Sanders Studios Hosts Festival Kick-Off Party

Consider the summer unofficially kicked-off.

A combo of Brooklyn-bred talent and big name hip-hop acts took to the tables in front of a packed house to celebrate the opening of the Fort Greene Festival at Sanders Studios on Saturday night. 

Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest and Pete Rock drew throngs of fans from the neighborhood, the rest of Brooklyn and beyond at the event, which lasted into the wee hours of Sunday morning. 

The party officially begins a summer performance season culminating in Fort Greene Festival's "urban Woodstock," with superstar rapper Mos Def scheduled to appear onstage in Fort Greene Park on Saturday, June 25 with up-and-comers RES, Medina Green and Game Rebellion.

Among the promoters lending their talents and energy to this year's festival was Danny Castro, who also took on co-hosting duties at Saturday night's kickoff party.

"Enormous. It's been spectacular," Castro said in regards to the community's response to what has become an annual neighborhood rite of summer. "It's going to be the biggest party in Brooklyn in awhile."

Joining hundreds of people hanging out in the dim cavernous space at Sanders, Gina St. Laurent of Manhattan and Sara Thompson of Brooklyn Heights capped a sunny Saturday waiting for the night to get rolling. 

"At first, we thought it was going to be in the park. That's why we wore flats," St. Laurent said. 

The 3rd Annual Fort Greene Festival will take place on Sat., June 25 at Fort Greene Park. The event is free. For more info, visit fortgreenefest.com.