Sunset’s ninth Make Music New York event another success

Celebrating the start of summer in Sunset!

The Ninth Annual Make Music New York (MMNY) in Sunset Park celebration took place on Sunday, June 21 outside the AT&T store, 5122 Fifth Avenue.

The Sunset Park Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) sponsored the Sunset portion of the worldwide music celebration that holds over 1,000 performances throughout the five boroughs alone. In addition, 327 cities in 111 countries across the world take part in the festival.

This year, Sunset residents enjoyed performances by Regina Opera Company, Amistad with Timothy Perez, Closenuf and Universal Thump.

The BID coordinates with business owners who agree to host bands, and then receive the permit for MMNY.

“It went great. People were enjoying it again. There were extra tents so people wouldn’t get hot,” said Renee Giordano, executive director of the Sunset Park BID. “It’s to say that summer is starting so let’s have a good time. We love doing any event that involves music.”

The event was conceived by MMNY President Aaron Friedman who was inspired to create a similar celebration when he saw the 2006 Fête de la Musique in Paris, also known as Make Music Day, a music festival that takes place on June 21.

“Nine years ago, Freidman spoke to (then) Mayor Bloomberg to see if were okay to have events around city similar to those in Europe on the first day of summer to host live music in the business areas,” Giordano said. “The city and police embraced it.”

Giordano noted how the event has grown over the years. “The first year, the BID took part in three locations. Over the years, more and more organizations and groups realized it can become something good,” she said, noting that the first year, there were just 10 locations around the city hosting the event.

The festive day has also added community spirit for Sunset residents and businesses. “The attention has been great. It’s good for their businesses,” Giordano said. “People hear about the events in the city. Well, it’s also in our neighborhood. It’s nice to have a connection to the city that we’re part of.”

Even though this year’s event landed on Father’s Day, the crowd remained sizable. “People were still out there. It’s gotten so big,” Giordano said.

BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by Corazon Aguirre