The folksinger Patty Griffin will give the opening concert of the 35th annual “Celebrate Brooklyn!†festival in Prospect Park on June 5, kicking off an eclectic 29-performance series featuring acts like Big Boi, Calexico, Os Mutante, the Waterboys and the gospel star Bebe Winans.
Held at the Prospect Park Bandshell, all but five of the concerts are free. The proceeds from the ticketed events, which showcase some bigger acts, go to underwrite BRIC, the arts organization that has put on the festival since 1979.
Among the highlights of this year’s schedule are several notable international musicians. They include a night of North African pop music on June 21 with the guitarist Bombino and the duo Amadou & Mariam; Ladysmith Black Mambazo on June 28, and three acts on David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label â€" Os Mutantes; Javelin; and Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang â€" on June 29.
Two movies will be projected on an outdoor screen as musicians play live versions of their scores. On July 13, the Philip Glass Ensemble and the violinist Kishi Bashi will play Mr. Glass’s original score for the 1931 version of “Dracula†starring Bela Lugosi. Then on August 8, Behn Zeitlin and the Wordless Music Orchestra will perform the score for “Beasts of the Southern Wild,†written by Ben Romer and Mr. Zeitlin, while the movie is shown.
Two nights will belong to large jazz ensembles: Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will swing in the park on June 8, and the Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra takes the stage on August 3.
The concerts requiring tickets include Jim James, appearing with the Roots, on June 18; Robert Plant & the Sensational Space Shifters on July 27; Barenaked Ladies and Ben Folds on July 30; Yo La Tengo on July 11; and Beck on August 4. Tickets range from $41 to $80 and the profits subsidize the free performances.
The rapper Big Boi will appear on June 20 on a bill with Phony Ppl and D-Nice. Calexico plays on June 15, The Waterboys on July 19 and Bebe Winans on July 25. They Might Be Giants will close out the series on August 10. A full schedule is available on the Celebrate Brooklyn! Web site.
