The Northside Festival, Brooklyn’s answer to South By Southwest, takes place over seven days in the trendy Williamsburg neighboorhood. Music dominates the first weekend with a slate of 350 artists performing over 20 venues. While most events required a festival badge or individual ticket, the first Saturday of Northside offered plentiful options for fans of free tunes.

McCarren Park provided an outdoor stage for bands with free showcases at Spike Hill and Pete’s Candy Store. One of the highlights included a stage production of the 90210 episode — “Rebel With a Cause”.

A good chunk of Northside is dedicated to art. During June, the main throughfare of Williambsurg is closed down to traffic creating a surprisingly cozy space for artists and pedestrians. Spray paint graffiti artists created installations while folks relaxed on the grassy “lawn” that stretched intermittently for several blocks.