Openings—Slope Comics and Collectibles, Dosa, Panca, & Sweetgreen. Plus, BKCM's Open Stages 2025, Brooklyn Bike Jumble, & Open Streets returns!
Also happening this week— The Other Art Fair, a Cajun & Creole music festival in Red Hook, Mother's Day in the neighborhood, & Molière in the Park!
Here’s what’s happening this week:
Openings— Slope Comics and Collectibles, from the team behind Little Things Toy Store, opened this week at 151 7th Avenue between Carroll St and Garfield Place.
Dosa, from the team behind Lore, is launching their new dosa stand at Smorgasburg this Sunday in Prospect Park! Peruvian restaurant Panca opened in Prospect Heights at 593a Vanderbilt Ave between Dean St & Bergen St. Sweetgreen will open at 78 St Marks Avenue on the corner of Flatbush.
Park Slope Open Streets is back starting this Saturday, May 10th! This year, the program has been expanded to include 3 more blocks—5th Avenue from Union to 4th Street. Expect family-friendly programming and music every Saturday from May to October (excluding August), 2-10pm. Bookmark their website for programming and B63 bus rerouting info!
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music shared on Instagram that they received notice that their National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding is being terminated on the grounds that their grant’s purpose – “to support instrumental music programs for youth” — no longer aligns with the administration’s priorities. To support BKCM, make a donation or attend Open Stages this Saturday (details below in “Our Top Picks”!)
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival has announced their lineup of summer concerts in Prospect Park, which kicks off with an opening benefit concert on June 9th featuring Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe and is followed by a series of 14 free shows [Gothamist].
Three of the bars listed in Lonely Planet’s “10 of the best dive bars in New York City” are in Park Slope & Gowanus! Live your dive bar dreams at Canal Bar in Gowanus and The Gate and Skylark in Park Slope.
Barnes & Noble Park Slope, located at 267 7th Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets, announces they will be closing temporarily for a full renovation of their space. The store will close on July 3rd and is expected to re-open in October.
100% Gluten Free Bakery Sixteen Mill Bakeshop is featured on Condé Nast Traveler’s “The 15 Best Bakeries in NYC” list. Check them out at 552 Union Street between 3rd Avenue and Nevins St.
Getting on an airplane soon? Reminder: as of yesterday, May 7th, New York residents need to show a form of “REAL ID compliant” identification to board a domestic flight or enter a federal building in the US. Check out details on requirements here.
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Open Call for Local Writers & Contributors
Park Slope Pulse is growing, and we’re looking for passionate local contributors to help us tell local stories of people and places to help keep our neighbors connected to where we live.
If you have a unique perspective on what makes our community special, or a story that deserves to be shared (e.g. offbeat, something you wish more people knew about that, or that is not covered anywhere else) - we want to hear from you! This is for people who care deeply about community and want to help us improve local coverage of our neighborhood (Park Slope and surrounding neighborhoods including Gowanus, Prospect Heights, Windsor Terrace).
Why contribute?
We’re a small but growing publication, so while the rate is modest, we offer great exposure and the opportunity to shape a unique local voice:
• Share your voice with an engaged local audience (3.3K Substack subscribers on www.ParkSlopePulse.com - we started less than a year ago and are growing quickly ~200 subscribers/month)
• Get paid for your work ($50–$75 per Substack post)
• Cross-promotion via @parkslopeliving (26K+ followers)
• We’ll link to your Substack or site to grow your own audience
• Build your portfolio and be part of something meaningful as we grow
Interested? Email info@parkslopeliving.com with 2–3 story ideas and 2 writing samples (published or unpublished).
Our Top Picks
Events with an asterisk* tend to sell out- reserve tickets early!
Full Weekend Events:
The Other Art Fair @ ZeroSpace— May 8-11th: Find affordable and original artworks from 120 independent artists along with immersive installations, performances, DJs, and a fully stocked bar at this popular art show in Gowanus. Tickets start at $21.76.
Molière in the Park: The Imaginary Invalid @ LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park—May 8th-25th: While LeFrak Center at Lakeside is closed for the seasonal transition to warm weather fun, don’t miss free theater in the heart of Brooklyn’s Backyard! The Imaginary Invalid, Molière’s last play, was originally written as an immersive Comedy-Ballet where theater, dance and music are intertwined. Molière in the Park’s production will feature a new translation by Lucie Tiberghien, as well as original choreography by FlexN dancer Cal Hunt and music by cellist Jonathan Akuma Moore. The show is roughly 100 minutes with no intermission. FREE— RSVP required.
Swamp in the City: A Cajun & Creole Music Festival @ Strong Rope Brewery & other venues in Red Hook: May 8th-11th: Get ready for four days of great music, delicious food, and vibrant community at the 8th Annual Swamp in the City: A Cajun & Creole Music Festival. Held along the scenic Red Hook waterfront, this festival brings the best of Cajun and Creole culture to Brooklyn, featuring some of the most talented musicians from Louisiana and beyond, plus plenty of opportunities to dance, eat, and celebrate. Tickets start at $30.
Conductor: Art Fair @ Powerhouse Arts, May 8th-11th: Join Powerhouse Arts in welcoming this new incubator for trailblazing galleries and artists powering the future of global art discourse—a platform that does not merely include, but centers, cultural diplomacy in the arts ecosystem. Featuring a curated selection of visionary artists representing Brazil, Nigeria, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Australia, Mexico, the South Asian diaspora, and the Thai and Indonesian diasporas, this preview offers a glimpse into what lies ahead for 2026—an ambitious fair presentation that will amplify the stories of Global Majority artists working at the intersection of tradition and transformation. FREE—RSVP recommended.
Friday, May 9th:
The PROTAGONIST Festival by Eliza Spear: May's Melting Pot of NY Creativity @ Farm.One, 6:30-10pm: Join this celebration of local art featuring Brooklyn's very own crafters and performers. There will be an indoor street fair, performers across all mediums, and then the headlining set of PROTAGONIST. $33.85.
Saturday, May 10th:
Brooklyn Bike Jumble @ Old Stone House, 10am-4pm: Head to Old Stone house for NYC's only bicycle flea market! Buy new and used bicycles, bicycle accessories, bicycle collectibles, clothing and other bicycle treasures. FREE.
Open Stages 2025 @ Brooklyn Conservatory of Music—3-6pm: Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s annual spring festival returns with an afternoon of free live music, dancing and neighborhood fun for all ages, on stoops and street corners all across Park Slope! This year will feature 30+ incredible musical acts, 10+ stages of free outdoor music, and delicious food and drink from local vendors. FREE—RSVP recommended.
Art on Fences @ Bridge over the expressway between Prospect Ave & 17th St, 12-2pm: Join Park Slope 5th Ave BID for Art On the Fences, a community art project open to all. This is the third and final of their public art-making sessions, and they will be installing the art project over the Expressway. The theme is “Brooklyn is My Home.” Supplies and examples will be provided, and then you can create and share your vision! FREE.
Structure Your Novel with Mathangi Subramanian @ The Center for Fiction (VIRTUAL), Saturdays 12:00- 2:00pm from May 10th- June 28th (8 sessions): In this course, try a series of practical techniques for figuring out the sequence of events in your novel. Along the way, you’ll pick up skills like world-building, generating sensory details, honing your narrative voice, and working with flashbacks. This is a highly generative class and a great way to build a writing routine and generate and keep momentum. $495.
Sunday, May 11th:
Make a Paper Flower Bouquet for Mom @ Private Picasso’s (Clinton Hill), 10-11am: Let mom have the day off to do what she wants, while partners & kiddos make the perfect gift for Mother's Day! This class will show you how to create whimsical paper flowers using tissue paper and pipe cleaners. Each student will walk away with a bouquet of paper blooms - perfect for Mother's Day! $30 for one parent & one child.
Wonderland: A Mother's Day Tea Party @ The Urbane Arts Club (Ditmas Park), 1-4pm: Welcome to Wonderland, where the mothers will be mothering and the tea will be piping hot. Bottomless mimosas, drag performances, and afternoon tea menu to boot! Families and friends alike are welcome at a topsy-turvy tea party hosted by the Mad Hatter. Expect live music & performances, flowers available from Fell Flowers, and a buffet brimming with scones, tea sandwiches, and assorted sweets from Tealicious! $55.
Mother’s Day Cake & Sip, 2-3pm: Treat mom (or yourself!) to an afternoon of cake decorating, cocktails, and creativity! Tickets include a 4” cake, buttercream, unlimited colors, tools, aprons, hands-on instruction, and a complimentary cocktail. Email hello@whiskandwhiskeybklyn.com to RSVP. $65/PP.
Wednesday, May 14th:
Climate and Your Closet: Getting Dressed without Overheating the Planet @ Brooklyn Public Library (Central Branch), 6-7:30pm: How do our wardrobes affect the health of our world? How can we create a climate-friendly, worker-friendly clothing industry? Join Rachel Ceruti, community director of FabScrap, and Sammy Cousino, a community organizer with ReMake, to understand clothing’s contribution to the climate crisis and learn how we can refashion fashion. FREE—registration required.
Collage & Junk Journaling for adults @ Bond Craft Studio (Gowanus), 7-9pm: Looking for a fun, hands-on way to unwind and get inspired? Join Bond Craft Studio for an evening of collaging and junk journaling—the perfect chance to slow down, tap into your creativity, and make something totally unique. Whether you’re a seasoned scrapbooker or just looking to try something new, this workshop is all about playful creativity and personal expression. $30.
In the Mood for Love @ Fort Greene Park, 7pm: Presented by Rooftop Films in partnership with the Fort Greene Park Conservancy as part of the Chinese and Spanish Language Film Series, this film is set in Hong Kong in 1962 and centers on two neighbors who form a quiet bond after suspecting their spouses are having an affair. The lawn opens at 7 and the movie starts at 8:30pm! FREE w/ RSVP.
Book ahead for these popular events:
Park Slope Sustainable House Tour: May 18th, 11am-3pm*: Hosted by the Park Slope Civic Council, The Annual House Tour began in 1959 and last year, for the first time, focused on next-generation sustainable technology. This year, they have an array of homes lined up that are both beautiful and environmentally friendly. See how Park Slopers upgrade their homes with innovating & sustainable technologies, including solar energy, heat pumps, and eco-friendly appliances. Proceeds from the House Tour support grants to up and coming neighborhood arts and cultural organizations. $50.
Knowing and Growing Roses @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Two Thursdays: May 22 and May 29, 5–7:30 p.m: Learn about the history of a wide variety of rose types and classifications and how to select the best roses for your garden. In the second session the class will tour the Cranford Rose Garden and learn practical tips on how to successfully grow and care for roses. $120/$108 members.
✨Local Business Buzz ✨
$30 Mother’s Day Pancake Bundles are available @ Brooklyn Granary & Mill: Create a special pancake brunch for the special mother(s) in your life. This pancake mix is a blend of spelt and Wapsie Valley corn flours and has everything you need to make pancakes at home: complete with corn and spelt pancake mix, 6 organic eggs, Ronnybrook buttermilk, HighLawn butter, and New York State organic maple syrup. Pancake mix makes about 24 pancakes. Order online & pick up at the mill on Friday, May 9 between 3 and 6:30pm.
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6/15 Green Spring Festival on today Saturday: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJeVGCetF2w/?igsh=MWJ3a3JrZmdoMTF6cA==
Lots of fun for the family!