For the twelfth consecutive season, the North Flatbush Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) teams up with Make Music New York and Porch Stomp! to bring you another exciting year of music and dancing to celebrate community and the winter solstice.

During Flatfoot Flatbush, dancers, fiddlers and pickers parade down the sidewalks of the ever-busy Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope/ Prospect Heights (Dean Street to Sterling Place) playing old-time tunes featuring stringed instruments while flatfooting, a form of percussive dancing from Appalachia. The day begins with a warm up and quick flatfooting workshop hosted by Megan Downes (City Stompers), which will take place at 1pm. Immediately following, the flatfooting parade will kick off and traverse Flatbush Avenue stopping along the way at local businesses to bring holiday cheer (starting location and route to be shared in weeks to come) The parade will finish at the 6th Avenue Triangle (intersection of Flatbush, 6th, and St Marks Avenues), with percussive dance performances of multiple cultures, and participatory group dances led City Stompers. 

Starting at 4:30pm, the fun continues at an indoor after-party featuring more music and dance, and an open music jam led by the Flatfoot Flatbush Band. The after party doubles as the North Flatbush Avenue BID member holiday party, and will bring together businesses and neighbors in the district to share in holiday cheer.

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!

Are you a dancer, instructor or troupe leader that represents a different style of rhythmic dance? If so, consider complementing our flatfooters with a performance of your own ­— from tap to Irish jigs to square dancing — by contacting the parade organizers at info@northflatbushbid.nyc.