Outdoor Events In Brooklyn: October 11-13

We’re halfway through October and have a couple of weeks before we turn our clocks back an hour on November 3, making the days even shorter. Get out and enjoy the sun this weekend with these outdoor events happening throughout Brooklyn.

Friday, October 11

SECRETS IN STONE at Green-Wood Cemetery, 3pm to 4:30pm [Tickets $20]: Learn the meaning behind some of the symbols that adorn the monuments at Green-Wood during this walking tour. Check out green-wood.com for more outdoor events happening throughout the weekend, including Birding in Peace, a Historic Trolley Tour, a Moonlight Tour, and more.

Saturday, October 12

24TH ANNUAL PANAMANIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE & FESTIVAL, Crown Heights, 10am to 7pm [Free]: Celebrate Panamanian culture, tradition, and folklore, and commemorate Panama’s separation from Colombia in 1903 at this event, the largest Panamanian gathering outside of Panama. The parade route will run south on Franklin Avenue from Bergen to President Street while the festival will be held on Classon Avenue between President Street and Eastern Parkway.

POP-UP TOWN HALL WITH COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER, Grand Army Plaza, 10am to 11:15am [Free]: Join Comptroller Scott Stringer for this first-ever “Pop Up Town Hall” at Grand Army Plaza’s Greenmarket. All are welcome to stop by and ask questions or comment on any concerns they have. Constituent services will be available as the Comptroller meets with the public.

KINGS COUNTY FIBER FESTIVAL at The Old Stone House, 10am to 5pm [Free]: The 8th annual Kings County Fiber Festival returns to The Old Stone House to celebrate handmade crafts. A selection of vendors will sell their fine fiber arts and supplies while workshops will be offered including “Arm Knitting,” a “Fleece to Shawl Challenge,” and a cloth sculpting workshop with Tahir Carl Karmali and Jessi Highnet (in conjunction with the Old Stone House exhibit, No More Water, which features Karmali’s work). The festival will also host the second annual “Make Warm Hats for the Homeless” hat drive and an artist talk and demonstration with crochet artist Nassat Nation.

FUTURE SATURDAYS: HARVEST HANG at Brooklyn Navy Yard, 12:30pm to 3pm [Free, Register here]: Celebrate autumn at this monthly event featuring artists and designers who work on the Brooklyn Navy Yard campus. The day will include activities for kids ages 5-12 including games, face painting, storytelling, cookie decorating, and apple and pumpkin “picking.” Future Saturdays is a family-friendly program that takes place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard once a month between May and October, featuring Navy Yard-based businesses and community organizations.

Sunday, October 13

NATURE EXPLORATION at Prospect Park, 10am to 1pm [Free]: The Prospect Park Alliance is hosting nature education programs at the Audubon Center every Saturday and Sunday through November. The fun begins this Sunday at 10am with Discovery Pack which equips families with a backpack filled with exploration tools to interact with the park. Animal Encounter at 11am will introduce attendees to some of the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. And Audubon staff will lead groups in removing litter from the lakeshore and recording their findings during the Nature’s Helpers program at noon.

THE ANNUAL NARROWS BOTANICAL GARDENS’ HARVEST FESTIVAL at Narrows Botanical Gardens, 12pm to 5pm (rain or shine) [Free]: The Narrows Botanical Gardens, or “The Jewel of Bay Ridge,” is one of NYC’s largest and longest running all-volunteer gardens. The 4.5-acre green space is home to a native plant sanctuary, lily pond, zen garden, and two rose gardens, as well as a variety of wildlife including east coast native turtles, bees, chickens, and several species of native birds. The Narrows Botanical Gardens’ annual Harvest Festival will feature an artisan market, a Canine Costume Contest, and the Great Pumpkin Patch.