New Arts Festival Planned For Downtown Brooklyn

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, NY — You gotta get up to get downtown. A new arts festival featuring theater, music and an all-out dance party will take over Downtown Brooklyn next month, organizers announced this week.

The inaugural Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival will offer several free events from Sept. 21 to 23 on The Plaza at 300 Ashland, a new public space at the corner of Flatbush and Lafayette avenues outside a ritzy residential building.

Sponsored by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, the festival aims to shine a spotlight on the neighborhood's flourishing arts district. It will feature contributions from local arts groups such as BRIC, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Mark Morris Dance Group and Theater for a New Audience.

"This festival is all about bringing together the vibrant institutions, artists and spaces that make up the fabric of Downtown Brooklyn," Downtown Brooklyn Partnership President Regina Myer said in a statement. "The exciting lineup promises Brooklyn residents a unique opportunity to enjoy incredible performances, become involved with some of the neighborhood’s leading cultural institutions, and make use of important, iconic public spaces like 300 Ashland."

The fest will kick off on Friday, Sept. 21, when Soul Summit, Fort Greene Park's famous dance party, comes to the Downtown Booklyn plaza. Performances, a salsa dance party and "Community Day" activities will follow on Saturday.

The festival is slated to close that Sunday with a reading on the plaza of Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermon "The Drum Major Instinct" by Theater of War Productions. The production stars the actress Samira Wiley, known for her roles on "Orange is the New Black" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

Arts organizations in the area will also host tours, talks and special performances throughout the weekend.

The full schedule has yet to be announced, but here's a look at the festival's current highlights, courtesy of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.

Friday, Sept. 21
5:30 to 8 p.m.: Soul Summit Party

Saturday, Sept. 22
Noon to 5 p.m.: Community Day activities from local Downtown Brooklyn arts organizations
2:30 to 3:15 p.m.: BRIC presents The Knights
3:30 to 5 p.m.: Mark Morris Dance Group preview performance of Words followed by a dance class in which participants learn the piece
5:30 to 8 p.m.: Salsa Party with Los Hacheros

Sunday, Sept. 23
2 to 5 p.m.: Theater of War Productions: Drum Major Instinct

This story has been updated with a new lead photo.

(Lead image: The Plaza at 300 Ashland will host several events for the inaugural Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival. Photo courtesy of Two Trees Management)