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10 Amazing Summer things to do in Dumbo and Brooklyn Bridge Park
In the year 2000 I was producing weekly live music events with pioneer establishment Superfine, when Joy Glidden Director of Dumbo Arts Center (DAC) asked me to curate a live music stage loading dock at the annual ‘art under the bridge festival.’ I had already founded a collective for Folk Alliance International Conferences called ‘Little Red Hen Music’, and kept the name for the festival stage.
Brooklyn Americana Music Festival was founded in the wake of what went onto be known as the Dumbo Arts Festival (DAF) folding in 2014. DAF comprised over 100 open studio’s.
At that time, twenty two years ago, Dumbo was home to around four hundred artists paying on average $1 / sq. foot for high ceiling lofts with sweeping views of the East River, the Manhattan Bridge, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
My live music stages were in old abandoned loading docks, the then roofless shell of the tobacco warehouse, industrial era warehouse lofts, water tower roof tops and down under the cotton wood tree near where Jane’s Carousel stands today.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, then Brooklyn Borough President appealed to the community to save the annual event, and gave me the thumbs up to forge ahead with keeping the music going in its stead. Thanks to Brooklyn Arts Council we are supported by the Brooklyn Arts Fund and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. The 7000′ square foot cobblestone Archway under the Manhattan Bridge is a main stage thanks to Dumbo BID, who administer discretionary funding from the Office of Councilman Lincoln Restler. Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy support our women / she / her / they stages on Pier 6.
Brooklyn Americana music partners with artist owned and operated festival venues year round. We curate live music at Superfine, 68 Jay St Bar, Sunny’s Red Hook and special events at Jalopy Theatre.
Jan Bell, Founder BKAMF
Dumbo, Brooklyn September 2022
