Kristen's Brooklyn, NY Blog

If you're a fan of BBQ, or music, or Brooklyn-brewed beer, then you'll most likely be a fan of the annual Brooklyn Pigfest, which is slated this year for Saturday, May 31.

The Pigfest is an afternoon party sponsored by the Brooklyn Brewery. For $85, you'll be able to feast on delicious food and drink for 5 hours. Best of all, the event is a fundraiser for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, so you can enjoy yourself while your dollars go to a good cause.

Interested? Buy your tickets here.

Brooklyn Pigfest
Saturday, May 31
1pm to 6pm
Tobacco Warehouse
Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in DUMBO
(718) 802-0603 x12

The New York Photo Festival, which is billing itself as the first international photo festival in the United States, will make its debut in Brooklyn this week. The festival, a celebration of contemporary photography, will include curated exhibitions, seminars, slide shows, book signings, photographic workshops, live performances and events, and a gallery row.

Organizers are hoping to bring in thousands of photo-loving visitors from throughout the world. The five-day long festival will take place in DUMBO, at various locations in the neighborhood.

I love getting a peek inside other Brooklynites' homes, so it's not suprising that I've been sucked in by Kitchen Invasion, a Brooklyn-based site that launched last November. The site's premise? Brooklyn locals host various cooking shows from the comfort of their own home kitchens.

It's a fun concept that seems to be sweeping through kitchens throughout the borough. Hit the site to learn how to make everything from salsa to a mean macaroni and cheese dish. Get tips on tortilla soup-making from a woman named Holly in Bed-Stuy, or watch as a man named Walter whips up chicken stew in his Sunset Park kitchen.
Brooklyn's cooking! I like it.

Photo by Phil_G

• Brooklyn Heights House Tour
  Take a self-guided tour of some of Brooklyn Heights' oldest and most historic homes. The annual Brooklyn Landmarks House and Garden Tour costs $30 and includes pastries served at the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims on Orange Street.
  Saturday, 1pm to 5pm
  Tour begins at St.Ann's School Lobby, 129 Pierrepont Street (on the corner of Clinton Street)
  (718) 858-9193
  
  
• Moonlight Ride through Prospect Park
  Go on a free guided tour of the park and see its wonders in the dark. Bring your own bike or rollerblades.
  Saturday, 9pm
  Meet at Grand Army Plaza.
  (212) 802-8222
  
  
• BKLYN DESIGNS 2008
  Check out the latest in home furnishings, lighting, and more. All products are made and/or designed in Brooklyn.
  10am to 8pm on Friday; 10am to 7pm on Saturday; 11am to 6pm on Sunday
  4 Locations in DUMBO:
  Dumbo Arts Center, 30 Washington Street
  Smack Mellon, 92 Plymouth Street
  St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street
  Tobacco Warehouse in Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, 26 New Dock Street
  (718) 243-1414
  

Photo by Kristen Goode

Want to try a taste of Brooklyn while sipping Long Island on the side?

You can do just that at this year's "Brooklyn Uncorked" event, a 4-hour food and beverage feast that will include local craft beers, cheese from Stinky Bklyn, a complete selection of fine Long Island wines, and goods from favorite neighborhood restaurants (think Palo Santo, Flatbush Farm, iCi, Smoke Joint, and Bonita, to name a few). Tickets are $50.

Brooklyn Uncorked
Wednesday, May 14
4pm to 8pm at BAM, 30 Lafayette Avenue
(718) 636-4100

Attention, gardeners and all green-thumbed Brooklynites: The annual Brooklyn Botanic Garden Plant Sale starts tomorrow. From perennials and houseplants to hanging baskets and herbs, this is the ultimate shopping event for gardeners of all kinds.

Sale hours are on Wednesday, May 7, from 9am to 7pm and Thursday, May 8, from 9am to noon. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located at 900 Washington Avenue. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for seniors/students. Children under 12 will get in for free.

Special events include a Bonsai clinic, an orchid class, and more. Click here for the full schedule.

So you think you can bake...

Then you might be interested in the Brooklyn Kitchen's second annual Cupcake Cook-Off, which takes place next Monday, May 12, from 6pm to 9pm. Bust out your best recipe, and send an email to the Brooklyn Kitchen to enter the competition.

Want to sample the entries? This year's cook-off will be at Union Pool (484 Union Avenue in Williamsburg), where you'll be able to rub shoulders with the baking elite and cast your own vote for the people's choice award.

May the best cupcake win!

Photo by Kristen Goode

What's in store for May?

Film festivals, burger battles, bike tours, BBQs... The list goes on and on, but one thing's for sure: There's absolutely no excuse to stay home this spring!

Here's a May events calendar with great listings guaranteed to keep you busy.

Photo by Sugar Pond

The Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) International Film Festival has attracted emerging artists for over 42 years, and this year the festival, which began on Thursday, will showcase more than 80 films ranging from documentaries and experimental pieces to animation and video installations. Award-winning writer Ela Thier (The Wedding Cow) will also offer a screenwriting workshop.

Films featured this year include a documentary about Morocco's first-ever hip hop concert (I Love Hip Hop in Morocco), a French comedy that confronts the dark side of fame (La Crème), and a movie about an American veteran's struggle to live a normal life after serving in the Iraq War (Superheroes), among others. The festival will end on Friday, May 9, with special screenings from Brooklyn filmmakers at the Brooklyn Museum.

Click here for information on individual screenings. All movies are free to the public.

• Brooklyn Cherry Blossom Festival
  Take part in this two-day celebration of Japanese culture and the Botanic's Garden's now-blooming cherry blossoms. Expect to see everything from a children's drum recital to a kimono fashion show.
  Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 6pm
  Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Avenue
  (718) 623-7200
  
  
• 43rd Annual BAC International Film Festival
  Catch a screening of one of the 80 outstanding films brought to you by this year's BAC International Film Festival.
  Friday, 6pm to 11pm (Independent Filmmakers – A Contemplation of Power)
  Saturday, 11:30am to 6:30pm (Seventh Annual Women of African Descent Film Festival)
  Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, at Flatbush & DeKalb Avenues
  
  
• Mexican BBQ at Flatbush Farm
  Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with carne asada skewers, posole (hominy stew), chicken tacos, tamales, and more. A live Mariachi band is guaranteed to make the afternoon a festive one.
  Sunday, 3pm to 6pm
  Flatbush Farm, 76 St. Mark's Ave
  (718) 622-3276
  

Photo © tanakawho