What: 18th Annual Red Hook Festival
Where: Louis J. Valentino Park & Pier (Coffey St. & Ferris St.)
When: June 3rd 6-9p.m., June 4th 11 a.m.-7p.m.
Why: There’s a local stage in South Brooklyn set to kick off a summer tradition of international art. It’s the waterfront neighborhood of Red Hook where a village of artists will have a home grown arts throw down this June.
In the spirit of this year’s focus—participatory arts making—the festivities begin on Friday afternoon with a dance party and sunset picnic to usher in the evening. Once the sun sets, visitors can watch a mélange of culture; Dance Theatre Etcetera will take the stage for a celebratory performance of community. Hip hop theater duo Climbing Poetree will use video and visual art to bring meaning to words and the female dance collective INSPIRIT will intimate meaning through movement.
Begin your Saturday outdoors with the natural elements of Red Hook. You can paddle on the public waters of its harbor with the Red Hook Boaters on a free kayak ride, join The Circle Rules Federation on the green for some healthy football competition, or dance your Saturday away with a duo of groups–the Boricua roots band Tato Torres & Yerbabuena and the sounds of American rock band Paul Josephs & the Metrosonics.
With such cultural activities lined up, you’re sure to be hooked up here for the summer.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take a Downtown F/G train to Smith 9th Streets. Head South on smith to Garnet. Right on Centre, left Onto Columbia, right onto Bush, left on Dwight and right onto Coffey. The adventure is worth all the turns. (718.643.6790, redhookfest.com)
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram