This is the warm-up to Brooklyn's biggest weekend, in the version you can bring a stroller to: Breeze Hill handed over to steel pan, soca and a Caribbean vendor village, with chef Scotley Innis on jerk chicken beside Smorgasburg regulars like Wah Gwaan and Tosh's Patties. It has the food and music of Carnival without the Eastern Parkway crush. If you want one unhurried, free, deeply Brooklyn afternoon before the parade, this is it.
What to expect
A full outdoor market spread across the Breeze Hill lawn, with a sound system running DJ sets and live steel pan through the afternoon. Expect long-ish lines at the marquee stalls in the middle stretch, picnic-style seating on the grass, an arts and crafts table aimed at kids, and Caribbean makers selling alongside the food vendors.
Good to know
- Q or B to Prospect Park, or the S shuttle to Botanic Garden, then walk in past the Lakeside entrance
- Breeze Hill is a lawn - bring a blanket, since seating is whatever you carry in
- Come hungry but plan to graze; the point is small plates from many vendors, not one big meal
- Most vendors take cards, but a little cash speeds up the busiest stalls
- Stroller- and kid-friendly, with a craft station running for younger visitors
- Shade is limited on the hill, so sunscreen and water are worth packing
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Common questions
Do I need a ticket or to RSVP?
No. Admission to Smorgasburg Prospect Park is free and open to the public; you only pay for what you eat and buy from vendors.
How is this different from the Carnival parade?
This is a market-scale afternoon on a park lawn with steel pan and Caribbean food stalls. The West Indian American Day Carnival parade is a separate, far larger event on Eastern Parkway on the Monday.
What happens if it rains?
Smorgasburg Prospect Park runs rain or shine in most weather, but check the Prospect Park Alliance listing the morning of before you travel, since severe weather can force a cancellation.
