Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club

Free Walk-Up Paddling
2024-08-04 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-27 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-07-07 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-22 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Gowanus Dredgers Bunker (19th St.), 2 19th St., Brooklyn, NY
Stop down and launch a canoe for a self-guided paddle from our floating docks at the Gowanus Dredgers Bunker Launch Site! Limited to the mouth of the Gowanus Canal to 9th Street and Free (donations encouraged). Please note, this activity is NOT at our 2nd St Boathouse.
Bring a friend and we’ll outfit you with equipment and give quick navigation instructions at the dock. Self-guided voyages can be limited to 15-20 min. if there’s a crowd but otherwise, we expect you to return to the dock 15 min. prior to closing. Upon request, we will provide gloves and bags so you may remove trash found along our estuary. We launch from the end of 19th St / off 3rd avenue and it is first come, first served.
Weather (wind, waves or evidence of storm) may cancel programming with one hour advance notice. Meet at the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club 19th St. Launch, 2 19 St, Brooklyn, (off of 3rd Ave.), wear sunscreen and bring a bottle filled with water. Close-toed shoes are recommended, and wear clothing you don’t mind potentially being splashed. Use a restroom before arrival, as we have limited facilities on-site. All paddlers must sign a waiver, minors require guardian signature on site to authorize canoeing.

Tiziana Mazziotto and Joe Banish: Patterns & Textures
2024-08-03 13:00 - 17:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse, 165 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, United States
PATTERNS & TEXTURES is an exhibition of textured abstract paintings by Tiziana Mazziotto and abstract, visually-textured photographs by Joe Banish that are inspired by and depict the urban concrete and natural water environments that surround us. The patterns, textures, and colors present are at once familiar, yet each hints at something more than the sum of its parts.
PATTERNS & TEXTURES
Tactile Expressions of an Urban Environment
Reception: August 10 (1-5pm)
Open 1-5 PM Saturdays in August, 3, 10, 17, 24 or by appointment
Saturday, August 17, 3pm

Art Talk & Demo
Joe will discuss his photography process and Tiziana will demonstrate how to make faux concrete textures.

“Resilience” by Tiziana Mazziotto

“Intentions” by Tiziana Mazziotto

“Concrete Solution” by Joe Banish

“The Corner of Chaos and Confusion” by Joe Banish

The Boathouse Jam
2024-07-31 18:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-24 18:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-17 18:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-10 18:00 - 20:30, 2024-07-03 18:00 - 20:30, 2024-06-26 18:00 - 20:30 | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse, 165 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, United States
Wednesdays April 3 through October 30th, 2024 6:00 – 8:30 PM
The Boathouse Jam is hosted by the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club to activate our shoreline while fostering the continued resurgence of acoustical collaborations in Brooklyn. We are inclusive of all – young & old, new & seasoned musicians. Just bring a smile and your musical instrument and/or your voice to join our one night makeshift band.
Christian Apuzzo leads most sessions. He is a Brooklyn-based vocalist, guitarist, and music educator. Long Island-raised, this musician started his journey as a certified public school music teacher but has since found the wide-open pastures of the freelance music world in NYC. Playing mostly folk, bluegrass, and country music, Christian plays with numerous groups all over our five boroughs including bluegrass group Cole Quest and the City Pickers and local supergroup the Grass Messengers. He also teaches music lessons and classes for all ages at Jalopy Theatre in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Free but a $5 suggested donation is encouraged, limited beverages are provided.
The Boathouse is located at 165 2nd Street, Brooklyn NY between Bond Street and the Gowanus Canal. Sessions are rain or shine, we gather outside the Boathouse unless it’s cold or raining then we move inside.

A Persistence of Cormorants Poetry Reading
2024-07-28 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-07-21 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-07-14 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-07-07 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-06-30 13:30 - 15:30, 2024-06-23 13:30 - 15:30 | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse, 165 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, United States
A Persistence of Cormorants is a summer-long poetry reading series on our shoreline featuring accomplished and exceptional poets from the New York area, many of who live in Brooklyn. On each of the scheduled Sundays, from 1:30 to 3:30, up to four featured poets will read for 10 to 15 minutes each.
Gerry reads poetry at the canal
The readings will be followed by open mic time limited to ten readers (one poem no longer than 3 minutes) who have signed up the day of the reading on a first come basis.
Reading will be outdoors at the Gowanus open shoreline and we invite you to engage with the emerging Gowanus Canal habitat as we witness the EPA conduct their SuperFUN/d cleanup program. Event may move to inside the boathouse if it begins to rain or we want to escape the summer heat. If other activity is occurring on the street or esplanade, event may move inside.
Participation is free but we encourage donations to sustain the efforts of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, an advocacy stewardship organization who has been representing neighborhood interests for over two decades.
May5th: Safia Jama, Ruh Danon, Elaine Sexton, JoAnne McFarland 19th: Willa Schneberg, Kristine Esser Slentz, Silvia Thomas, John Leo
June2nd: Cheryl Fish, Anton Anton Yakovlev, Leah Umansky, KC Trommer 9th: Sarah Arvio, Dennis Nurkse, Mervyn Taylor, Estha Weiner23rd: JoAnna Solifren, Sara Marron, Arden Levin, Jason Koo30th: Scott Hightower, Sara Sarai, Bruce Whitacre, Dan Kaplan
July14th: Broadstone Books: Myra Malkin, Meredith Trede, Stephanie Laterza, Marcia LeBeau21st: Dan Nester, Carley Moore, David Francis, Linda Russo28th: Gerry LaFamina, Maddy Barnes, Sara Wallace, Sarah Gutowski
August4th: John Deming, Miranda Beeson, Amy Holman, Jason Schneiderman11th: Jordan Franklin Matthew Thornburn, Alex Long, David Geoff18th: Myra Shapiro, Richard Levine, Carl Rosenstock, Barbara Elovic25th: Linda Lerner, Linda Kleinbub, Ron Kolm, Bill Considine
September8th: Abigail Welhouse Jiwon Choi, Austin Alexsis, Karen Neuberg15th: Michael Broder, Indran Amirthanayagam, Erin Lynn, Amy Lemmon22th: Tina Cane, Zoe Ryder White, Caitlin McDonnell, Denver Butson, Terence Degnan29th: Neil Shepard, Hilary Sideris, Kristina Anderson, Anthony Cappo
October6th: Lisa Andrews, Lisa Badner, Karen Heldebrand, Grace G13th: Broadstone Books: Susana H Case, Lynn Mcgee, Amy Barone, Margo Stever, Mary Maloney

Ukulele Cabaret: Hot in the City [NEW LOCATION]
2024-07-27 14:00 - 17:00 | NY
Hot in the City
3pm Saturday July 27th

It’s getting hot in here! Featuring Chris Combs, Gio Gaynor, Jamie Scandal, John Vitale, Lloyd United, Makalina, Pete Sturman, Rush Kress and Ukelinda hosted by Sonic Uke.
Prospect Park near the Picnic House
Enter on Prospect Park West at 3rd Street, or Grand Army Plaza.
Google Maps link
2pm Picnic
3pm Performances
RSVP here for detailed directions

For nineteen years the Ukulele Cabaret has provided a stage for musicians, artists and performers from New York’s underground ukulele scene.
Ted and Jason of Sonic Uke started the cabaret in May 2005 in the back of Julius bar in West Village. After outgrowing our stage there we settled in for a residency at legendary East Village gastropub Jimmy’s 43, with cameos at Barbes, The Zipper Factory and Banjo Jim’s before moving to The Red Room at the KGB Bar — an East Village speakeasy that in 1914 was the headquarters of Emma Goldman’s Secret Society of anarchists.
https://ukulelecabaret.com/

What's a Mookntaka? (a playful pairing of mark and karyn)
2024-07-27 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-20 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-13 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-06 13:00 - 20:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse, 165 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, United States
The Brooklyn-based art duo, Mookntaka (MOO-kin-tah-kah) is known for their playful and whimsical inflatable installations, but did you know that Mark Zlotsky and Karyn Lao also have individual creative practices?
What’s a Mookntaka?, a solo show at the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, dives into the duo’s personal work, providing insight to their collaboration and inspiration behind their big, friendly, inflatable friends.
Explore an eclectic mix of pompoms, furniture, jewelry, drawings, inflatables, and more! See how their unique backgrounds and shared vision come together to create joyful art experiences.
July Gallery Hours: Saturdays 1-5 pm, or by appointment
Opening Reception: July 6, 5-8 pm

Mookntaka’s Friends and Follies, Photo by Anna Louise

Public Paddling Days at Bush Terminal Park
2024-07-27 12:00 - 16:00 | Bush Terminal Piers Park, Marginal St. &, 43rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Demonstration Public Paddling Days at Bush Terminal Park
Saturday, July 27, noon to 4:00 PM
Saturday, August 24, noon to 4:00 PM
The Gowanus Dredgers, NYC Watertrail Association, and Red Hook Boaters
are presenting demonstration public paddling days at Bush Terminal Park
(in Sunset Park, Brooklyn) to show the Parks Department and other
stakeholders what’s possible if a boathouse is located at this unique
location and if it’s made into an official NYC kayak and canoe launch
site. They’re planning on having a mixed fleet of sit-on-top kayaks and
canoes, along with a wooden rowing dory, available for use on a
first-come, first-served basis.

Full Moon Gowanus Voyage - July
2024-07-20 20:00 - 22:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Bunker (19th St.), 2 19th St., Brooklyn, NY
Join our Crew on a sunset and full-moon guided adventure!! Meet at the the Gowanus Dredgers Bunker, at the end of 19th St / off 3rd Ave, 11232 – NOT our 2nd St. boathouse. Tickets required, available here.
Sunset 8:22p | Moonrise 8:24p | Civil End 8:54p | Nautical End 9:33p
The stars should be on display along with harbor lights. We will provide lights for each canoe, you’re welcome to bring/wear your own head lamp as well. Each canoe will have up to 3 people. Solo paddlers are welcome, you will be paired with other members of the group based on experience and comfort in a canoe. Close-toed shoes are recommended, and wear clothing you don’t mind potentially being splashed. Use a restroom before arrival, as we have limited facilities on-site.
Due to EPA cleaning of Gowanus, voyage will head towards the 9th St bridge and return to Gowanus Bay and our new South Gowanus Bunker.
If raining or threatening weather (high winds, lightning) by 5:30pm we may cancel. Attendees will be notified via the email used to purchase tickets. Tour is not cancelled due to clouds but let’s hope for a clear sky for the moon rise! No Refunds, there is no rain date.

July Monthly Meeting & Paddle
2024-07-18 18:30 - 21:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Bunker (19th St.), 2 19th St., Brooklyn, NY
Socialize with the Dredgers at our BUNKER (2 19th St, off of 3rd Ave) for a casual volunteer orientation (sign-up here), member catch-up and paddle! We’ll gather at 6:30 to start the orientation and aim to be on-water around 7:15.
Meet at the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club 19th St. Launch, 2 19 St, Brooklyn, (off of 3rd Ave.). If you plan to join the paddle, wear sunscreen and bring a bottle filled with water. Close-toed shoes are recommended, and wear clothing you don’t mind potentially being splashed. Use a restroom before arrival, as we have limited facilities on-site. All paddlers must sign a waiver.
Weather (wind, waves or evidence of storm) may cancel the paddling portion with one hour advance notice. In case of inclement weather, meeting will be relocated follow us on Instagram or sign up for our mailing list to stay informed.

City of Water Day with the Gowanus Dredgers
2024-07-13 10:00 - 16:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Bunker (19th St.), 2 19th St., Brooklyn, NY
City of Water Day 2024!
Now in its 17th year, City of Water Day — taking place this year on Saturday, July 13 — is a region-wide day of free, family-friendly events on or near the water, organized by Waterfront Alliance and New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP), to champion a climate-resilient New York and New Jersey harbor.
Here’s what the Dredgers’ have planned for the day. Additional events can be found on the City of Water Day site here.

Unheard-of Ensemble x Gowanus Dredgers
Join us for the premiere of a unique, site-specific music journey curated by Unheard-of Ensemble in collaboration with the Gowanus Dredgers. Launch yourself into the Gowanus on a canoe for a musical experience inspired by the surprising, beautiful stories of its contamination, resiliency and recovery.
Self-guided tours will launch from our 19th St. Bunker (2 19th St.) from 10Am to 4PM. RSVP here for specific details about launch times.

Gowanus Canal Conservancy x Gowanus Dredgers
Drop in at the Lowlands Nursery, 25 9th Street, between 11 AM and 4 PM to learn about the Gowanus Canal and visit our own Mussel Beach! All ages are welcome. Visit our education stations all day for observing wildlife, mussel crafts, and flexing your Gowanus Mussels. During the event take part in scheduled lectures, demonstrations, water quality testing, and performances.
Mussel Beach Stations @ Lowlands Nursery11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Water Quality Testing @ Lowlands Nursery11:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Atlantic Ribbed Mussel Talk and Habitat Casting Demo @ Lowlands Nursery1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Artichoke Dance Company Performance (300 Huntington Waterfront Esplanade)2:00 PM – 2:15 PMEsplanade accessible via 300 Huntington Street or Lowlands Nursery.
This event is free for all to attend. Registration encouraged but not required. Please note, all participants will be asked to sign a waiver while on site. These activities will be available weather permitting. A port-a-potty is available on site. The Lowlands Nursery is a mulch and gravel surface; those using mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs may find it challenging to traverse the landscape.

Emily Chiavelli: The Sky Is Blue in Boston
2024-06-29 13:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-22 13:00 - 17:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse, 165 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, United States
The Sky is Blue in Boston is a solo exhibition by Gowanus-based photographer Emily Chiavelli. The exhibition comprises analog images she shot in the year following her mother’s death in March of 2023, primarily in California’s San Joaquin Valley, intertwined with the medical texts her sister studied during the same period.
Reception: June 8, 2024, 6:00-8:30 PM
Open 1-5 PM Saturdays in June – 8, 15, 22, 29, or by appointment

Maggie, by Emily Chiavelli

Rascal Creek Treehouse, by Maggie, by Emily Chiavelli

Sick Role Theory, by Maggie, by Emily Chiavelli

Pride Paddle 2024
2024-06-27 19:30 - 21:30 | Gowanus Dredgers Bunker (19th St.), 2 19th St., Brooklyn, NY
Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride & paddle with us.
June 27
@
7:30 pm
–
9:30 pm
This is our sixth annual Pride Paddle! We persisted right through each year of the pandemic, because celebrating and signaling the importance of inclusion on the waterfront is crucial to our work.
Meet at our 19th St. Bunker Launch site (end of 19th St / off 3rd Ave.) at Gowanus Bay and please register to ensure we can reserve a seat for you. [Tickets available here.]
We’ll be be paddling out as the sun sets, hoping for some technicolor clouds and good sunset glows. We may pair three people per canoe with two in change of navigation and one passenger. Solo paddlers are welcome, you will be paired with other members of the group based on experience and comfort in a canoe. Bring your rainbow flags and colorful apparel!
Sunset: 8:31| Civil End 9:04 | Nautical End 9:47
**No rain date – event will cancel by 4 pm if heavy rain, thunder or lightning is on the menu.** Meet at the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club 19th St. Launch, 2 19 St, Brooklyn, (off of 3rd Ave.), wear sunscreen and bring a bottle filled with water. Close-toed shoes are recommended, and wear clothing you don’t mind potentially being splashed. Use a restroom before arrival, as we have limited facilities on-site (a port-a-john).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdvJE0VH5No

2Step/Line Dance Party with the Slide Stops & Sargent Seedoo
2024-06-21 19:00 - 22:00 | Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club Boathouse, 165 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, United States
2 Step / Line Dance Party with the Slide Stops & Sargent Seedoo
June 21
@
7:00 pm
–
10:00 pm
Sargent Seedoo teaches yr feetThe moves and swings he’ll chantGd respects us when we workBut Loves us when we dance!

Simple 2 Step Lesson, Simple Line Dance Lesson
Band strikes up and we dance
A lil tougher line dance and some more 2 Step moves
Band strikes up and we dance

Line dancing provides a space for everybody to move w/ one another and feel that power of dancing in time w/ others w/o the touch.
🎟️ Tickets required. 🎟️
