Weeksville Heritage Center

Weeksville Heritage Center Weeksville Heritage Center (WHC) is an historic house museum. Weeksville is as dynamic as it was when its founders created it.

We celebrate the history of Weeksville, a free and intentional African American community founded in 1838 in Brooklyn. Weeksville Heritage Center is a multi-dimensional museum that celebrates the history of Weeksville, one of the first free African American communities in the country, established in 1838. Located in Central Brooklyn, the mission of Weeksville Heritage Center is to document, preser

ve and interpret the history of free African, Caribbean, and African American communities in Weeksville, Brooklyn, and beyond to create and inspire innovative, contemporary uses of history through research, education, the arts, and civic engagement. Drawing inspiration from the history of the community, WHC is known for the guided tours of its Hunterfly Road historic homes, public programs such as the Garden Party Concert Series, Brilliant Corners Jazz Concert, Farmers Market, Emancipation Day Celebrations, Vaudeville Family Day, ongoing oral history projects, and so much more. Walk in tours of the historic houses are Tuesday-Friday at 3:00 PM. Our public programming season begins in May/June with our annual jazz concert and weekend farmers market, and culminates in July with musical performances every Saturday, along with film screenings and lecture series. Special events are announced throughout the year. To learn more visit us at www.weeksvillesociety.org.

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10 AM to 6 PM, the 5th annual Black Man’s Health Festival returns to Weeksville.This fre...
05/28/2026

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10 AM to 6 PM, the 5th annual Black Man’s Health Festival returns to Weeksville.

This free community experience, presented by Heart, Body & Soul, Inc. in partnership with the Office of Councilmember Chi Ossé and Weeksville Heritage Center, centers Black men’s wellness, joy, and transformation through culture, creativity, and connection.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4v9ReBk

Join us on Wednesday, June 3, at 6 PM for the opening reception of "Peace in Destruction: Art from Rikers Island," prese...
05/27/2026

Join us on Wednesday, June 3, at 6 PM for the opening reception of "Peace in Destruction: Art from Rikers Island," presented by Groundswell at Weeksville Heritage Center.

Between 2008 and 2019, Groundswell created murals at Rikers Island alongside young people impacted by the carceral system. Few of these works have ever been seen outside those walls.

This exhibition brings them into public view for the first time in images by celebrated street photographer Martha Cooper, alongside new works created in direct conversation with the murals by youth impacted by incarceration.

Free and open to the public.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4eXKxOb

Pleasure as history. Pleasure as resistance.On June 4th, "Black & Free: Pleasure Histories" comes to Weeksville Heritage...
05/26/2026

Pleasure as history. Pleasure as resistance.

On June 4th, "Black & Free: Pleasure Histories" comes to Weeksville Heritage Center with an evening of film and live performance honoring Black q***r and trans legacies of pleasure that are so often left out of dominant narratives.

The program begins with a screening of the short film "Mary of Ill Fame" (2020–2021) by Tourmaline–a fictional story shaped around the real life of Mary Jones, a Black trans woman and s*x worker living in New York in the 1830s–alongside excerpts from the "We Been Here" showcase, which pays tribute to Black burlesque legends Sahji (1940s) and Jean Idelle (1950s-60s) and features live performances from two of New York's current Black burlesque stars: Queerly Femmetastic and Aurora Boobrealis.

We hope you’ll join us!
RSVP: https://bit.ly/4djbf1m

Weeksville Heritage Center and Black-Owned Brooklyn are proud to present the 5th Annual Juneteenth Food Festival! This y...
05/22/2026

Weeksville Heritage Center and Black-Owned Brooklyn are proud to present the 5th Annual Juneteenth Food Festival! This year’s event brings together 31 Black food vendors for a gathering rooted in the food traditions that have been central to Juneteenth since its earliest observances.

In addition to food from the American South and Black diaspora, the festival will include DJ sets by Saint James Joy, DJ Tara, Donwill, DJ Monday Blue; line dancing with Kendra J. Ross; performances by The Jazzy Jumpers and Brooklyn United drumline; and Black food literature from BEM | books & more.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/49fwrUL

Were you in the room? Because something special happened at Weeksville Heritage Center’s 4th Annual Spring Benefit, "Pre...
05/21/2026

Were you in the room? Because something special happened at Weeksville Heritage Center’s 4th Annual Spring Benefit, "Preserving Home: Past, Present, and Future."

From heartfelt tributes to joyful moments, music, art, and community, the evening was a beautiful reminder of what it means to come together in support of preserving history, culture, and home.

To everyone who joined us, supported, donated, and helped bring this evening to life, thank you for being part of history at Weeksville!

There is still time to make a gift: https://bit.ly/4dImMbH

An evening of art, culture, and community on the historic grounds of Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, NY.The 2026 Spring Benefit, Preserving Home: Pas...

Last call to be part of the Weeksville Green Community Market. Deadline is Friday, May 22. We are looking for vendors an...
05/20/2026

Last call to be part of the Weeksville Green Community Market. Deadline is Friday, May 22.

We are looking for vendors and artisans ready to bring fresh food, goods, and skills to our Crown Heights community this summer.

Market dates: July 11, August 22, September 19, and October 24. 12–5 PM at Weeksville in Brooklyn, NY.

Selected vendors will be notified by May 29.

Apply now: https://bit.ly/49xoVor

Photos: Alex Bershaw

Last week, we gathered at Weeksville Heritage Center for our 4th Annual Spring Benefit, an evening rooted in “Preserving...
05/12/2026

Last week, we gathered at Weeksville Heritage Center for our 4th Annual Spring Benefit, an evening rooted in “Preserving Home: Past, Present, and Future.”

Together, we honored extraordinary leaders, celebrated community, and reaffirmed our shared commitment to protecting history while investing in what’s next.

Thank you to our honorees, sponsors, partners, and everyone who joined us and supported this unforgettable evening. Your presence and generosity help ensure Weeksville’s legacy continues for generations to come.

📸 Check out some highlights from the evening!



Photos: BFA

Pleasure as history. Pleasure as resistance.On June 4th, “Black & Free: Pleasure Histories” comes to Weeksville Heritage...
05/11/2026

Pleasure as history. Pleasure as resistance.

On June 4th, “Black & Free: Pleasure Histories” comes to Weeksville Heritage Center with an evening of film and live performance honoring Black q***r and trans legacies of pleasure that are so often left out of dominant narratives.

The program begins with a screening of the short film, “Mary of Ill Fame” (2020–2021) by Tourmaline–a fictional story shaped around the real life of Mary Jones, a Black trans woman and s*x worker living in New York in 1830s–alongside excerpts of the “We Been Here” showcase, which pays tribute to Black burlesque legends Sahji (1940’s), and Jean Idelle (1950s-60s) and features live performances from two of New York's current Black burlesque stars: Queerly Femmetastic and Aurora Boobrealis.

We hope you’ll join us!

RSVP: https://bit.ly/4djbf1m

The Weeksville Green Community Market is back for 2026! We are looking for vendors, chefs, herbalists, food and movement...
05/08/2026

The Weeksville Green Community Market is back for 2026!

We are looking for vendors, chefs, herbalists, food and movement practitioners, and artisans ready to bring fresh food, goods, and skills to our community.

Apply now. Submissions close May 22nd: https://bit.ly/3Rd4oii

Market dates: July 11, August 23, September 19, and October 24. 12–5 PM.

On Saturday, May 16th, BAM’s iconic DanceAfrica Festival returns to Weeksville for A Tribute to the Ancestors! Join us a...
05/08/2026

On Saturday, May 16th, BAM’s iconic DanceAfrica Festival returns to Weeksville for A Tribute to the Ancestors! Join us at 10 am for this beautiful traditional tribute under the guidance of artistic director Abdel R. Salaam and the DanceAfrica Council of Elders.

The event honors those who have passed and features music and drumming, dance performances, and a libation ceremony conducted by the Council of Elders.

You won’t want to miss it! Register through BAM here: https://bit.ly/42UJuHq

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158 Buffalo Avenue
New York, NY
11213

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