Everything You Need To Know About The Celebrate Brooklyn Free (Mostly) Concert Lineup

Nothing says summer like free outdoor concerts, and we’ve got some of the best ones in the city right in Prospect Park. The Celebrate Brooklyn 2013 lineup kicks off at the Bandshell (9th St/PPW entrance) on Wednesday, June 5 with Patty Griffin, and continues through August with mostly free (some not) shows from acts like Mavis Staples, The Roots, Belle and Sebastian, Jamie Lidell, and Beck, plus kids shows, movies with live music, ballet, and more.

Here are the 12 most important things you need to know:

1. Don’t drive. Parking in the area, as we know, is not the easiest to find.

2. The closest subway to the Bandshell is the F/G at 7th Avenue. Next closest is the 2/3 at Grand Army Plaza, then the B/Q at 7th Ave or Prospect Park.

3. Buses: B61 to Prospect Park West, B68 to Bartel-Pritchard Circle, B69 / B67 to 9th Street, B41 to Grand Army Plaza, B16/B43/B48 to Lincoln Road or Empire Blvd.

4. Bike valet and self park/lock is available for up to 400 bicycles thanks to Transportation Alternatives.

5. The “free” shows have a $3 suggested donation, and the paid shows help support the free ones.

6. If you volunteer at a few shows, you can get reserved seats to free shows; volunteer at a lot of shows, you can get free tickets to the paid shows.

7. What’s not allowed: smoking, booze, cans and glass bottles, coolers, pets.

8. What is allowed: lawn chairs, strollers, food, non-glass water bottles, umbrellas.

9. There’s food on site from The Farm on Adderley (this year’s menu includes zucchini panzanella, curried Swiss chard, codcakes, and we highly recommend the fries) and sweets and snack from The Good Batch.

10. There are seats (about 2,000) for the free shows, but they’re first-come, first-served.

11. Performances are rain or shine, but extreme weather can cause a cancellation/rescheduling, which they would announce on Facebook and Twitter.

Celebrate Brooklyn! Opening Night Concert with Patty Griffin
Wednesday, June 5
Gates 6:30pm/Show 8:15pm, FREE

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (for Kids) with Wynton Marsalis
Saturday, June 8
Gates 3pm/Show 4pm, FREE

Grouplove / Alpine
Thursday, June 13
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Mavis Staples / Cody ChesnuTT
Friday, June 14
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Calexico / Susana Baca / Radio Jarocho & Akoko Nante Ensemble
Saturday, June 15
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, FREE

Benefit Concert: The Roots & Jim James
Tuesday, June 18
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, Tickets are $41

Big Boi / Phony Ppl / D-Nice
Thursday, June 20
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Amadou & Mariam / Bombino
Friday, June 21
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Thursday, June 27
Gates 7pm/Show 8pm, FREE

Ladysmith Black Mambazo / Aurelio Martinez
Friday, June 28
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Os Mutantes / Javelin / Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang
Saturday, June 29
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, FREE

Theophilus London / Les Nubians / Aabaraki
Saturday, July 6
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, FREE

Benefit Concert: Belle and Sebastian / Yo La Tengo
Thursday, July 11
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, Tickets are $42.50

Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible / Mexican Institute of Sound / Mariachi Flor de Toloache
Friday, July 12
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, FREE

Music & Movies: Dracula with the Philip Glass Ensemble / Kishi Bashi
Saturday, July 13
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

The Tiger Lillies: Rime of the Ancient Mariner / Cynthia Hopkins
Thursday, July 18
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

The Waterboys / Alasdair Roberts
Friday, July 19
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

The Lone Bellow / The Low Anthem / Joe Purdy
Saturday, July 20
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, FREE

BeBe Winans / Alicia Olatuja
Thursday, July 25
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Trampled by Turtles / The Devil Makes Three / Brown Bird
Friday, July 26
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, FREE

Benefit Concert: Robert Plant presents The Sensational Space Shifters
Saturday, July 27
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, Tickets are $50 General Admission, $80 Reserved

Benefit Concert: Barenaked Ladies / Ben Folds Five / Guster
Tuesday, July 30
Gates 6pm/Show 6:30pm, Tickets are $49.50 General Admission, $55 Reserved

Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal
Thursday, August 1
Gates 7pm/Show 8pm, FREE

Jamie Lidell / Dan Deacon / The Stepkids
Friday, August 2
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra / Banda Magda
Saturday, August 3
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Benefit Concert: Beck
Sunday, August 4
Gates 6pm/Show 7pm, Tickets are $50, and they go on sale May 10 at noon

Music & Movies: Live score to Beasts of the Southern Wild by Dan Romer, Benh Zeitlin, & The Wordless Music Orchestra / Slavic Soul Party
Thursday, August 8
Gates 7pm/Show 8pm, FREE

Shaggy / TK Wonder
Friday, August 9
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

They Might Be Giants / Moon Hooch
Saturday, August 10
Gates 6:30pm/Show 7:30pm, FREE

Photo via Celebrate Brooklyn