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January in Coney Island: Public Meeting, Live Music & More

Posted in Events, tagged Coney Island, Footprints Cafe, Freak Bar, free event, live music, public meeting, Round Robin, Save Coney Island on January 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island’s amusement rides reopen for the season on Palm Sunday, March 28. We’re already counting the days! But Coney Island the neighborhood is open year round. ATZ’s calendar of upcoming events includes a Save Coney Island meeting and country bluegrass jamboree fundraiser, live music at Footprints Cafe and the Freak Bar, and much more. The New York Aquarium, Nathan’s, Williams Candy and Coney Island Beach Shop are among the businesses that are open every day. During the winter, the Beach and the Boardwalk remain a popular destination for residents and visitors, including photographers, walkers, joggers, cyclists and even swimmers–if you happen to be a Polar Bear!

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

Public Meeting on the Future of Coney Island sponsored by Save Coney Island

Info and discussion about efforts to landmark historic buildings such as Nathan’s and prevent the permanent reduction of the size of the amusement area. Learn about initiatives underway to bring in additional amusements for the 2010 season and other key projects to revive the amusement area as the Playground of the World.

January 21, 7:30 pm, Save Coney Island Meeting, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Coney Island, 2801 W. 8th Street, Coney Island (F train to Neptune Ave)

Footprints round robin

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26

Arabian Knights Round Robin at Footprints Coney Island

Footprints Cafe, one of our favorite places to dine in Coney Island, just happens to be open year round and has live music on weekends. Sign up for their e-news to find out about upcoming special events like Brooklyn’s premier Round Robin on Tuesday, January 26. The round robin is held at over 18 bars and lounges in Brooklyn at a different location every week. This year’s theme Arabian Knights includes an appearance by a belly dancer. Pop/reggae singer Primadonna is the evening’s featured performer. ATZ highly recommends the seafood and vegetarian dishes on the cafe’s Caribbean fusion menu. Everything is carefully prepared with the freshest ingredients and always delish.

January 26, 9 pm until, Arabian Knights Round Robin at Footprints Cafe, 1521 Surf Ave between 15th & 16th Sts, Coney Island, 718-265-2530. No cover, no minimum. (B, D, F & Q trains to Stillwell Ave)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Gone Country for Coney: Save Coney Island Benefit

Country bluegrass jamboree and Wild West variety show featuring five bands–Animal Pharm, Central Valley Wildfire, Rob Hecht, Pinataland and Citigrass. Plus the Prospect Cowgirls dancers, burlesque show and food from Jake’s BBQ.

Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit Save Coney Island’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the People’s Playground. Tickets are $20, $15 till 5 p.m.

January 30, 3- 9:30 pm, Save Coney Island Benefit at Galapagos Artspace, 16 Main Street at Water Street, DUMBO. (A & C trains to High, F to York)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31

Apres Polar Bear Swim: Live Music by Canonball at the Freak Bar

After the weekly Polar Bear Club Swim at 1 pm, the Bears and friends will adjourn to Coney Island USA’s Freak Bar for brunch and live music by Canonball. This is the band that rock and rolled on the Boardwalk in front of Ruby’s on New Year’s Day. Bagels, cream cheese, coffee, espresso and cappucino will be available for purchase at this Sunday’s Polar Bear Brunch at
the Freak Bar.

The Coney Island Museum and Gift Shop at CIUSA are also open. Where else can you find a vintage Mermaid Parade poster or a Madame Twisto Tee? Winter hours are Saturday and Sunday, 12-5 pm.

January 31, 1:30-5 pm, Canonball at Coney Island USA’s Freak Bar, Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Ave, Coney Island. No cover, no minimum. (B,D, F, Q trains to Stillwell Ave)

Dec 12-13: Open Studio with Coney Island Artist & Banner Painter Marie Roberts

Posted in art, sideshow, tagged Brooklyn, Coney Island, Coney Island USA, free event, Marie Roberts, Open Studio, sideshow banner, tondo on December 2, 2009| 3 Comments »

Marie Roberts banners on facade of Coney Island USA Building, May 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

This is the post we were working on yesterday when we found out “TLC’s Cake Boss Sweet on Marie Roberts’ Coney Island Sideshow Banners.” We dropped everything to cover the cake artistry, but now it’s back to business…

Coney Island USA’s artist-in-residence Marie Roberts is an accomplished painter who is best known for her banners for the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. Her canvas advertisements for Donny Vomit, human blockhead; Heather Holliday, the youngest female sword swallower; Serpentina, the snake charmer; and guest freaks like the Lizard Man adorn the CIUSA building 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Coney Island banner line is a year-round tourist attraction and fave subject of photographers. During the off-season, the artist continues to produce banners for private clients as well as other genres of paintings. On the weekend of December 12-13, you’re invited to Marie Roberts’ Open Studio to meet the third generation Coney Islander and view her watercolor “tondos” of the old amusement district.

Astro Tower from Studio Window by Marie Roberts. Watercolor/gouache, 8 x 8" 2009

Astro Tower from Studio Window by Marie Roberts. Watercolor/gouache, 8 x 8 inches, 2009

“I received a faculty research grant from Fairleigh Dickinson University last summer,” says Roberts, who is a professor of art at FDU as well as at CIUSA’s Sideshow School. “The project was to compose in round, or “tondo” format. I intended to do invented figure compositions, but became enthralled with the views from the studio window.”

The artist’s studio on the second floor of Coney Island USA’s Building has a view of the Wonder Wheel, Astrotower, Old Bank of Coney Island and Luna Park … the furniture store! The studio location is 1208 Surf Avenue at West 12th Street in Coney Island. Open Studio hours are from 1- 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday, December 12-13.

The artist also paints banner portraits for folks who do not perform in the sideshow, but enjoy having their own banner at home or to promote their work. How does the Coney Island banner painter decide what kind of banner to paint for someone? “It depends on the client,” Roberts says. “Some know they want to be ‘The Feejee Merman’ and know the exact pose and what will be included in the painting. Some have no clue and I try to see what they want from their words. ‘Anything you want,’ said one client. It’s usually a collaboration of what they want and I can do.”

Banner Art by Marie Roberts. Photo © Norman Blake. All Rights Reserved.

Tommy Couteau, pictured above with Marie Roberts, won the “have yourself painted any way you want” package at Coney Island USA’s gala auction. He decided he wanted both a mermaid banner and a “Guy from Coney Island” banner.

Says Roberts,“I have had to make banners where I don’t know what people look like. In one for a photographer, I covered her face with a camera. In another, for a group of people, they wore masks painted to look like the cast of a sideshow they had seen.”

Roberts recently completed banner for artist and “photo reader” Stephanie Diamond is on display in Miami at the Scope Art Show’s Covet Garden marketplace through December 6th. Diamond’s art project is “Snap Sharing, which uses psychometry, an intuitive technique that involves holding or touching objects or photographs to gather information.”

You can visit with Marie Roberts and her Coney Island banners via Sideshow Picasso, a documentary by Marilyn Agrelo filmed earlier this year and viewable on YouTube…

Marie Roberts Open Studio, Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Avenue at W 12th St, Coney Island. December 12-13, Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 pm. The Coney Island Museum, which is on the same floor as Roberts studio, is open weekends year round and will be open from 12 – 5 pm.

Coney Island Fireworks: Friday & Sunday on Labor Day Weekend

Posted in amusement park, Events, tagged Coney Island, Cyclone, fireworks, free event, Friday, Labor Day weekend, September, Sunday on September 3, 2009| 2 Comments »

Coney Island Fireworks sign on the door of Steve's Grill House on the Boardwalk. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

UPDATE…MAY 13, 2012…See “Coney Island Fireworks 2012: Fridays, 4 Saturdays & July 4th.” The first Coney Island fireworks show of the 2012 season is on June 15 and the free weekly event continues through August 31.

On Labor Day Weekend 2009 in Coney Island, there will be not just one but two fabulous nights to enjoy free fireworks. The show begins at 9:30 pm on Friday and Sunday night (Sept 4 and 6). Take your pick or stay the weekend! The Friday September 4 show was scheduled to be the last of the season. This week the folks who run Cyclone roller coaster, one of the sponsors of the fireworks, announced the additional Sunday show.

Please patronize the sponsors of the fireworks:The Cyclone Roller Coaster, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, and the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team. Additional participants in the fireworks include the Aquarium, the CIDC and Councilman Domenic Recchia’s office.

Although Labor Day marks the official closing of the beach for the season, many of the rides and attractions remain open on weekends through October. The Cyclone Roller Coaster is open weekends through September 20. Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, the Eldorado Bumper Cars and Arcade, McCullough’s Kiddie Park and other attractions remain open through October. Visit Coney Island Fun Guide for more info.