RED HOOK — Red Hook will be a hotspot for free plays, events, and outdoor film and music festivals this summer, from a free outdoor film fest at Valentino Park to free dance performance in a lawn on Coles Street.
The festivities kick off June 3, with a a Summerstage performance by rapper Ty Dolla $ign at Red Hook Park. The fun continues June 5, with a BBQ and dance party at sites all over the neighborhood with the 21st annual Red Hook Fest, and the locally-based theater troupe the Falconworks Artists Group's free performance of Romeo and Juliet.
Check out some of the events happening this summer:
Dance
The Red Hook Fest (June 5 to June 7)
Dance Theatre Etcetera will present the 21st annual Red Hook Fest with world music, dance and activities, including free kayak rides and a Red Hook trivia contest. The festival, which kicks off June 5 with a barbecue and dance party, will take place at spots throughout the neighborhood from P.S. 15 to Valentino Pier for the main stage performances. Red Hook Fest is free and open to the public.
The schedule for day-to-day activities can be found here.
Common Dances (July 12, rain date: July 13)
Cora Dance, a neighborhood dance school and studio, will premier phase 1 of “Common Dances” this summer, a collection of short works that are performed in common, sometimes unusual, spaces throughout Red Hook like cars, benches, paths and doorways.
Common Dances will be performed at 8 p.m. on the lawn of 14 Coles St. in Red Hook with a picnic potluck. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair to watch the 15 short dances. After the performances, the audience will be asked to share its thoughts and offer suggestions for other “common” places in the neighborhood.
Music
SummerStage in Red Hook (June 3, 4, 5)
The citywide performing arts festival from the City Parks Foundation will kick off at Red Hook Park on June 3. Music lovers can expect performances from Ty Dolla $ign, Mark McGuire, Marissa Nadler, Delicate Steve and Brooklyn hip-hop collective Pro Era with Lyricist Lounge.
For the schedule for performances, click here.
Red Hook Jazz Festival (June 8 and 15)
Red Hook's two-day jazz festival is back for its seventh year at Urban Meadow, located at President and Van Brunt Streets, according to the festival’s Facebook page. Performances are from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on June 8 and 15 with a $10 admissions fee. Kids can enter for free.
For a full lineup of artists, visit the festival’s Facebook page.
Theater
Romeo and Juliet (June 5 to June 15)
A local theater group will turn the spotlight on the rapid gentrification of Red Hook through its performance of “Romeo of Juliet” this summer at 202 Coffey St. Falconworks Artists Group will stage William Shakespeare’s tragic love story with professional and amateur actors. Two high school students will play the parts of “Romeo” and “Juliet”.
Tickets are priced at $25 and can be purchased here.
Art
Large & Small, Kentler International Drawing Space (June 7 to July 20)
Kentler (353 Van Brunt St.) will open its informal summer exhibition “Large & Small,” with selections of drawings and works on paper — called “Flatfiles” — from 19 artists, said Sallie Mize, program’s manager.
The exhibit will open with a reception on June 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Look North, Inuit Art Gallery (All summer)
Look North, an art gallery that focuses on Inuit and Arctic culture at 275 Conover St., will showcase Inuit sculptures and paintings from the community of Cape Dorset in the Canadian Arctic, said gallery owner Jim Clark. The exhibit will remain through the summer.
Second Sundays at Pioneer Works (June 8)
Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation will continue its monthly series of open studios, music and “site-specific interventions” every second Sunday of the month. June 8 will feature live music from Ambrosia Parsley and the Elegant Too at 7 p.m. and Slavic Soul Party at 9 p.m.
For a full lineup of activities for the day, visit this website.
Film
Red Hook Flicks (July 8 to August 26)
Red Hook’s free annual summer film series kicks off July 8 at Valentino Pier, where moviegoers can relax under the stars with views of the waterfront and the Statue of Liberty. Movies will be screened at the pier every Tuesday night until Aug. 26 and Brooklyn bars and restaurants like Hometown BBQ and Red Hook Lobster Pound will be on hand to serve snacks during the evening.
DNAinfo has the full lineup of this year’s films here.
