Culture
Cultural stories and events in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Local phone-first series gets a big-screen showing at Alza Festival
Sunset Park filmmaker Astrid Mendoza’s vertical comedy Opportunists screened at Alza Festival after filming around the neighborhood.
Flags and mariachi mark the close of Hispanic Heritage Month
Flags, mariachi music and stories of belonging filled Sunset Park’s United Senior Center during its Hispanic Heritage celebration.
Exhibition brings Sunset Park’s history and people into focus
Sunset Park Through the Lens brings neighborhood history, portraits and community memory to MADE Bush Terminal through Oct. 31.
Neighbors help shape a billboard art residency
Sunset Park neighbors are helping shape Sky Public, a proposed artist residency that would give an unused BQE billboard a new role.
Open Studios returns to connect artists and audiences across the neighborhood
Open Studios returns Oct. 16–18 across 20+ Sunset Park locations, with 300+ artists, makers and creative spaces.
Feline troubles: Local filmmakers chronicle city’s cat crisis
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Eighth Avenue fills with floats, hanfu and lion dances
Eighth Avenue hosted Brooklyn’s third Mid-Autumn float parade and Asian cultural festival, with performances and more than 20 community groups.
Shuyao Huang’s solo show explored perception and change
Shuyao Huang’s Art Cake exhibition “Still Becoming” explored repetition, perception and how meaning changes over time.
Sumner Crane’s quiet years in Sunset Park
No wave artist Sumner Crane spent his final dozen years in Sunset Park, where many neighbors better knew his wife, teacher Susan Lehman.
Mamdani is first NYC mayor to march in local Mexican Independence Day parade
Mayor Zohran Mamdani becomes the first sitting NYC mayor to march in Sunset Park’s Mexican Independence Day Parade, joining a celebration of the neighborhood’s
Spirits, psychics and supernatural fun at Barrow’s Intense
Spirited Away at Barrow’s Intense brought psychics, tarot readers and curious guests together for an evening of supernatural-themed entertainment in Industry Ci
Bioartists turn marine viruses and food waste into art
A Genspace bioart exhibit turns marine viruses, food waste and biomaterials into artworks in Long Island City.
New Eighth Avenue arts festival builds bridges across cultures
The first Double Happiness Art Festival brought art, erhu, electronic music and cross-cultural exchange to Sunset Park’s Eighth Avenue.
Table tennis brings Sunset Park’s Chinese immigrants together
At a Sunset Park clubhouse, table tennis helps Chinese immigrants exercise, make friends and build a daily sense of community.
Sri Sri Gour Nitai Mandir, a temple tucked under the BQE
Under the BQE, a Sunset Park Hindu temple offers worship, food and community to Bangladeshi families who gather every other Saturday.
Neighbors bring new 54th Street mural to life
More than 100 neighbors helped paint a new 54th Street mural shaped by community input and a design rooted in the 1980s.
Sunset Park painter finds calm in color and nature
Sunset Park painter Jo-Ann M. Acey reflects on nature, teaching and the creative process behind decades of work.
Beast of Borikén brings Puerto Rican history and resistance to UPROSE
At UPROSE, Julio Anta discusses Beast of Borikén, Puerto Rican history and resistance with activists and Sunset Park neighbors.
Fourth Avenue fixture keeps South Asian staples close
Patel Grocery has served Sunset Park since 1983, adapting to demographic shifts, delivery demand and rising import costs.
Running with the “dead homies” around Green-Wood
Sole Run Club brings neighbors together for weekly runs around Green-Wood Cemetery, followed by coffee and community at Sole Cafe.
Local writer challenges beauty standards in “Ugly”
Sunset Park writer Stephanie Fairyington discusses “Ugly,” her book on queerness, beauty standards, motherhood and belonging.
Chinese dancers find fitness and friendship at the park
Chinese dancers in Sunset Park gather morning and night for exercise, friendship and a tradition passed down through generations.
Six Sunset Park artists join waterfront exhibition
Two exhibitions at MADE Bush Terminal spotlight Mitsuko Brooks’s mail art and work by six Sunset Park artists.
Stoops, Sirens and Stickball: Art exhibition shares Sunset Park history
An Industry City exhibition uses art and neighborhood memories to share decades of Sunset Park history with longtime and newer residents.
Neighbors mark 250 years with celebration and concern
Sunset Park residents discuss July 4 traditions, neighborhood concerns and birthright citizenship during the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Latin Flavors brings music, food and community to BAT
Latin Flavors and Culture brought music, food, dance, local vendors and families to the Brooklyn Army Terminal waterfront.
Explore nature in the city with artist Jessica Dalrymple
Eco-artist Jessica Dalrymple leads free Mindful Nature Journaling Hikes across New York City, blending art, meditation and urban nature.
Americana, soul rock and bilingual punk fill Mama Tried
Brooklyn band St. Divine celebrated the release of its debut full-length album, The Devil You Know, with a July 2 performance at Mama Tried, 787 Third Ave.
Kate Milford on magic and mental health in her new book, Rialto
Bay Ridge author Kate Milford discusses the magic, mental health themes and Brooklyn inspirations behind her new middle-grade novel, Rialto.
LGBTQ+ teens find community at Industry City
LGBTQ+ teens and their allies marked five years of Youth Pride with performances, games, friendship and self-expression at Industry City.
Green-Wood marks Juneteenth with tour of Black history
A Juneteenth tour at Green-Wood explored the lives of prominent Black New Yorkers and the history of the Freedom Lots.
A Brooklyn backyard gave rise to the Punta and Paranda Festival
The Punta and Paranda Festival brings Garifuna music and culture to Sunset Park while connecting New York’s Central American diaspora.
Sunset Park author Maritza Arrastia imagines a progressive future in Grito 2048
Sunset Park author Maritza Arrastia discusses Grito 2048, a novel imagining global resistance, cooperation and a more humane future.
Amid ICE fears, neighbors find a safe place to gather
NYIC’s Key to the City fair brought free resources, art, and salsa dancing to Sunset Park amid fears over immigration enforcement.
Social media dining trend reveals a deeper local tradition
Three Sunset Park shops show how Fuzhou fish balls carry regional flavor, family history and immigrant roots on Eighth Avenue.
Bay Ridge artist turns Brooklyn history and family memory into immersive exhibit
Mr. Kaves blends Brooklyn history, graffiti, hip-hop and family memory in the immersive Brooklyn Pop exhibit at Industry City.
Toward a Sentence runs through June 16 at NARS Foundation
Toward a Sentence brings 13 international residency artists to NARS Foundation in Sunset Park for a group exhibition on connection, language, and the body.
Puerto Rican pride takes over Fifth Avenue this weekend
Sunset Park’s Puerto Rican Parade celebrates culture, rights and a long community fight to claim space in the neighborhood.
Novelist connects Last Night in Brooklyn to neighborhood change
Xochitl Gonzalez discusses Olga Dies Dreaming, Last Night In Brooklyn, Sunset Park memories and how gentrification reshapes homes, schools and traditions.
Textile exhibit celebrates the art and history of immigrant women
A CPC textile exhibit showcases work by 12 immigrant women whose art reflects family, migration, labor and joy.
Sunset Park High School clothing drive gives formalwear a second life
Sunset Park High School’s Prom Corner helps students find donated formalwear for prom, interviews and other milestones.
Families celebrate culture and community at BBA event
BBA hosts an early May celebration for AAPI Heritage Month and Mother’s Day with crafts, performances and community groups.
BAT Clay Studio founder combines ceramics with sustainability
BAT Clay Studio founder Meg Metzger is bringing ceramicists and mosaic makers together to explore waste, permanence and reuse.
P.S. 094 students follow the yellow brick road
Third to fifth graders at P.S. 094 performed The Wizard of Oz, with singing, student backstage work and Chinese fan dance.
Elena Schwolsky’s new novel explores motherhood and activism
Sunset Park writer Elena Schwolsky’s new novel, Thursday’s Child, explores motherhood, activism and the personal cost of political ideals.
Rupture and renewal in Alexander Haber’s ‘From Fracture to Form’
Alexander Haber’s From Fracture to Form explores fragmentation, identity and transformation at bkONE’s Tom Kane Theatre.
Mother’s Day celebration gives older adults a chance to shine
United Senior Citizen Center celebrated Mother’s Day with a fashion show, prizes and a runway built around confidence and community.
Muralists bring Sunset Park’s stories to a harbor wall
Sunset Park artists Yukiko Izumi and Ji Yong Kim completed a large waterfront mural at MADE Bush Terminal celebrating workers and community.
Sunset Park parade marks Mexican roots and resilience
Sunset Park residents and organizers reflect on Cinco de Mayo’s roots, commercialization and the battle to preserve its meaning.
Fifth annual independent comics convention held at Industry City
Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase returned to Industry City for its fifth year with artists, classes, panels and local comics.
Sui Park and Jacob Hicks bring sculpture and painting to MADE Bush Terminal
A two-person ChaShaMa exhibition at MADE Bush Terminal brings Sui Park’s sculptures and Jacob Hicks’ paintings into a twilight world.
Moms in the neighborhood talk about family, work and rest
Four Sunset Park mothers talk about family, work, community and how they hope to celebrate Mother’s Day.
After more than a decade, the Green-House welcomes visitors
Green-Wood’s restored 1895 greenhouse opens as a visitor center for exhibits, classes, research and public programs.
Science fiction, fantasy, and horror, oh my!
Brooklyn Books & Booze brings sci-fi, fantasy and horror writers to Barrow’s Intense in Industry City each month.
UPROSE and viBe Theater bring women artists together in Sunset Park
UPROSE and viBe Theater brought women artists and activists together in Sunset Park for a night of spoken word, music, and community.
“We will not be forgotten”: a multidimensional experience by Richard Masters
Richard Masters’ HUMANSCAPE at NARS pairs large-scale portraits with intimate stories in a show that explores empathy, visibility and connection.
Rooftop peanut-eating contest turns snacks into sculpture material
A Sunset Park peanut-eating contest crowned a winner and gathered 2.5 pounds of shells for artist Carolina Chou’s biomaterial sculptures.
A common language: immigrant women perform their stories
A Sunset Park performance brought immigrant women’s stories of loss, humor and resilience to the stage through a theater and English workshop.
Easter carnival highlights mental health and youth leadership
At PCR’s 10th Easter carnival, families celebrated spring while organizers highlighted mental health awareness and upcoming youth leadership programs.
Maqam Studio brings Middle Eastern music to New York
A Sunset Park studio brings maqam musicians and listeners together through intimate performances, poetry and a shared sense of belonging.
Local elementary students perform Disney classic
P.S. 24 fourth- and fifth-grade students will present Disney’s The Lion King KIDS on March 25 and 26.
Grant program backs grassroots ideas as demand for anti-bias funding rises
A city anti-hate grant will help Homecrest Community Services bring Chinese American teens and immigrant elders together for a documentary project.
As gathering places shrink, some find community through screens
From Reddit to Pokémon Go, Sunset Park residents are using digital tools to build real-world connections and create new community spaces.
New TMT production turns Jean Genet into a challenge for its audience
A new Target Margin production in Sunset Park uses Jean Genet, provocation, and spectacle to leave audiences with a challenge after the curtain falls.
BRACE’s New Year and lantern celebration features floats, lion dances, and crafts
BRACE hosted the 3rd Annual Brooklyn Lunar New Year & Lantern Street Festival, bringing floats, lion dances, and Year of the Horse celebrations to Eighth Avenue
Local pub celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a week’s worth of events
Irish Haven in Sunset Park hosts St. Patrick’s Day events March 12–22, plus an all-day celebration March 17 and parade-day plans March 22.
Electeds join community at Eighth Avenue banquet hall to welcome Year of the Horse
Homecrest Community Services recently held a Lunar New Year celebration at an Eighth Avenue banquet hall in Sunset Park, bringing together community partners and multiple elected officials to share warmth and care with o
As comics shop closes, Sunset Park asks where to buy books
Galaxy Comics will close its Bay Ridge shop March 1, narrowing places to buy books and comics near Sunset Park as locals look for alternatives.
Free screening of Emergent City at CB7 on March 4
Kelly Anderson’s Emergent City follows Sunset Park’s seven-year fight over Industry City’s rezoning. Free screening March 4 at CB7.
Art Deco catalog imagery and “windows into vitality” at 434 39th Street
Joe Bertino’s Thaw Pieces brings 18 minimalist collages to Thomas VanDyke Gallery in Sunset Park, March 12–22, with events March 14 and 22.
Exhibition celebrates NARS Foundation’s international art residency
NARS Foundation’s “Lick Dirt, Kiss Bone” brings 13 international artists to Sunset Park, opening Feb. 27 with work shaped by memory and place.
Residents of 54th Street rally to replace 25-year-old mural
54th Street neighbors are raising funds to replace the 2001 Citibank-side mural at Fifth Avenue, with a March 6 fundraiser at Sunset Stoop.
Seeing with the mind and heart: Patrick Bringley on life after All the Beauty in the World
After loss reshaped his life, Sunset Park author Patrick Bringley found solace at the Met, then turned a decade as a guard into a bestselling memoir.
Turkish family welcomed at Chinese American community arts center
A snowy Saturday at Rainbow House in Sunset Park, where kids paint Lunar New Year wishes and families describe how the center builds community.
Sunset Park shops stock up on red couplets, prints, and zodiac décor
Sunset Park’s Eighth Avenue is gearing up for the 2026 Year of the Horse, with shops selling New Year décor and restaurants taking early orders for pen cai and
Magazine creates space for spirituality outside of religion through literature
Sunset Park editor Samuel Rutter co-runs Kismet, a literary journal exploring spirituality beyond religion. His wife, Kendall Storey, leads Catapult.
United Volunteers for the Community marks ninth Three Kings Day anniversary
United Volunteers for the Community marked its ninth Three Kings Day celebration in Sunset Park, with toys and rosca for about 400 children.
Lions Club hosts Magi visit at OLPH
Sunset Park Lions Club’s Three Kings Day celebration at Our Lady of Perpetual Help brought gifts, tradition, and resource tables for families.
Queer Comedy for Gaza holds New Year premiere in Sunset Park
Queer Comedy for Gaza debuted in Sunset Park at Sunset Stoop, raising $471 on a chilly January night.
Mamdani visits Mixteca for Three Kings Day celebration
Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Mixteca’s Three Kings Day celebration in Sunset Park, highlighting immigrant services and new City Hall priorities.
Rec Center construction leaves void in community
Sunset Park’s rec center has been closed since September 2023. Residents say the long renovation leaves few places to gather, exercise, and swim.
Local nonprofit dance studio celebrates 40th
Young Dancers in Repertory marks 40 years in Sunset Park, balancing professional training with access, and opening winter classes with free trials for ages 3-14
After Christmas, local bakeries brace for Día de Reyes
In Sunset Park, bakeries prep for Día de Reyes with rosca traditions, rising prices and customers watching their budgets.
Ras(Putin) reexamines Putin’s rise to power through queer lens
A Sunset Park actor’s debut play imagines Rasputin surviving history and falling for a young Putin, onstage at Teatro LATEA Jan. 12, 14 and 17.
Mushroom mysticism emerges at Target Margin
The Mushroom, a micro-view forest-floor pageant by Normandy Sherwood and Nikki Calonge, plays at Target Margin Theater Jan. 8-11.
Target Margin and CFL put on show made by local kids
Local students created and performed BOOM!, a bilingual show made with Target Margin and CFL, staged at PS1 and Target Margin’s 52nd Street space.
Christmas celebration brings Latino and Chinese seniors together
A Christmas celebration at United Senior Center of Sunset Park brought Latino and Chinese seniors together for music, dancing and community.
La Conexión carries on salsa legacy in Sunset Park
La Conexión, founded by Tania Veloz and Mike Rodriguez, keeps Sunset Park’s salsa tradition alive with classes, socials, and workshops.
Artists showcase Green-Wood Cemetery’s Monk Parakeets
Artists Shanzhai Lyric wrap a Green-Wood residency on the cemetery’s monk parakeets, exploring imitation, language, and migration.
Baltic Street Wellness hosts “V.I.B.E.” jazz night to support mental health equity
V.I.B.E. jazz night at Isaac Brown Center brings Baltic Street Wellness Solutions’ mental health equity mission to life in Industry City.
Latino holiday traditions fill Sunset Park’s shops and homes
How the Hispanic communities of Sunset Park experience Christmas through family gatherings, local businesses, barbershops and neighborhood restaurants.
United Senior Center holds 12th annual dominoes tournament
At the United Senior Center, the 12th annual dominoes tournament brings fierce competition, laughter and relief after the center’s lease is renewed.
Sunset Park dance company debuts first evening-length performance
Sunset Park roommates Alyssa Myers and Aurora Vaughan turn living-room rehearsals and long talks at Judy's into a full dance company and new Brooklyn premiere.
Library hosts intergenerational conversation
A community conversation at Sunset Park Library brought generations together to share values, build connection, and reflect on what legacy means.
Regina Opera opens 56th season with La Bohème
Regina Opera celebrates more than 50 years of community opera, training performers and staging classics like La Bohème and Carmen in Sunset Park.
Street vendors find community support, but face tough city regulations
A look at Sunset Park’s vibrant street vending scene, the challenges created by city rules, and the strong community support for local vendors.
Haunted hotel and macabre museum welcome kids on 45th Street
Two families on 45th Street in Sunset Park turn Halloween into an annual spectacle, building homemade worlds that light up the neighborhood.
Sunset Park-based artists welcome visitors into their workspaces during October’s Open Studios
Sunset Park artists opened their studios for a fall weekend of visits, conversation and work-in-progress, from graffiti to embroidered animal sculpture.
Art show featuring work from BWAC fire continues this weekend in Sunset Park
"Every Piece Has Its Story" at Industry City showcases Sunset Park artists and works recovered from the BWAC fire. Open Oct. 24–26.
OLPH priest honored for lifetime of service
OLPH community honors Father Ruskin Piedra, whose decades of service and immigration advocacy shaped countless lives.
Nutrition Class offered at Mixteca through November
Spanish-language class at Mixteca teaches parents how to prepare healthy, affordable meals and earn a Cornell certificate.
Yikes, Halloween deadline for CB7 student art contest
K–12 students in CB7 are invited to submit artwork on “How I See My Community.” Drop off at 4201 Fourth Ave, Oct 1–30, weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunset Park producer’s "Life After" to air Nov 3 on PBS
Sunset Park producer Colleen Cassingham’s Life After premieres Nov. 3 on PBS, examining assisted dying, disability, and the politics of care.
Family, art, and cachitos in Sunset Park: Six years of Liebre Café
A warm portrait of Café Liebre in Sunset Park at its six-year mark—family-run by Patricia and Hermann Mejía, fueled by cachitos, local art, and a room full of r
Mid-Autumn Festival keeps Chinese culture thriving in Sunset Park
Sunset Park’s Chinese community marked the Mid-Autumn Festival with parades, mooncakes, and family events that keep cultural traditions thriving.
Marka27’s Indigenous Flow celebrates heritage with a modern edge
Boston-based artist Marka27 brings his Neo-Indigenous murals to Sunset Park, fusing ancestral roots with modern graffiti and community empowerment.
Cannibals, not deer and sci-fi horror: “A Good Reason to Be Afraid” opens at the Tom Kane Theater
BrooklynONE’s new horror play, opening Oct. 9 at Industry City, weaves three chilling tales around a campfire in A Good Reason to Be Afraid.
Taina Asili brings Fever Pitch to UPROSE in celebration of Climate Justice Week
Singer and activist Taina Asili closed her 155-mile Fever Pitch Pilgrimage with a powerful performance at UPROSE, celebrating intergenerational climate justice.
Sunset Park Open Studios: Art for all!
Sunset Park Open Studios returns Oct. 17–19 with 350+ artists at 25+ sites. Discover studios, community art, and workshops across the neighborhood.
Local artist explores nostalgia with new show at 39th Street gallery
Sunset Park artist Friese Undine’s show “The Living Museum of the Golden Age” opens Oct. 11 at Thomas VanDyke Gallery, exploring nostalgia past and present.
Mental health and financial independence meet at Mixteca’s 25th anniversary
Sobremesa members curated a botana corner at Mixteca’s 25th anniversary, blending mental health support with catering and future business plans.
Homecrest’s Sunset Park branch turns one
Homecrest’s Sunset Park branch marked one year with ice cream, moon cakes, and community services, while helping thousands of residents at 901 60th St.
Local writer pens book on Mamdani campaign, “Run Zohran Run!,” from Sunset Park POV
Theodore Hamm’s “Run Zohran Run!” shows how Mamdani fought off attacks, drew strength from Sunset Park, and made democratic socialism feel normal in New York.
Long separations and reunions: the challenges and healing of satellite babies
Satellite babies face distance from parents and challenges at school after years apart in China. Community groups stress healing through family support.
Sunset Park celebrates Mexican Independence with parade on Fifth Ave and festival at BAT Ferry Plaza
Parade and BAT Ferry Plaza festival pack Sunset Park with Chinelos, music, food and a tribute to sailors from the Cuauhtémoc.
Dialogue, identity, and DIY theatre: A conversation with playwright Stephen Gracia
Playwright Stephen Gracia on identity, punk aesthetics, DIY performance, and D3C’s 15th season at the Tom Kane Theatre in Industry City.
“I signed the lease!” United Senior Center reopens
United reopens, bringing classes, meals, and community to Sunset Park older adults.
Kid album ‘Carry On’ celebrates a friendship with a backpack
Sunset Park’s Benjamin Weiner and Princess Backpack release “Carry On” Aug. 22 and celebrate with a Sept. 14 show at Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn.
Borough president urges Sunset Park to bring its creative spark to Brooklyn pin contest
Reynoso invites Sunset Park artists and students to design the 2026 Brooklyn pin, unveiled at his annual State of the Borough address.
Brooklyn Shakespeare Festival returns to Industry City with Measure for Measure and local arts market
Brooklyn Shakespeare Festival at Industry City blends Measure for Measure, improv, and a vibrant market in South Brooklyn’s arts hub.
Garden of Shared Heritage blooms at BCS Education Center
Adult ESL students and artist Viktoriya Basina create a mural inspired by animals and plants from their home countries.
Sunset Park handball players want repairs, not pickleball
Veteran players call Sunset Park’s handball court a community gem—but say poor repairs and a push for pickleball risk driving the game out.
At Mixteca, community care takes many forms
Mixteca offers legal aid, mental health, and community support to Latinx immigrants in Sunset Park, despite growing political pressure.
Local Entrepreneur Brews Dreams into Reality at Sole Cafe
Sole Café brings specialty coffee, pastries, and community spirit to Sunset Park, blending old‑school roots with a fresh neighborhood vibe.
BCA celebrates its Dyker Heights Senior Center, reflects on growth and challenges
Brooklyn Chinese-American Association celebrates Dyker Heights Senior Center's 2nd year, highlighting community growth, evolving challenges, and ongoing support
Public Theater's Mobile Unit Returns to Sunset Park with Free Outdoor Shakespeare
The Public Theater brings Much Ado About Nothing to Sunset Park, blending comedy, bubbles, and community in a free outdoor performance.
“No place to go”: Neighborhood’s largest senior center faces eviction
Sunset Park’s United Senior Center, serving thousands monthly, celebrates Father’s Day while facing imminent closure over steep rent hike.
Sunset Park Celebrates Puerto Rican Pride with 9th Annual Parade
The 9th Annual Sunset Park Puerto Rican Day Parade brought music, pride, and community spirit to 5th Avenue in a joyful celebration hosted by El Grito.
Local moviemaker finds her wings
Filmmaker Heather von Rohr on motherhood, birdwatching, neurodiversity, and her return to directing with a new feature set in NYC's green spaces.
Off-leash hours bring pups and people together
Discover how Sunset Park's early morning off-leash hours bring together playful pups and their owners, building community and offering rare open space for dogs.
Tamaleros Fuel Our Days and Their Dreams
Tamaleros in Sunset Park serve up tradition and entrepreneurship, bringing authentic tamales to morning commuters while building their own dreams.