Japanese Culture at Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic GardenA Traditional Geisha at the Sakura Matsuri Festival at BBG in 2016
That’s why when we found out about the second annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Weekend which took place June 10th and 11th along the famed Eastern Parkway we had to go. It was a fun weekend spent out with the kids and was celebrated with a movie night happening on Saturday and an outdoors street festival showcasing the best of the borough’s foods, arts, crafts, culture and contributors occurring on Sunday.
A Flyer of the 2-day event celebrating Central Brooklyn
At the outdoor street festival on June 11 the festivities kicked off with Borough President, Eric Adams honoring two outstanding talents from Brooklyn — multi platinum MC and Hip-Hop artist, John “Fabolous” Jackson and the late, world renowned abstract artist and Neo-Expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat, (whose family represented for him).
Rapper Fabolous receives the Key to Brooklyn from Borough President Eric Adams
Both Fab and Basquiat(posthumously) were awarded with the “Keys to Brooklyn” and bestowed with individual stepping stones inscribed with their names and placed within the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s famed Celebrity Path. The two sons of Brooklyn are now counted along the celebrity walkway amongst 160 others famous Brooklynites past and present including poets, performers, artists, and athletes who lived or were born in the borough and all made outstanding contributions to the borough.
Fabolous strikes a pose with Borough President Eric Adams next to his inscribed stepping stone in the Celebrity Path at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The outdoor street festival saw locals, families and visiting tourists coming out to rejoice in the arts, foods and culture along Eastern Parkway .
Brooklyn residents check out the vendors along Eastern ParkwaySeafood lovers were all about getting their boxed food at Catch ItThe Brooklyn Museum brought its arts outdoors while a balloon vendor brings smiles to facesIt was all about the sweet kernels at Kettle Korn
My 9-year old son had a blast checking out the vendors and the performances as well as tasting some of the delicious food options on sale. He definitely liked the roasted corn which he eagerly covered in butter and a hefty shaking of parmesan cheese. So delicious.
There is nothing better than sinking your teeth into a sweet roasted corn on the cobBrooklynites grabbed Smooth smoothies as they walked the path along Eastern Parkway
The high 80’s temperature definitely led to a beautiful day outdoors with attendees enjoying and basking in the music, dance and theatrical plays happening on the main stage set up at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch at Grand Army Plaza. The breeze and water spraying from the fountain made for a refreshing feel.
Those walking along the Eastern Parkway corridor beginning at Flatbush Avenue and heading towards Washington Avenue got to choose from an array of vendors offering food, drink as well as the purchase crafts and fashionable items from jewelry to kids clothing.
Lots of activities were available and included fun games, bouncy houses and arts and crafts for the kids, a dance party and theatrical performances courtesy of the Prospect Park Zoo, the Jewish Children’s Museum, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the New York Aquarium
A band performs on the main stage at Grand Army Plaza
The 2-day cultural arts inspired events were brought together and presented by Brooklyn Borough President, Eric L. Adams in partnership with One Brooklyn Fund, Inc., All in all it was fun for the entire family.
The office of Brooklyn’s Borough President, Eric Adams out on the Parkway
With smiles on our faces we left the festival eagerly looking forward to next year’s celebration .
Enjoying the day with my sonCrownheightsmom Media CEO, Debra Lewis-Boothman’s outdoor street festival fashion included an african head-wrap and a blush silk romper paired with hightop Converse sneakers.
If you also attended this event please share your thoughts about the weekend in our comments section below.
Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Bill Hader), Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith)
While sitting inside the Dolby Screening Room at a recent MOMS screening of Disney Pixar’s animated movie ‘Inside Out‘ three pairs of eyes looked over at me to see if I was crying. I had taken my 9-year old daughter, Kameko, my 7-year old son Kai and his friend Lexi Anne also 7, along to the screening.
Lexi Anne 7, Kai 7 and Kameko 9 are over-the-moon happy after seeing the MOMS’ screening of “Inside Out”at the Dolby Screening Room on June 12
At a particular point in the movie Kai and Lexi Anne began whispering to each .I then noticed that they were staring intently at me to see if I had tears streaming down. I quickly said before they could say anything, “Hey, guys are those tears I see in YOUR eyes? ” They each quickly replied “No”, with Kai admitting soon after with, “Oh just a little. That was a sad part.” I in turn replied, “Yes that was a sad part and I did cry just a little.” My daughter Kameko hearing our whispers chose then to announce matter-of-factly, with Kai in the background nodding, “Mommy cries a lot at movies. She likes to let her feelings out. She also cried during [Rihanna’s movie] Home, and at [ Michael Rapaport’s] Little Boy.
” Shhh, don’t tell anyone, I say to Kameko as Lexi Anne looks on and a mom sitting in earshot turns around and smiles at me.
I learned then that kids are always paying full attention and especially taking in our emotions. Yup, my kids are definitely paying attention to mine.Which gets me back to Inside Out.
Kameko, LexiAnne and Kai catching up on kids stuff before watching Inside Out at the Dolby Screening Room on June 12
I truly enjoyed this film and so did the kids. They have already asked to see it again and I have promised a movie night over the summer break. I definitely see it becoming one of our Pixar family faves the same way, Toy Story and Wall-E has become. I also already know that this movie including all its merchandising products will be on their Xmas lists this year.
About the movie if you haven’t seen it yet. The movie centers around pre-teen Riley, an 11-year-old girl who is uprooted from her Midwest home and life as she knows it -to now reside in the urban city landscape of San Francisco when her dad takes a new job transplanting the family almost 2,000 miles away.
For Riley this couldn’t come at a worst life stage- the pre-teen years – a ball of emotions . Her feelings of being taken away from life-long friends, from ice-hockey games on the lake — to now being the new kid having to make new friends and at a new school .Overwhelming? To her , it’s the end of the world.
But this is where it gets interesting – Yes , Inside Out is about 11-year-old Riley, but behind the scenes the real stars that take center stage are her emotions that are wrecking havoc in her brain — enter the five brightly colored characters that represent joy, sadness, anger, fear and disgust . Riley’s emotions.
These five conflicting emotions literally take over the pre-teen’s life as she attempts to try to fit in to her new surroundings but her emotional “headquarters ” where these five characters reside is full of non stop activity. Joy ( voice of Poehler ) the mother hen, leader and voice of reason tries to keep Riley happy and positive while the other emotions each vying to be the “top-dog emotion ” to dominate Riley’s inner life, they just seem to complicate matters sending everything into a tailspin and lending to a movie that is laugh-out-loud, funny, exciting, colorful and splashed with traces of sadness mixed in.
It will definitely be a walk down childhood’s memory lane and filled with nostalgia for most adults .
Seeming to be at the forefront though is the message that sadness and joy can work hand in hand for an outcome of happiness and good. In reality, we do go through sadness or loss in order to encounter happiness at the end of the rainbow. This message though, might go over kids’ heads as they are watching the movie with it brightly colored and cute as ever characters. So the take-away lesson of, “it may take sadness before you get happy” may be a bit too much for them to take in –older ones will get it – but this is one of the messages I found to be recurring.
Bill Hader (Fear) popped in for a super fast chat with the MOMS.
Stopping by just before the start of the screening for a quick Q&A with the MOMS’ co-creators, Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein was actor Bill Hader. The actor plays the voice of Fear in the movie.
Bill Hader tell PEOPLE Magazine he “kinda stalked” Pixar execs to play the role of FEAR
Speaking to the kids Hader says , “When you see Fear come in , thats my voice, ” adding “Do you know that this ( movie) is from the same guys that made “Toy Story ” and “Monsters Inc” and “Up?”
On how he snagged his role Hader recently told PEOPLE he “stalked” Pixar execs . He did say at the screening, “I was such a fan of Pixar [their] movies that I went to where they worked and I asked, ‘Can you please put me in one if your movies’. I wouldn’t leave and now because of my persistence, I play Fear in the movie.”
The actor also told the kids that he’s done some other well known kid movies. ” I have been in “Cloudy and a Chance of Meatballs,” I played Lachlan,” he says.
On his favorite character in the movie and no, it is not his character! Hader declares, “My favorite character is a character by the name of Bing Bong.” Adds the former SNL star, “When Bing Bong shows up just brace yourselves. He’s the best character in the movie!”
Actor Bill Hader says he is a huge fan of Bing Bong played by actor Richard Kind.
The movie took a few years to make . ” It took five years . I’m not kidding, says Hader of the making of Inside Out. Adds Hader, “Back in 2011, I went to Pixar and I started recording with Amy Poehler who plays Joy and Mindy Palin who play Disgust and others. So five years of recording. That’s how long it takes to make one of these movies.”
To finally see it Hader says, “It is a beautiful, beautiful film and we are so happy.” Say the father of three, “The cast and film-makers all got to see the finished product three months ago. We all went to Skywalker Ranch, that’s George Lucas’ ranch where all the Star Wars stuff is. We got to watch the movie in a room(screening room) like this and we were laughing and crying.”
Yes the movie will make you laugh and cry.
I recommend that families go together to see Inside Out. I loved that the movie in a special way lets both children and adults know feelings of joy, sadness, anger disgust, or even fear do work harmoniously together inside of us .
The kids gives their ratings. Inside Out gets 5 out of 5 POPCORN STARS! .
The kids summed up their feelings in this pic below:
The kids say this pic represents their feeling about ‘Inside Out.’ They “LOVED” it!
Also read what they had to say about the movie below:
I loved that sadness and joy worked as a team even though they are opposites— KAMEKO, 9
Anger always made me laugh…KAI, 7
I loved that Joy was alway happy and never gave up on Riley and holding on to her happy memories.–KAMEKO, 9
Joy is always happy. I like when people are happy. LEXI ANNE, 7
Even though Sadness is always sad, she has courage.–KAI, 7
It was a very emotional movie and it was about emotions. It actually made me feel sad at some places.—-KAI, 7
My favorite part of the movie was when Riley was a little girl and she had an imaginary friend named Bing Bong. I liked how Riley made up a song about her imaginary friend.—LEXI ANNE, 7
Bing Bong is Riley’s imaginary friend from her early childhood. He’s a mix of an elephant, a cat, cotton candy and can squeal like a dolphin.
The Lyrics to Riley’s and Bing Bong’s song….
Who’s your friend who likes to play?
Bing Bong, Bing Bong
His rocket makes you want to yell hooray
Bing Bong, Bing Bong
Who’s the best at every way, and wants to sing this song to say
Bing Bong, Bing BONG!
Check out the trailer below and go see ‘Inside Out’ at your nearest movie theater in your city ,See Fandango for listings
INSIDE OUT is now playing WITH THE VOICES OF: Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Richard Kind (Bing Bong), Bill Hader (Fear), Lewis Black (Anger), Mindy Kaling (Disgust), Kaitlyn Dias (Riley), Diane Lane (Mom), Kyle MacLachlan (Dad).
“I’m going back to Cali, to Cali, to Cali. I’m going back to Cali—LL CoolJ
Fed up with Winter 2015 crownheightsmom seriously considers relocating to a warmer homebase! YIKES, Say it ain’t so!
Snow filled avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Like most New Yorkers presently I’ve had it with the repetitive snowfall after snowfall that’s hit NYC this winter season. Plus, though cushiony I have fallen on my bottom more times than I can count. Plus, I can no longer stand the deep freeze temps, the mile high mounds of hard ice lining the cross-walks and the muscle power I have exerted towards shoveling and cleaning snow off the car. It’s more times than I like .
Getting the snow off vehicles
I like snow cones in the summer . Slush in the wintertime, I can definitely do without because who knows what lies within those black cesspool-like puddles. I can also do without the slow moving traffic that turns a normally $12 cab ride into a $30 snail ride to nowhere.
Dirty, yucky slush in the streets of NYC
Right about now, I want Ole’ Man Winter gone. So go vamoosh! goodbye! get outta here, beat it, see ya later and don’t come back.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the Wintertime. In fact my husband will tell you whenever it snows I am the first one with my hands up to go out the house to play in it or grab my Akita Hiro to head to Prospect Park.
My Japanese Akita loves the snow
Dogs+Kids+Snow=MAD FUN!
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The kids will let you know that I will grab their snowboards for them and off we go to have crazy fun but, this love has been tested. This winter season in NYC has been a long one with an endless and relentless beat down by mother nature.
The kids grabbing their snowboards to enjoy the snowy downhill ride in the backyard of our Poconos home .
There’s nothing more beautiful than looking out your window and seeing fresh snowflakes falling . Seeing a doe and her family playing in the snow- thats the beauty of nature .Living in the suburbs or in the countryside definitely allows you to appreciate the beauty of a freshly fallen snow.
A deer family in the countryA friendly deer family
For city folks the beauty of having it snow week after week wears thin. Not being able to get around as fast as one wants to, amounts to loss of incoming dollars .
Traffic back-ups and slow moving trafficLate arriving food trucks the local neighborhood store
In Brooklyn, particularly in my nabe of Crown Heights we have been weathering the snowstorms as they come and has dealt with the results of it—-un-shoveled sidewalks, no parking spaces, traffic congestion, pot holes in the streets and the unseen doggie poo and gosh knows what else mixed in with the snow alongside the sidewalks. Trust me, it has not been a pretty picture this winter.
Hanging in the streets
So right now I am praying to the Sun Gods to come . Is it too much to ask for Springtime to arrive NOW and bring on the flowers, the butterflies and the bees.
In Bloom: Springtime is just over the horizonThe bee are ready to pollinateEaster egg hunting time is just around the corner
FRIDAY’ S CUTE PIC OF THE DAY on crownheightsmom goes to Magnolia, the heart-stopping, cute-as-ever little 20-month old happy tyke who along with her BABY stopped me in my tracks on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn on Thursday afternoon.
20-month old Magnolia
Meet MAGNOLIA . She literally brought the sun out today. In fact I think her cuteness is the reason the expected snow storm for Thursday went bye-bye!
I spotted the lil darling taking her baby out for a walk on Eastern Parkway. Along for the stroll was mum Natalie and dad Matthew. The 9-year Brooklyn residents have been residing in Crown Heightsfor the past three years. Before Magnolia came along the gorgeous couple were living in Do-or-die Bed-Sty!…
Brooklyn is fast becoming the NYC borough young families are looking to start and raise their families.
Brooklyn is fast becoming that borough young families are flocking to. Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Lefferts Gardens and Flatbush are the new favorite areas for new renters and buyers. Don’t get me wrong there is still interest in Fort Green, Bedford Stuyvesant, Ditmas Park, Sunset Park, Park Slope and Boroum Hill areas .
Brooklyn Children’s MuseumProspect ParkBrooklyn Museum of Artjapanese Garden at Brooklyn’s Botanical Gardens
Let’s not even begin to talk culture. Brooklyn is a gumbo pot of cultures. It is the epitome of what New York stands for. For young families moving to Crown Heights you can walk down the street and bump into someone from every caribbean island known to man, meet young hip fashionable Hasidics, or a Korean grocer selling the freshest fruits and vegetables this side of Chinatown, or even talk politics with the Yemen corner store owner . The cultures my friend in Brooklyn are infinite .
So as our little cutie pie Magnolia continues on her walk here’s to wishing her a wonderful year and hoping when she hits her 2 year mark on May 19 that she stays as sweet as ever for mummy and daddy .
Enjoy your walk little Magnolia and take in all that your wonderful neighborhood has to offer. Soak it up!
“I have been in all[Night at the Museum] and the best thing is I get to invent a language,” actor Patrick Gallagher shared with families during a MOMS screening of the third installment of the kid favorite film franchise on December 18 in New York City. Gallagher who plays Attila The Hun in the previous two installments dons the costume in what seems to be the movies’ final lap. Fans of the actor can also see him grace the small screen on the Jan 5 episode of NCIS-Los Angeles. He sat for questions from MOMS hosts Denise Albert and Melissa Musen Gerstein including kids in the audience.
Actor Patrick Gallagher is in great company with the MOMS Denise[L] and Melissa[R] at the Crosby Street Hotel’s screening Room Dec 18“It’s all made up,” he shares of the gibberish he has made cool with kids since donning the Hun costume eight years ago. Adding his highlights of working on the film franchise includes the location shoots that has taken the Canadian to sets in New York, Washington DC and London. Although he says there are “a lot of long days and my costume is kinda hot,” he doesn’t mind it because as he tells a little tyke in the audience who asks how it feels to be in a movie,”Its very cool to be in a movie especially a movie this big.”
On returning for his third time around on the Night at the Museum. “I feel lucky to be in the movie,” he says of the role he has played alongside Ben Stiller, Ricky Gervais and the late Robin Williams since 2006. The movie is one of Williams’ final major movie roles before his death this past August.
Seeing Williams at his best in the role of Teddy Roosevelt made viewers miss him and cherish his memory and laughs that much more .
Gallagher and Williams with their stunt doubles during filming…( courtesy of Gallagher’s public FB )
Gallagher does have one character with whom as he puts it, “has bodily functions that happen on my shoulder a lot.” That would be Dexter the monkey whom he adds is also ” getting a little big headed, a little diva but is amazing and amazing to watch.”
Go on out and catch the movie this holiday season. As well as pick up the previous two installments .
RATING: BY KIDS ONLY: On a scale of 1-5 Popcorn Stars for keeping kids engaged and loving the franchise. Night at the Museum: Secret of The Tomb earns 4 Popcorn Stars. Note this rating is per my 8-year old daughter Kameko.
I am in Love and man, oh mannn, have I fallen hard!
Yup, ya heard me right. There is a new man in my life . He is such a puppy so maybe it’s puppy love.
I don’t know. All I know is that I just love everything about him.
I was thinking that it’s his cuteness because he takes full advantage of this factor and it renders me useless. But, he is learning that the cute face isn’t working for him all of the time .
It is hard not to love him. He has all the lovable qualities a girl wants. He’s loyal. Yes, ladies I said loyal. You can trust him- although I wouldn’t trust him near my plate of food because boy can he eat!
He’s soft and warm all over which is great for hugs . He gives wet kisses and you can even play with his ears, with permission of course!
Meet my new love. He goes by the name of Hiro aka Hirothewolf.
I got nothing but love for you Hiro!
The love affair. It started in late May and has since grown in leaps and bounds just like he has too. In fact too quickly if you ask me. I still yearn for the return of his puppy stage.
First Day home May 2014
We all immediately melted at the little cotton fluff. At 4-weeks
Someone’s getting bigger and cuter
Keeping him healthy and his coat thick and white as snow. Daily brushing, massages and hugs and of course food and water. Kudos goes to Trader Joes because they carry a wonderful dog food brand that’s healthy and affordable. Top this off with raw veggies and fruits like carrots, bananas and peeled apples from the farmers market .
Trader Joe’s natural brandcarrots
carrots
His love is infectious. Just ask the kids.He does everything they do…..like skateboarding.. He’s even in the Dillon Cooper music video KNUCKLE UP.
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Kids and their puppyProtector alwaysThe playful puppy
An unconditional love between us that will go on and on.
Always the protector.Always on the lookout to protect usHiro has swagg. He’s a G!
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![Actor Patrick Gallagher is in great company with the MOMS Denise[L] and Melissa[R] at the Crosby Street Hotel's screening Room Dec 18](https://crownheightsmom.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/hrohhmagjyem-hgqe1ax7nxc7ef4aofw2quhdep1ywug0mazfufgnz6jdawy1gls8imobu-qskg-lfn3jucvwe-150x150.jpg)
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