Party on the Shore of Greenpoint's Newtown Creek This Saturday at 'Rock The Pulaski!'

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN — Who said a Superfund site can't be super fun?

This Saturday night, Sept. 17, the North Brooklyn Boat Club hosts its 5th annual Rock the Pulaski! party on the shore of Greenpoint's Newtown Creek, to mark the passing of the summer season.

Come out anytime after 6 p.m. to meet your neighbors, chat around a bonfire, sip some beer and pick from the barbecue while listening to live musical performances under the Pulaski Bridge.

The party will last until 1 a.m. at 437 McGuinness Blvd. Entry is $5 before 7 p.m. and $10 thereafter. Attendees must be at least 18 years old (although those under 18 can attend with with a parent or guardian).

Here's the live music schedule:

• 7 p.m.: Quitzow
• 8 p.m.: Marine Snow
• 9 p.m.: Ocho Ocho Ocho
• 10 p.m.: Pat Irwin (of the B52s!) with Sasha Dobson (of Puss 'n Boots)
• 11 p.m.: Blacktop Daisy

Over decades of sewage and oil spills, Newtown Creek became one of the most polluted waterways in America. These days, it's undergoing an extensive cleanup, as mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the EPA:

In the mid-1800s, the area next to the 3.8-mile-long Creek was one of the busiest industrial areas in New York City. In addition to more than 50 oil refineries that were located along its banks, industrial facilities also included petrochemical plants, fertilizer and glue factories, sawmills, and lumber and coal yards. Newtown Creek was crowded with commercial vessels, including large boats bringing in raw materials and fuel and taking out oil, chemicals and metals. In addition to the industrial pollution that resulted from all of this activity, the city began dumping raw sewage directly into the water in 1856. During World War II, the Creek was one of the busiest ports in the nation. Currently, factories, warehouse and distribution facilities, petroleum bulk storage facilities, municipal and utility infrastructure and other industrial and commercial facilities still operate along the Creek. Various contaminated sites along the Creek have contributed to the contamination at Newtown Creek. Today, as a result of its industrial history, including countless spills, Newtown Creek is one of the nation’s most polluted waterways.

Lead image courtesy of the North Brooklyn Boat Club; poster art by Ellen Lindner