Brooklyn ends May with energy. The city’s most celebrated free photography festival wraps its 15th year on Saturday at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Smorgasburg is running at two waterfront locations across the weekend, and community events stretch from Williamsburg to Bay Ridge. Here is your guide to the borough this weekend.
Photoville Closes Saturday — Last Chance
Photoville wraps its 15th annual free photography festival on Saturday, May 30 at Brooklyn Bridge Park (Emily Warren Roebling Plaza). More than 300 photographers have work on display across shipping containers and open-air installations. Outdoor exhibits are accessible during park hours (6 a.m. to 1 a.m.); shipping container exhibits are open noon to 6 p.m. Saturday is the final day. No reservations required and admission is free. This is one of the best free arts events New York does each year — do not let Saturday pass without a walk through. See our Free NYC This Week guide for more on the full scope of what is on display.
Smorgasburg: Two Locations This Weekend
Smorgasburg runs every Saturday at Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg and every Sunday at Prospect Park (Breeze Hill) through October. More than 70 vendors serve global street food, Brooklyn staples, and experimental new concepts. Both locations run approximately 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry is free; you pay per vendor. Late May is one of the best times to go — summer tourism has not yet peaked, and the weather is ideal for outdoor eating by the waterfront or in the park.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Ancestral Ecologies
Through October 25, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (990 Washington Avenue) is showing “Ancestral Ecologies,” four outdoor art installations created by local artists exploring ancient Latino and African beliefs about the natural world. The works — Serpentine Specter, Sonic Strands, Animist Capsules, and Earthen Tiles — are spread through the Native Flora and Woodland Gardens. Late May is peak bloom time at the BBG, which makes this weekend an especially good time to visit. Admission to the garden includes the installations.
Transit Museum: FAREwell, MetroCard
At the New York Transit Museum (Boerum Place at Schermerhorn Street, Downtown Brooklyn), the “FAREwell, MetroCard” exhibit continues. After more than three decades, the MetroCard has officially retired. This exhibit traces its history from its 1994 debut through the technology behind it and its lasting cultural impact. Open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission applies — and it is one of the most underrated cultural institutions in Brooklyn, especially for visitors with kids.
Community Weekend Events
On Saturday, May 30, volunteers are gathering at McCarren Park (meet at Driggs Avenue at 11 a.m.) for a community tree care and trash cleanup that wraps with a neighborhood block-party atmosphere. Free and family-friendly. Also this weekend at Sanders Studios NYC in Brooklyn: a Juneteenth Pop-Up (May 30–31) celebrating Black art and culture ahead of the June holiday.
What You Need to Know
- Photoville closes Saturday, May 30 — Brooklyn Bridge Park, Emily Warren Roebling Plaza. Free. Container exhibits noon–6 p.m. Final day.
- Smorgasburg at Marsha P. Johnson State Park — Saturdays, approx. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Free entry. Through October.
- Smorgasburg at Prospect Park (Breeze Hill) — Sundays, approx. 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Free entry. Through October.
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden “Ancestral Ecologies” — 990 Washington Ave, through Oct 25. Admission required for garden entry.
- NY Transit Museum “FAREwell, MetroCard” — Boerum Pl at Schermerhorn St. Tue–Sun. Admission applies.
- McCarren Park Community Cleanup — Saturday, 11 a.m. at Driggs Ave. Free and welcoming to all.
Brooklyn ends May strong. Whether you are at Photoville’s final hours Saturday morning or finding your way to a Smorgasburg vendor Sunday afternoon, the borough delivers.
