PORCH STOMP
FLATFOOT FLATBUSH
December 21st, 2022
NYC's First-Ever Flatfooting Festival Comes To Your Door on December 21st!
FLATFOOT FLATBUSH is Brooklyn's first-ever flatfooting parade, celebrated as part of Make Music New York's Winter Solstice Celebration.
On December 21st, 2022, Porch Stomp celebrates the Winter Solstice with some light and music on the darkest day of an extremely dark year. Flatfoot Flatbush, Porch Stomp's annual winter event, is hosted by Porch Stomp, in partnership with the North Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District, City Stompers, Brooklyn Contra, and Make Music New York. Flatfoot Flatbush will take place live on North Flatbush Avenue (between Barclays Center and Prospect Park).
During Flatfoot Flatbush, dancers, fiddlers and pickers parade down Flatbush Avenue playing old-time tunes while flatfooting, a form of percussive dancing from Appalachia. The evening begins with a warm up and quick flatfooting workshop hosted by Megan Downes (City Stompers), which will take place outdoors at 4pm at Flatbush Avenue and Carlton (northeast side of the street, right outside the subway). Immediately following, the flatfooting parade will kick off and traverse Flatbush Avenue, moving South toward Dean street, and then looping back towards 6th Avenue, stopping along the way at local businesses to bring holiday cheer. This year’s parade will feature some very special performances, including from Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s “Wind in the Pines.” The parade will finish at 530pm at the 6th Avenue Triangle (intersection of Flatbush, 6th, and St Marks Avenues), where a performance from the Brooklyn Gatorettes and a participatory Contra dance lead by Brooklyn Contra will take place.
Starting at 630pm, the fun continues at an indoor after-party featuring more music and dance, and an open jam lead by the Flatfoot Flatbush Band. The after party doubles as the North Flatbush Avenue BID merchant holiday party, and will bring together businesses in the district to share in holiday cheer.
This program is produced by Porch Stomp in association with the North Flatbush Business Improvement District and made possible with support from M&T Bank, Morgan’s BBQ, and Tiny’s Cantina. The Flatfoot Flatbush house band includes Christian Apuzzo, Jaden Gladstone, Nate Sabat, and Ilan Moss.
HOW TO JOIN: Guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo players and other stringed instrumentalists are encouraged to join the Flatfoot Flatbush String Band! To join, just email mmnyporchstomp@gmail.com no later than December 18th to obtain music scores and detailed instructions. Dancers and boosters are welcome to simply stroll on up! No matter what level player, we hope that you'll join us for the parade. Here are some songs that the band is sure to do, if you want to prepare in advance:
Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
Bonus Tunes:
Breaking Up Christmas
WHEN & WHERE:
4PM: Meet at Flatbush and Carlton for a quick warm up with Megan Downes
4:15PM: Parade kicks off at Flatbush and Carlton, headed West for a first stop at Antonio’s Pizza
4:15PM – 530PM: Parade makes its way North along Flatbush Avenue. Estimated timing for stops is below:
420pm: Antonio's Pizza
435pm: Burrito Bar
450pm: Morgan's Brooklyn BBQ -- Irish dance performance
505pm: Tiny's Cantina -- Wind in the Pines performance
520pm: Brooklyn Crepe
The parade will cap off at Bergen street before heading back up the west side of the street and finishing at the 6th Avenue Triangle (6th Avenue and St Marks Avenue, at Flatbush).
5:30PM: More performances and a participatory group Contra Dance lead by Brooklyn Contra, at the 6th Avenue Triangle. St Marks Avenue will be closed to traffic between Flatbush and 6th to allow more space for music, dancing, and merriment.
6:30PM: The after party begins at 75B 6th Avenue, with an open jam lead by The Flatfoot Flatbush House Band. There will also be food and drink next door at 253 Flatbush, courtesy of the North Flatbush Avenue BID. If you'd like to eat/ drink, just be sure to RSVP HERE so the BID can know how much to order!
Huge thanks to M&T Bank, Tiny's Cantina, and Morgan's Brooklyn BBQ for their generous support of this event!
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