Photo via bricartsmedia.org

The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival has announced its artist lineup for the 43rd edition of its free, outdoor Prospect Park summer concert series.

Whereas the 2020 festival was transformed into an online event in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly-announced 2021 event will be held in-person from July 31 to Sept. 18.

Over 20 musicians, many of them Brooklyn-based, are scheduled to perform, including Ari Lennox, Skip Marley, Mr. Easi, Ladama, Junglepussy, KAMAUU, Rita Indiana, and Melanie Charles. Musicians Buffy Sainte Marie and Naia Kete will do a joint event calling attention to the ongoing climate crisis, and author Mahogany Browne will commemorate how COVID-19 has affected Jazz music communities.

In addition to musical performances, there will also be dance events and a screening of the concert documentary Wattstax, a 1972 concert series highlighting African-American music and culture.

Attendance to the event is free with an RSVP, and interested attendees can begin reserving their spots July 1. In following COVID-19 safety protocols, all attendees will be required to provide proof of vaccination or of a recent negative test.

“After the past challenging year, it is such a thrill to welcome the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival back to the Prospect Park Bandshell,” Sue Donoghue, President of the Prospect Park Alliance, said via press release. “This is one of our flagship events, and for our community a clear sign of summer. Over the past four decades, this festival has brought a wide range of free music and family programming to Prospect Park, to the delight of the many diverse communities we serve.” The Prospect Park Alliance sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park to benefit the diverse communities we serve, through initiatives and events including the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, in partnership with the City of New York.

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