Putnam Triangle Plaza Features Month-Long Series of Community Events

By Jacob Passy

With autumn just on the horizon, Fulton Area Business (FAB) Alliance is getting local residents out of the house with a series of outdoor events, from dance workouts and jazz concerts to double-dutch and chess tournaments.

All month long, FAB is sponsoring September @ Putnam Triangle Plaza, a series of free events at the park, at the intersection of Fulton Street and Grand Avenue. Tomorrow at 1 p.m., Michelle Evette Clark of Double Dutch Aerobics will lead a weekly jump rope class for people of all skill levels.

“I’m looking to share double dutch aerobics with the community,” Clark said. “[Last Saturday] we had people who were just sitting there in the park who came and jumped rope with us.”

Other weekly events include a Friday night dance party and game night at Visions Bar and Lounge and a Wednesday dance class led by Jamel Gaines, director and founder of Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn, both starting at 6:30 p.m. Gaines said that he’s enjoyed working in the outdoor space for these events.

“It shows that you can bring art anywhere, and anyone can be a part of it,” Gaines said.

September @ Putnam Triangle Plaza also features a number of one-time events, including a concert by performer Velez Moore on Sept. 22 at 2:30 pm and a chess tournament with teenage chess master James Black, Jr. on Sept. 28 at 10 am.

According to Phillip Kellogg, executive director of FAB, a goal of the series is to build on the customer base for local businesses.

“We wanted to get people to think about Fulton Street and come by more often,” Kellogg said. “So this gives them the opportunity to visit the area and the local businesses, and hopefully they’ll keep coming out.”

To learn more about September @ Putnam Triangle Plaza events, visit FAB’s website.