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So, how was Planet Brooklyn? Lots of fun reported, especially by promoter-associated media. More noise complaints and illegal vendors, too.

Outside BAM. Photos: Norman Oder

So, how was the inaugural Planet Brooklyn festival, held Aug. 23-24, with ticketed performances at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), and the Brooklyn Paramount, plus a street festival--music and vendors--in the blocks around BAM, at Lafayette Avenue east of Fulton Street?

Well, a good time was had by many, as far as I can tell, based on my brief walk-throughs, and media produced by Planet Brooklyn itself, along with Brooklyn Magazine and Type.Set.Brooklyn, both part of BSE Global, the company that presented the festival. See Instagram posts below.

(BSE also owns the arena company, the Brooklyn Nets, and New York Liberty).

When I visited Saturday, Aug. 23 at about 3:15 pm, the start of the outdoor festival, it was slow. But my video walkthrough, below, at about 7:30 pm Sunday Aug. 24 showed good crowds--mostly young, mostly people of color--at most stages, though some were close enough for the sounds to overlap.

   

Was the festival a success from the promoter's perspective? Will they do it again? Unclear. If they do it again, what would be different?
 
Noise problems

Noise complaints via 311
Unmentioned in the official media, of course, were some noise complaints.

As one neighbor groused in a comment on an Instagram post, "When is this wrapping up? You’ve been blasting multiple dj’s into my apartment for 2 days straight."

There was no official response--just a snarky one from, apparently, a fan of the festival.

Indeed, given that two stages went until 10 pm on Saturday and one until 10 pm on Sunday, I can imagine it was a burden on neighbors living on adjacent blocks.

Indeed, the City Council's 311 database showed about 16 noise complaints around those blocks that weekend, as shown in my screenshot, with virtually none the previous weekend. 

So, though no details were supplied, it's likely that most if not all were associated with the festival.

The official responses to those complaints, which I don't take very seriously, given the city's track record, were:
  • The Police Department responded to the complaint and took action to fix the condition.
  • The Police Department responded to the complaint and determined that police action was not necessary

That said, Community Board 2, in response to my inquiry, said they didn't get noise complaints. 

Unlicensed vending outside Barclays Center

Questionable vending

When I walked by the Barclays Center on Aug. 24, there was a notably large number of unlicensed vendors.

Some were selling gear from Trinidad & Tobago, given Tobagonian musician Machel Montano was the headliner.  

More were selling "nutcrackers," home-packaged cocktails popular at the beach. 

Others were selling weed, blatantly, as the photo below shows. 

After all, successful operation of the arena apparently relies on a light touch for enforcement, from illegal parking to illegal vending.

Weed at Atlantic and Flatbush, outside the Brooklyn Dodgers' flagpole

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