For the first time, we are going to close with a rallying bang and we hope you will join us!

As many of you know, Bushwick Inlet Park is the biggest green issue in North Brooklyn right now. In short, in 2005, the City of New York promised the neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Williamsburg a 28-acre park along North Brooklyn’s waterfront. Almost a decade later, tens-of-thousands of new residents have moved in, but very little of the promised Bushwick Inlet Park has materialized. Now is our last chance. Unless we come together as a community and send a forceful message to City Hall, our promised park will never be delivered. Learn more at www.bushwickinletpark.org and be sure to visit their table at Go Green! Greenpoint Festival to sign the petition!

At 4 PM, after our Open Spaces Panel ends, Christopher will get on the stage and launch a giant group dance to “ YMCA” which we will change to “ Where is our Park?!” So plan to jump in and join us. You can learn the dance moves with Christopher below - please ignore that he says "Sunday," the event is TOMORROW, Saturday, June 6th!   

And we want to give a huge thank you shout out to Amy Lawday Productions for whipping up this video about Go Green, what you can expect to find there and why we do what we do. 

Finally, we are thrilled to bring to you the first ever North Brooklyn Sustainability Map. VICE generously designed the infographic below.  This is an evolving work-in-process and we'll be looking to you for your input. Visit gogreenbk.nyc to learn more.

Finally, make sure to check out our latest activities for all ages at www.gogreenbk.nyc as the list just keeps getting longer! 

In solidarity,
Town Square Go Green team

Please share the festival info with as friends and neighbors as possible! 

• VISIT our new GoGreenBK.nyc website
• JOIN our Go Green FB event page 
• LIKE our Town Square FB page
• FOLLOW us on Twitter
• FOLLOW us on Instagram

Click to download a PDF flyer.

We can hardly wait for the 8th Annual Go Green! Greenpoint Festival in beautiful McCarren Park in early June.  Go Green is a fun and informative day of exhibits and activities promoting Earth Day values for the thousands of park-goers who traditionally enjoy McCarren Park on a nice summer day. 

Does your mission help our environment? Do your products or services feature recycled, upcycled, organic materials or are otherwise fitting in with an Earth day theme? Are you interested in reaching a broad audience in exciting Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Brooklyn? Go Green! is the festival for you!

How are local environmental organizations engaging the community? Is it really possible to be a locavore, here in Brooklyn? How is our access to open space shifting in community gardens, local parks and along the water? Come and find out at our first ever Go Green Speaker Series.

Learn how our local leaders in eco-activism are handling COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT for organizations like the Newtown Creek Alliance, the North Brooklyn Development Corporation and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth. Hear about local FOOD from the farm (with East NY Farms right here in Brooklyn) to your table (with the Brooklyn Kitchen / Meathook). And explore issues around OPEN SPACES with the Parks Department, Open Space Alliance, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative and Green Thumb.

Here is the exciting schedule for Saturday:

12:00 PM OPENING REMARKS

12:15 PM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PANEL
• Rita Pasarell, Chairperson, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth •  Willis Elkin, Program Director, Newtown Creek Alliance •  Rich Mazur, Executive Director, NBDC •  Charlotte Binns, Director, Town Square/Transition NB

1:30 PM FOOD PANEL
• Kyle Lowe, Chef, The Brooklyn Kitchen / The Meathook •  Heather Horgan, East NY Farms

3:15 PM OPEN SPACE PANEL
•  Ed Janoff, Executive Director, Open Space Alliance & North Brooklyn Parks Administrator • Teresa Toro, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative •  Rasheed Hislop, Deputy Director, Green Thumb.  

4:00 PM FLASH MOB in support of Bushwick Inlet Park

Learn more about the speakers here. 
Check the website schedule for updates.

Want to volunteer at Go Green?  Please contact us at gogreen@townsquareinc.com.  Dirck the Norseman has generously donated tickets for our volunteers for a post-festival beer!  

Courtesy of Christine Alane

Join us at for lots of great activities and family fun at Go Green! 

CRAFTY TEES! Grab some old t-shirts at Go Green Greencycle Swap and take over to our Crafty Tees station.   Charlie and Sarah Adams will show you how to craft the tees into something new and exciting with just a rip, cut, button or ribbon.  Lots of possibilities and fun ways to re-purpose old shirts.

BIRD CRAFTS & PARK PROJECTS!   Create and craft a beak or mask of your favorite NYC bird.  Then join "Birds of NY" park clean up projects in costume!  

MUSIC CRAFTS!  You'll  want to have your own instrument to make noise with the entertainment throughout the day.  Stop by the Sage Music booth to build your own musical instruments with re-purposed materials.  Also, vist Materials for the Arts (MFTA) to help build giant xylophones!

POP UP PLAYGROUND! Let's have fun with pop-up tunnels and old boxes. Boxes are always fun to crawl through. We'll also draw train tracks everywhere. Bring your wooden Thomas the Trains and enjoy! Let's use our imagination and have lots of silly, energetic and collaborative fun!

GAGA BALL!  Lucky Cub Scout Pack 7 will run Gaga Ball. Check out how they re-imagine ordinary tables into a gaga pit at the park. And let the games begin!

CHESS! Do you love chess? Chess NYC will hosting challenge matches throughout the day. Stop by their booth with your thinking cap on and checkmate for a chance to win prizes.

Do you have a fun idea for Go Green?  Come and make it happen at the festival! 

Join our efforts to clean up McCarren Park during Go Green on June 6th.  Town Square has partnered with OSA, Partnership for Parks, and Curb Your Litter: Greenpoint to offer It’s My Park Day volunteer activities at Go Green.   Sign up at https://www.volunteersignup.org/EM9PC.

We plan to do it with the theme: Birds of New York. Come in costume or not. Craft a mask or beak, and bring kids! Volunteers get certain perks including beverages donated by Honest Tea and RUNA.  Adult volunteers can also score free drink tickets for Dirck the Norseman.

NYC Mascot "Birdie" on right

2014 Elementary School Section Winner PS 23

Has your school signed up?  Go Green! Sustainability Challenge is an exciting contest for our local schools. Schools are invited to use imagination, artistry, and scientific knowledge in a 10'x10' footprint to create exhibits of art and science, representing the theme, "Greening our Urban Environment."  

First place winners will receive a stupendous teak trophy to brag about until next year's Go Green Sustainability Challenge. Winners will also receive a beautiful plaque & $1,000 cash prize! 

The contest criteria are:

1. Greening the urban environment,
2. Creativity,
3. How well the display/project communicated the theme, and
4. Aesthetics (presentation)

The contest is free for any schools already registered for Go Green! Greenpoint Festival.  Contest submissions must represent work by the schools' students and must be displayed at Go Green! Greenpoint Festival from 12 Noon to 4 PM.

Click to download a PDF flyer.

Bring some! Take some!
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
Let's recycle, reuse and reduce!

MEN’S, WOMEN’S & CHILDREN’S CLOTHING, SHOES, BOOKS, TOYS, BICYCLES, PHONES, HOUSEHOLD ITEMS & ELECTRONICS.  We will accept electronics until 3 PM.  

Cleaned, gently used and working items please.

It's not necessary to bring anything to browse the selection. However, out of consideration for others, we may limit folks to the greater of 1 bag or the number of bags that you have brought to donate to the swap. All remaining items will be donated to local schools, churches, Goodwill and/or Vietnam Vets of America.

$5 suggested donation to help cover costs. Town Square is a qualified 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution. Your donation will be TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the full extent of the law. For more info, please contact Town Square at 347.559.1410 or greencycle@townsquareinc.com. We gratefully thank our partners and sponsors: CM Stephen Levin, CM Antonio Reynoso, NYC DYCD, Brooklyn Boy Scouts Troop 26, Friends of Greenpoint Public Library, & Church of Ascension.

Click to download a PDF flyer.

Have you made summer plans for your kids yet?  Greenpoint Chess is awesome!  Matches, lessons, games like musical chess, playground time, pizza, ice-cream and more!  Sign up now for spaces are limited! Click here for info & to register. 

EXTENDED CAMP DAYS!  8-6 PM options are also available for working parents.  

The GCEF 2015 Request for Proposals (RFP) has now gone live! Check it out at www.gcefund.org. Register for workshops at: http://www.nfwf.org/gcef/Pages/register.aspx

What is GCEF?  GCEF is a $19.5 MM grant program created by the NYS Office of the Attorney General and Department of Environmental Conservation with monies obtained through a settlement with ExxonMobil over its Greenpoint oil spill. The GCEF’s goal is to fund projects that will address the Greenpoint community’s environmental priorities through a process that is open, transparent, and ensures ongoing engagement and partnership with the community.   Turn your enviro ideas into projects for GCEF funding!