Golden Festival TONIGHT

The beautiful sounds of the Balkans (with Swedish and Norwegian thrown in) fill Brooklyn's Grand Prospect Hall tonight and tomorrow.

Come early (7:30) on Friday to get a free dance workshop so you can move your body to music from all the Balkan states, plus Ukraine, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, and Turkey to name a few. If you love Klezmer or Greek music, you will have a great time!

When: January 18-19, 2013
Where: Grand Prospect Hall 263 Prospect Ave btw 5th and 6th Ave, Brooklyn
Website: http://www.goldenfest.org
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New York Indian Film Festival

The festival highlights films from all over the world based on cultural Indian themes. Directors hail from all over the world - New York, Vancouver, India, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and more. Many films have been selections to other prominent film festivals such as SXSW and Montreal, as well as the Oscar Winning short documentary film Saving Face. Find a window into contemporary Indian culture as it is experienced and disseminated around the world.

When: May 23-27, 2012
Where: Paris Theatre: 4 West 58th St, NYC (between 5th & 6th Ave).
Tribeca Cinema Theatre: 54 Varick St, NYC (at Laight St, 1 block west of Canal).
Skirball Center: 566 La Guardia Place, NYC (corner of La Guardia Place & Washington Square South).
Michelson Theatre: NYU Tisch Department of Cinema Studies, 6th Floor, 71 Broadway, New York City.Website:  http://www.iaac.us/NYIFF2012/schedule.htm

Varli Indian Food Festival

 An annual Indian food, dessert and wine tasting event, the Varli Food Festival showcases the culinary creations of over 60 top-caliber restaurants and caterers, and promotes awareness of Indian cuisine and culture. World famous chefs will demonstrate their skills in crafting signature dishes, displaying first-hand the unique art of Indian cooking.

Tickets are pricy at $100 each, but the benefits are pretty cool:

• a FREE spice market allowing you to pick and choose Indian spices to take home and cook with
• a Celebrity Chef CookBook with recipes from each chef exhibiting at the event
• every festival attendee will receive a gift bag with $500 worth of gift certificates to local Indian restaurants
• a full open bar and wine kiosks
• several dessert stations 

 FestivalBuzz loves Indian food, and might be spotted here as well!

When: April 5, 2012 5-10PM
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion 125 West 18th Street
Website: http://www.varlifoodfestival.com

Flamenco Festival 2012 at NY City Center

 The four-day celebration of flamenco returns to New York City with four renowned flamenco groups performing. A beginner's flamenco lesson is offered for all ticket holders 90 minutes before each performance in the lobby at the architecturally gorgeous City Center.
 
When: March 1-4, 2012
Where: New York City Center
Website: http://www.nycitycenter.org/tickets/productionNew.aspx?performanceNumber=6264

Second Moroccan Film Festival

A two-day film festival dedicated to the Moroccan film industry.

When: November 18-19, 2011
Where: Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick at Laight Street)
Website: http://www.tribecacinemas.com/calendar/132317123.html

African Diaspora Film Festival

Films celebrating the African Diaspora. Both narrative fiction and documentaries from around the US and other countries are presented. Topics addressed include all aspects of life for people living in different parts of the African Diaspora. Most, if not all, of the directors themselves are African American. A unique perspective and a celebrated collection of moving stories.

When: December 2-4, 2010
Where: The Riverside Theatre @ 91 Claremont Ave @ W 120th Street
Website: The Riverside Theatre

Korean Parade and Festival

A good excuse to learn the ins and outs of Little Korea (the low 30s near Herald Square), come explore this celebration of Korean culture. Featuring a Korean food festival, street fair, music festival and kids' activities. Saturday is rumored to be a great day to get outside.

When: Saturday, October 2nd 9AM-6PM, 12-2 PM (Parade)
Where: 32nd st between Fifth and Broadway, Parade Route on Sixth Ave from 38th to 27th Street
Website: http://www.nykorean.org

Atlantic Antic Street Fair

The great Atlantic Antic Street Fair will take place Sunday, September 26 from 10AM-6PM. As with the Atlantic Ave Art Walk, the street fair reaches epic proportions as New Yorkers from all over the place head to what is billed as the largest street fair in the city. Perhaps San Gennaro in Little Italy feels more crowded, but the Antic packs in more people.

A walk down Atlantic Ave brings experiences as varied as any part of the city. From the delicious Middle Eastern treats to the accessible art galleries, to boutique bakeries and awesome bars, Atlantic Avenue has truly transformed into an experience. The Antic brings vendors of all ilks as well as performers on 10 different stages. If you've been looking for an excuse to discover Atlantic Ave, come on down.


When: September 26 10AM-4PM rain or shine
Where: Atlantic Avenue from Hicks Street to 4th Avenue in Brooklyn
Website: http://www.atlanticave.org/

Theater at Riverside Church: Family Arts Festival

This weekend is the second of three for the Theatre at Riverside Church's Family Arts Festival, which features a multitude of family-friendly and culture-enriching dance, music and spoken word experiences. All events are FREE.

When: weekends through June 27, performances starting around 7PM most days.
Where: Riverside Church Theatre (91 Claremont Ave at 120th Street)
Website: http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/theatre/programs.php?p=family

This Week, We're all Puerto Rican

Everyone in New York knows when the Puerto Rican Day Parade is happening: neighborhoods around the city are festooned with the Puerto Rican flag, cars fly the Puerto Rican colors proudly and there's a lot more red white and blue all over.  But did you know that there are fun and games leading up to Sunday's giant fiesta?

Some invite-only events are happening Wednesday and Thursday, but starting Friday, June 11 the public can get in on the fun by heading over to Roberto Clemente State Park in the Bronx for Juegos Boricuas (or Boricuan games), including but not limited to a dominoes tournament on Friday and Saturday. Music is promised at Roberto Clemente State Park for Saturday, along with more Juegos.  

And of course the parade is the grand finale, kicking off around 11AM and heading up Fifth Avenue from 44th to 86th Streets. 

When: June 11-13, 2010

Where: Roberto Clemente State Park (West Tremont Avenue and Matthewson Road), Parade only- Fifth Ave between 44th and 86th.

Website: http://www.nationalpuertoricandayparade.org

FREE: Museum Mile 6-9PM

Wish you could get your fill of NYC culture but don't have the dough?  Well, tonight's the night for you.  On Tuesday June 7 from 6-9PM, nine museums on Fifth Avenue will be free!  Start off at 82nd and tour the Met, but don't spend all your time there! Wend your way up to 104th where the Museo del Barrio awaits. All this across the street from gorgeous Central Park. If you only get up that way once a year, let this be the night!

Museums not your thing (Disclosure: they're not mine). You can still have fun. Along Fifth Ave you'll find performances and activities (mostly geared towards kids).  Join this annual promenade through the best of New York's museums.

http://www.museummilefestival.org/

Get Thee to the Greek! (Festival)

Puns aside, this Greek festival hosted by Saints Constantine and Helen Church in downtown Brooklyn looks like fun. Starting June 7, Schermerhorn Street between Boerum Place and Court Street will be filled with merrymaking by, for and about Greek culture. 

Reminding me of my old church's bazaar, a White Elephant sale will be held, and a gift shop will be operating as  well. Food and pastries will be served, and the weekends promise music (DJ) and dance performances. Those toting tots will find a few activities for them as well.

The church is located just outside the prime Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods, and is down the street from the Court Street Barnes & Noble and Court Street United Artist Cinemas. If you are on your way to Trader Joe's (2 blocks away), stop by and have some real spanakopita before heading over TJ's to pick up the frozen version.

When: June 7-13

Where: Sts Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church  -  64 Schermerhorn Street

Website: http://stconstantineandhelen.org/events.aspx?id=e1

Philippine Independence Day Council Parade and Street Fair

This Sunday June 6, the people of the Philippines get to showcase their culture with a parade down Madison Avenue accompanied by an open air street fair and cultural festival on Madison between 24th and 26th Streets.

The parade kicks off at 1PM from 41st Street down Madison Avenue, presumably ending just before you hit the festival at 26th. Cultural festival performances span the gamut from traditional to modern/urban on the stage near Madison Square Park.

The full calendar can be found here: http://www.pidci.org/home/event/30-indepdayparade/

Gateway to Nations NYC Native American Heritage Celebration

Hosted by the Redhawk Native American Arts Council, the annual Gateway to Nations NYC Native American Heritage Celebration will be held June 5& 6 from 11AM to 7PM at Aviator Sports Complex in Floyd Bennett Field in the Brooklyn Gateway National Recreation area.

June 4 will be a student day at the festival - see details to register school groups at http://www.redhawkcouncil.org.

In the style of many "pow wows", the festival will feature grand entrances of the many dancing competitors in several dancing styles - southern straight, grass, fancy, and jingle dress, and the dancing competitions themselves are always fun to hear and watch as they feature live music and amazing dancers. A "birds of prey" demonstration is promised. In addition there will be many vendors selling their crafts, and food vendors will be there as well.

Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children and seniors, with children 6 and under getting in free.