Downtown Brooklyn Street To Go Car Free For Earth Day Celebration

DOWNTOWN, BROOKLYN — Bikes, marching bands and a tree giveaway will replace cars this weekend on a busy Brooklyn street as part of the city's Car Free Earth Day celebration.

Albee Square West will be closed down to traffic between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday for the fourth annual NYC Department of Transportation program, which reserves streets in each of the five boroughs to pedestrians, bikes and a day of environmentally-focused activities.

"Activities range from bike lessons to sewing classes and live music," the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership said about the Albee Square shutdown. "People can bring their bikes, roller skates, and beach chairs, and enjoy a car-free day in the neighborhood."

The car-free afternoon in Downtown Brooklyn joins several others throughout the day in Staten Island, Queens, Lower Manhattan and the Bronx, according to DOT. In Manhattan, that means that 30 blocks of Broadway will be closed from Union Square to Times Square and nine blocks of St. Nicholas Avenue will be closed from West 181st to 190th streets.

Albee Square West is a small through-street that connects Willoughby Street and Fulton Street near City Point. It is home to shopping destinations like the Fulton Mall and Dekalb Market Hall.

Here is a full list of activities to expect on Saturday:

• Tree Giveaway with the New York Restoration Project: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until supplies run out)
• Learn to ride a bike with Bike New York: 1 to 3 p.m.
• Live music with the Wollesonics: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
• Re-purpose old clothes into the latest fashion with Esa New York: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Learn the ancient natural process of indigo and resist dyeing with Fiberhouse Collective.
• Stop using plastic bags by screen printing reusable tote bags with artists from BRIC.
• Brooklyn Children’s Museum On-the-Go educator will guide children through interactive environmental exhibits.
• Receive a complimentary day pass from CitiBike.
• Transportation Alternatives will be sharing information about how you can support their efforts to create more safe and vibrant streets, affordable and reliable public transit, and a bike-friendly city.
• Sample the healthy and earth-friendly foods of Fresh&Co and Health-Ade.
• Find out about the new citywide compost program from the Organic Outreach team at the NYC Department of Sanitation, with free recycling materials, games, and giveaways.
• Learn about community-supported agriculture with Brooklyn Beet CSA and Angel Family Farm.

The event is sponsored by Macy’s, and music will be provided by DJ Mike-Doelo. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own water bottle and use Albee Square’s pop-up public fountain, provided by DEP’s Water-On-the-Go program. Downtown Brooklyn Partnership will also be handing out a limited number of aluminum water bottles, organizers said.