Not even rain could dampen this fun!
East Flatbush residents defied the downpours over the weekend to celebrate their community at the 17th-annual Family Day at Paedergat Park on Farragut Road and Albany Avenue on Aug. 11.
The fun-filled event delighted neighborhood kids with talent shows, pony rides, face painting, a video game truck, and a raffle, according to one of the leading organizers.
“We do the event for the children, because when you see the excitement and smiles on their faces it makes it all worth it,” said Citizens for a Better Community president Yvette Barrow.
The event welcomed people from all ages — from 4-years-old all they way to people in their 70s — and helped foster a stronger community spirit, according to another volunteer with the organization.
“The event promotes togetherness in the community, and you get to know who your neighbors are,” said Shirley Parris, who has been volunteering for Citizens for a Better Community for 15 years, encouraging neighbors to work together.
“We strive to keep our community safe and that everybody looks out for each other and to keep it vibrant,” Parris said.
The highlight of the day was the talent show, where kids took to the stage to showed off their best singing, rapping, dancing, and poetry. One young boy kept the audience rapt with his rap, according to Barrow.
“One young guy in the 11–15 age group wrote this rap song talking about when he was in Jamaica waiting for his mother to get him to the U.S.,” she said. “That child rapped, without music, and the audience just went crazy.”
The kids also had the chance to ride ponies, which was a big hit, she said.
“You should have seen the faces of the kids on the ponies, they were lining up and they were just smiling that they get to ride on the ponies,” Barrow said.
The volunteers were up in the early hours Saturday, pitching tents and setting up the different food stands. The event ran until 8 pm and volunteers stayed as late as 10 pm cleaning up the park.
The rain came and went, and came gain, but East Flatbushers came out strong regardless, according to Barrow, who has called the neighborhood home for 20 years.
“Rain was coming and going, but we were blessed because a lot of [other] outdoor activities on that day were cancelled,” she said. “Come rain come shine, the community came out and had a wonderful time.”
