Flatbush Frolic Is Back. Here’s What’s New

FLATBUSH— The annual Flatbush Frolic will return to Cortelyou Road on Sunday, bringing live music, carnival rides, local vendors and a new basketball attraction to one of Brooklyn's longest-running street fairs.

The Flatbush Development Corporation, a neighborhood nonprofit focused on community and economic development, has hosted the festival since the mid-1970s.

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New York City limits permits for large street fairs, but the Frolic continues under the City's grandfathered rules for long-running events..

This year's festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Cortelyou Road between Coney Island Avenue and Ocean Avenue.

More than 150 vendors are expected, along with performances, rides and other attractions.

"It feels special, and this really feels like a carnival coming to town," Nina Leonard, the corporation's program manager for economic development and community initiatives, said.

The main stage will feature local musicians, bands, dancers and students from neighborhood music and dance schools.

A steel band, a magician and Kids Rock for Kids, a nonprofit that helps preteen and teenage musicians develop bands and raises money for children around the world, will also perform.

The festival will also highlight the neighborhood's diverse food scene, with Caribbean and Mexican vendors among the businesses expected to participate.

The Hoop Bus will bring a mobile basketball experience to the festival near East 19th Street.

The traveling attraction features semi-professional athletes who put on basketball exhibition shows, giving visitors a chance to watch live demonstrations as they move through the street fair.

"New York was really thriving this summer with the Knicks victory, and we thought it would be fun to run with that theme a little bit," Leonard said.

For a neighborhood event with roots stretching back decades, the Frolic has had to move with the neighborhood around it.

Flatbush has changed, longtime residents have left and new ones have arrived, altering the streetscape without entirely dislodging its old traditions, she said.

"I think it's part of the struggle that the whole city faces, especially when it comes to keeping up traditions that started so long ago," Leonard said. "New folks coming in, and others are forced to leave because of increased rent."

The Flatbush Development Corporation has worked in the neighborhood for decades, focusing on community and economic development and supporting local businesses, she said.

The Flatbush Frolic serves as the organization's largest annual community event, but it is part of a broader calendar of neighborhood programs.

The corporation also organizes a summer open-street series on Lefferts Avenue, where residents can attend free activities, including children's programming and live performances.

For Leonard, the festival's longevity also reflects the community it serves. Despite changes in Flatbush over the decades, the event continues to draw residents from different backgrounds and generations. Many participating vendors also reflect the neighborhood's Caribbean, Mexican and other immigrant communities.

The organization has kept vendor participation costs largely stable over the years, Leonard said, helping local businesses continue to take part as the cost of operating in New York City has risen.

Visitors can also check out Artmageddon, a newer Brooklyn arts and culture festival organized by Beautify Brooklyn.

The event is celebrating its seventh year, with many of its locations a few blocks north and south of the Frolic.

The two festivals will take place near each other, giving visitors an opportunity to attend both events in the same trip.

Admission to the Flatbush Frolic is free.

Visitors can walk through the festival and watch the performances without paying an entrance fee, while food, rides and merchandise will cost extra.

The event will take place rain or shine.