautiful Patios for Eating and Drinking in Park Slope & Prospect Heights, and more!
Curated real estate news & listings: including sales & rentals in the neighborhood
Exclusive local stories: including ‘Meet Nasim Alikhani, the James Beard-Nominated Chef’ and ‘Brooklyn Granary & Mill Opens Flour Mill in Gowanus’
Interested in advertising, have a tip, or want to share feedback? Send us an email or reply to the newsletter.