Brooklyn Bridge Park Has Free Fishing Clinics, 500+ Summer Events

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Looking to learn something new this summer? Brooklyn Bridge Park has announced its list of more than 500 events that will let residents learn everything from fishing, to yoga, to hip-hop aerobics on the waterfront park grounds.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy and Brooklyn Bridge Park, the two groups that oversee the Brooklyn Heights open space, are celebrating 20 years of offering free programming to the public with a host of new activities.

“The last 20 years of public programming has been an extraordinary journey for the Conservancy," Executive Director Nancy Webster said. “From immersive outdoor education, to family festivals, public theater, book readings, kayaking, seining, and more, we’re excited to share a full and vibrant lineup of events to celebrate this momentous year.”

This year, those new programs will include drop-in, free fishing clinics that will let kids and adults learn the basics of fishing with a marine biologist and expert angler.

If getting out onto the water isn't your thing, though, the park will also bring new classes to its line-up of fitness activities. The Class, taught by Taryn Toomey, will be available throughout June and August for a "music-driven, mat-based practice of self-study through physical conditioning." The park's usual mix of salsa, yoga, Zumba and pilates classes will also return for another season.

Here's a look at what the park has to offer:

(Etienne Frossard)

RECREATION

• Fishing Clinics: The 7-part series will take place at Pier 5’s fishing station from May-September. The clinics, produced in part by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, are catch-and-release. Equipment will be provided on-site. Participants are encouraged to RSVP here.
• The Class by Taryn Toomey: On Pier 2 Turf on select Wednesdays, June through August. The Class is a music-driven, mat-based practice of self-study through physical conditioning.
• Walk-up kayaking: Available for three days a week this summer. Families can glide along the East River every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse.
• Dodge YMCA classes: Instructors will present several free outdoor fitness classes all summer long, including Sunset Yoga, Salsa classes, Zumba, Hip Hop Dance Aerobics, and Pilates.
• Basketball clinics: Tuesdays at 5 p.m.; and Sundays at 12 p.m., June 4 through Aug. 25

(Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy)

EDUCATION

• The Conservancy’s Environmental Education Center offers Open Hours four days a week, where visitors can learn about the history of the Brooklyn waterfront, the plants and animals of the East River estuary, and the ecology and design of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The Center offers rotating exhibits, arts activities, and a 250-gallon East River aquarium, which houses marine life from the park’s waterfront.

(Etienne Frossard)

VOLUNTEER

• Throughout the season, the volunteer Green Team will offer nature enthusiasts an opportunity to learn about gardening and enjoy the outdoors every Saturday, while regular Coastal Cleanups will allow visitors to help keep the park’s shorelines clean and beautiful. Towards the end of the summer, applications will open for the fourth year of Teens Interested in and Dedicated to Environmental Sciences (TIDES), and will expand to eight sessions. An increasingly popular volunteer program, TIDES is designed for teenagers to complete community service hours, while learning about conservation.

Check out the full schedule for these events and more here.