On a humid Tuesday night, hundreds of Brooklynites crowded into Williamsburg venue Villain to celebrate a new season of the great work of North Brooklyn Parks Alliance!
Sponsored by North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (NBPA), Greenpoint Landing, Mack Real Estate Group, Steiner Studios, Sugar in the Raw, Two Trees Management Company, and Vice, the night was a huge concert for the benefit of NBPA. A slideshow of highlights from NBPA’s past work played above the bar, featuring photos of “It’s My Park Day”, kids’ events, and volunteering moments that have all enriched our community. The lineup included 22GZ, Akinyemi, Eagle Fly E and the Bedrock Gang, DJ Hu Dat, DJ Heavyness, and Leikeli47. A generous donor gifted 500 free tickets, and the community definitely showed up!
Throughout the event, the crowd danced to the sounds of the local musicians, and learned about the exciting work of NBPA. Said Mercy Tyne, a recent college graduate, “The parks are important to me because it allows me a place to experience nature in the middle of this city. It allows the energy and creativity that pours from the city to settle and mingle with the energy and creativity of nature. Without the parks, a huge part of the city’s heart would die!”
Katie Denny Horowitz, the brand new Executive Director of NBPA, recently joined after a six year stay with Socrates Sculpture Park. Horowitz is excited to bring her artistic eye and fundraising experience to NBPA. Horowitz said, “With this fundraiser, we wanted to be able to celebrate parks during the summertime and raise money to plan ahead for 2020. The goal is to infuse the organization with capacity so we can build programs to start 2020 off strong. The biggest thing coming up is Under the K bridge–we are building and programming that. We’re raising money to invest in parks across the district. We launched new programs this past spring–the jazz programs, It’s My Park Day, we’re doing an air quality study with El Puente around the BQE to make sure it’s safe and breathable. And we featured Brooklyn-based artists for this event!” Considering how successful this fundraiser was, it seems like NBPA is well on its way to infusing the organization with capacity.
For opportunities to get involved with and enjoy North Brooklyn parks, check out the Go Green! Brooklyn calendar of events, sign up for the weekly events newsletter, and follow @gogreenbk on social media.
