Poetry and Parades: 8 things to do in Brooklyn this weekend

June 20, 2019 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

It's summer in Brooklyn, and the possibilities are endless. Photo by Paul Frangipane

See a play (but on a boat)

Lehigh Valley Barge #79 is a Red Hook waterfront icon. Photo by Frank Zimmerman

The Brave New World troupe first made a big splash by performing “To Kill a Mockingbird” on the front porches of Victorian Flatbush houses. They’ll know how to make great use of this century-old railroad barge, which a visionary performer named David Sharps turned into a showboat and floating museum. The barge is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its presence in Red Hook, by the way. — Lore Croghan

Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. at 290 Conover St. $25. More info here.

Go dancing (but on a boat)

What better place to dance? Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

Saturday’s forecast is slated to be beautiful. Dance the evening away with iconic New York house DJ Kenny Dope, who will be performing on a boat that will be traveling around the Statue of Liberty and under the East River bridges. — Scott Enman

Saturday from 6 p.m. to midnight on the East River. $45. More info here.

Get verse-ical (not on a boat)

Come visit Berl's Poetry Shop in DUMBO. Eagle photo by Sara Bosworth — Come visit Berl’s Brooklyn Poetry Shop in DUMBO. Eagle photo by Sara Bosworth

Friday night poetry! Want to get drunk and hear Romanian poets read their work to you on the cobble stone streets in Dumbo? Idyllic. Show up at 7 p.m. and grab some pizza at Front Street Pizza beforehand. — Noah Goldberg

Friday from 7-9 p.m. at 141 Front St. Free. More info here.

Grow a tail (also not on a boat)

Dance with the mermaids. Eagle file photo by Paul Frangipane

In a borough with more than its fair share of exotic, quirky and kitschy parades, Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade still takes the funnel cake. Thousands head to the People’s Playground to release their inner freak. When they get tired of the crowds, the beach, boardwalk and roller coasters await. Pro-tip: When hunger strikes, skip the line at Nathan’s and hit the Peruvian shack on Bowery Street between West 12th Street and Stillwell Avenue. — Ned Berke

Saturday at 1 p.m. at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue. Free. More info here.

Don a cape (no more boats)

These guys will probably be there — and they look super fun. Photo by Al Powers/Invision/AP, File

Grab your capes and head to Hecksher Community Garden on Scholes Street on Saturday for a totally free superhero festival. All of your favorite DC and Marvel superheroes, anime all-stars and video game characters will be there (for free), from Batman and Wonder Woman to the Avengers, Wolverine, Mega Man and more. All are welcome. And did I mention admission is free? — Meaghan McGoldrick

Saturday from 2-6 p.m. at 134 Scholes St. FREE. More info here.

Drag a net through the East River (and see what comes up)

No, this is not the East River. But you can do this in the East River if you so please! AP Photo/Wayne Parry

Did you know that you can seine (drag a huge net through the water and then pull it back up) in the East River? I didn’t — I didn’t know what seining was at all — but now we both do. Brooklyn Bridge Park teaches you how to do it for free (in a humane, catch-and-release way), the point being to learn about all the cute and creepy things living in the Hudson River Estuary. Thrilling. — Sara Bosworth

Saturday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Pier 4 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Free. More info here.

Laugh till you cry (while you eat)

Celebrating pride on a budget this year? Head to Williamsburg for a LGBTQ+ comedy show featuring comedians, musical performances, and drag performers. Plus there’s free burgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers on the patio. If you’re feeling generous they’re also raising money for Immigration Equality, an LGBTQ+ immigrant rights charity. — Jeffery Harrell

Friday from 7-9 p.m. at 709 Lorimer St. Free. More info here.

Get smarter (outside)

Could there be a more beautiful place for thinking? Eagle photo by Sara Bosworth

Brooklyn Public Library and Prospect Park Alliance are hosting University Open Air, where immigrant teachers and professors teach at an outdoor pop-up university in the park’s former Rose Garden. Classes on Saturday include graffiti mutation, Taiwanese poetry, intersex activism, transhumanism and more. — Mary Frost

Saturday from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Rose Garden in Prospect Park. Free. More info here.

It’s summer in Brooklyn, people. The possibilities are endless. If none of these float your boat (sorry, we’re back on the boats again), why don’t you take a summer stroll around Sheepshead Bay on Sunday and see how fast you can eat a hero?

Or see some live music at the Flatbush Triangle Friday night?

And if you’re sick of hanging out on top of meadows, why not trying hanging out underneath one, instead? Liqueur company St. Germain is hanging 1,000 handpicked elderflowers from the rafters of an old rope factory in Greenpoint this weekend, creating a massive 12-ton floating pasture. It’ll be on display all weekend — plus, alcohol.

Report back and let us know how it goes.