Bed-Stuy Comes Alive With Restoration Rocks!

Text and photos by Amanda O'Mahony.

Bed-Stuy made itself heard across Brooklyn and New York City Saturday night with Restoration Rocks!

The free community event, which kicked off the week-long Bed-Stuy Alive! celebration, was hosted by Leon Robinson, and featured artists like Questlove of The Roots and headliner — and Bed-Stuy native — Big Daddy Kane.

The crowd was entertained by the performances, but the music was not the only highlight. Vendors from various local businesses, including Brooklyn Baby Cakes were in attendance, and people were out to enjoy everything their backyard has to offer. 

While the festival was clearly a success, a representative from the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation said they hoped the event would not only bring about awareness of the vast cultural landscape of the neighborhood, but that it would also give visitors and residents alike a starting point to finding out just how much Bed-Stuy has to offer.

"The community is rich in businesses and organizations," said Tracey Capers of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. "It's all right here. We hope [people will] attend events, tell other people, take advantages of the services, programs and organizations. Get involved in the community."

With the smiles, cheers and excitement the event seemed to generate from the multitude of people gathered on the block Saturday, Restoration Rocks.