Shows To Start At Prospect Heights' 'Open Boulevard' This Month

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A new event series is on its way to the city's Open Boulevards, including Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights, according to organizers.

The city has tapped the nonprofit created to help with its Open Culture programming earlier this year, OpenCultureWORKS, to run the events at its new Open Boulevards, the "supercharged" version of its initiative to close down streets for New Yorkers to dine and get outdoors during the coronavirus crisis.

The nonprofit, along with an architecture firm, a live event engineering group and liquor brand Moët Hennessy USA will run performances at the 10 Open Boulevards from July through October, according to the announcement.

"Thanks to Rockwell Group, TAIT, and OpenCultureWORKS, DOT will be bringing high quality productions to all 10 Open Boulevards through October, providing employment to artists and production personnel who suffered significant losses during the pandemic," said the Department of Transportation's Sean Quinn. "This initiative is just one part of our Public Space Activations plan for the summer, with pop-up learning, a circus, free theater, and more, coming to Open Streets and other public spaces around the city — with a particular emphasis on the top 33 communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis."

The Open Boulevards program, first announced in June, includes three Brooklyn Open Streets on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Fifth Avenue in Sunset Park and Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights.

So far, the organizers have announced only a few of the events set for the summer, including a kick-off performance at Columbus Avenue in Manhattan on July 10.

The only Brooklyn event announced so far is a "B'Rhythm" performance presented by Jiva Dance that will be coming to Garfield Place, likely at its intersection with Fifth Avenue.

The rest of the events will include traveling stages that will be set up at the various Open Boulevards for each of the performances and celebratory cocktails at restaurants surrounding the Open Boulevard, according to organizers.

"The performances will feature a wide array of New York’s performing arts and music styles, from comedians, spoken word artists, and tap and modern dance companies, to indie rock and Latin jazz bands," according to the groups.

A full schedule will be posted here when it's available.