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12 Top Brooklyn Things to Do Today, Sunday May 19

Sunday May 19, 2013

 

There are a huge number of fun things to do in Brooklyn this weekend. But as the weather is worse than anticipated, some of them might require boots, umbrellas, and slickers. The list below has been edited to indicate if the event is indoors or outdoors. Rain rain go away!

Sunday (inside)

  1. Special Tour of "Miss Subway" Exhibit, NY Transit Museum, in Brooklyn Heights
  2. Dance Africa! at Brooklyn Academy of Music
  3. Exhibit about Green-Wood Cemetery at Museum of the City of NY (Manhattan)
  4. Henry Miller Festival events in Williamsburg
  5. Battle of Brooklyn exhibit
  6. Art fest at Grace Exhibition Space in Bushwick, evening, free

 

Sunday (outdoors)

  1. BayFest in Sheepshead Bay (noon)
  2. 5th Avenue Street Fair in Park Slope (noon)
  3. Great Googa Mooga Festival in Prospect Park
  4. Marathon Reading of Hart Crain's epic The Bridge in honor of 130 Anniversary of Brooklyn Bridge by 23 poets, Brooklyn Bridge Park
  5. Kings County Fair at  Aviator Sports
  6. Family "Light and Sound" Concert at Old Stone House

Brooklyn Half Marathon Saturday Morning, May 18

Thursday May 16, 2013

The Brooklyn Half Marathon, a 13 mile race that starts at 7 AM on Saturday. Get the route.

It's too late to register for this run, but you can still volunteer.

This Sunday: Special Tour of NY Transit Museum "Miss Subway" Exhibit- Sheds Light on Role of Women, Minorities in Mid-20th Century

Thursday May 16, 2013

Here's a treat...Head to the NY Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn for a special tour of the exhibit on the "Miss Subways" beauty pageant, which ran for over 30 years. The show features photos of some of the same women today, with recordings of their live stories. This retrospective, the brainchild of photographer Fiona Gardner and journalist Amy Zimmer,  is fascinating in that it sheds some light on the evolving role of women in New York City as well as Brooklyn. The "Miss Subway" ads were first designed to promote such products as chewing gum and tobacco. But as early as the 1940s, there was pressure to "integrate" the ads.  According to the museum:

In the 1940s, African-American advocacy groups pressured John Robert Powers, the modeling agent in charge of selecting winners, to integrate the contest, finally succeeding near the end of the decade with Thelma Porter. As the first black Miss Subways, she was celebrated on the cover of Crisis Magazine. Winners' photos and biographies were displayed in trains throughout the city, and the publicity often led to work in radio and television. In 1949, Helen Lee became the first Asian-American winner."

"Miss Subway Poster" Events at the NY Transit Museum (see below for address & directions)

  • Sun, May 19, 2013 2 PM
  • Sat, May 25, 2013 2 PM

Join the exhibit photographer Fiona Gardner on an intimate gallery tour, as she looks beyond the pretty faces and pageant sashes to explore the fascinating changes and challenges that shaped these women.
Free with paid Museum admission ($7 general, $5 kids 2-17 and seniors 62+)

Where it Is:

  • NY Transit Museum is located on the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in a decommissioned subway station
  • Closest subways are the 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall or the A, C, F, R to Jay St-MetroTech.

 

Earth Day Redux: Go GREEN, Brooklyn's Fab Earthday Event, this Saturday (yes, it's a rain date, folks)

Thursday May 16, 2013


Saturday, May 18, 11 AM - 5 PM  (Originally scheduled for May 11)
McCarren Park
This event was a Time Out NY Kids' top 16 ways to celebrate Earth Day 2013.Enjoy  art projects, science exhibits, educational displays, enviro-friendly merchandise, health & wellness tips, kids' activities, live music & performances, and so much more!

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