Steel Pan Fête takes over Barclays Center Plaza
The event was part of a free outdoor art series at the Barclays Center Plaza to celebrate Brooklyn’s diversity and bring cultural traditions to Brooklyn.
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The Steel Pan Fête took over Barclays Center Plaza on Sunday.
The Social Justice Fund organized the event. Executive Director Gregg Bishop told News 12 the goal is to celebrate Caribbean cultural music and traditions.
“There's so much rich diversity in our food and our people and the culture of Brooklyn that we want to just take a moment to just use this platform that we have to celebrate Brooklyn," Bishop said. "It's a section of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenue, the crossroads of Brooklyn. And so for us, it's really like sending home a message that Brooklyn is for everyone."
The event featured hands-on workshops, youth orchestras, stilt walkers, dancers and more.
For performers and musical directors like Damany James, it's a chance to educate people and bring the culture to a new audience.
“Throughout the summer, we practice in these areas and people call 911 on us because we're trying to rehearse and there's noise complaints. But I believe if they got to understand what it is that we're doing and understand the instrument and even try it out themselves, they might take a different look on what we do," James said.
The event was part of a free outdoor art series at the Barclays Center Plaza to celebrate Brooklyn’s diversity and bring cultural traditions to Brooklyn.
News 12 spoke with people who attended the event, like Tulani Foy on why events like these are important.
“We are the fabric of Brooklyn,” Foy said. “We should stay in Brooklyn no matter how it’s changing and allowing people to really see the spirit of Carnival, to see the spirit of the Caribbean people is very important.”
Event organizers say there will be more events like this next month.
