Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Park Slope Dads
[Free Letter] Including a classic car show and a book for diner-loving dads
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We just did Mother’s Day — now let’s do Father’s Day! If you have someone you’d like to shop for — doesn’t need to be a dad! — here are some recommendations. You can find most of these gifts in Park Slope, which makes last-minute shopping easier and supports local businesses.
Note: I select every product/experience you see in this guide. I do not receive any incentive to include anything you see here, and I do not receive affiliate commissions from any brands.
Activities
Birdwatch in Prospect Park: Using Brooklyn Bird Club’s handy Prospect Park Bird List, head up to the park for a self-guided birdwatching tour. If you need binoculars, Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. carries Huckleberry Binoculars, $33.
Get tickets to a show: At 7:30PM on Father’s Day, head to Union Hall for Good God, a live stand-up comedy show produced by Caitlin Cook, Brittany Carney, Naomi Karavani, and Shane Torres, from $12. If you’re looking for something kid-friendly, Jack & the Beanstalk is playing at Puppetworks on Father’s Day at 12:30PM and 2:30PM.
Try axe throwing: Kick Axe Throwing is celebrating Father’s Day with a free beer for Dad when he hits the bullseye. Reserve your tickets for this event happening on June 16th, 11:30AM-10:30PM, $34/person. They also have a huge outdoor patio and other games to enjoy for the whole crew.
Play pickleball: Head to Washington Park and play a few games of pickleball on the outdoor court, or you can go to the Armory and play on indoor courts. If you need paddles and balls, swing by Annie’s Blue Ribbon and pickup this colorful set or a jar of balls.
Food & Drink
Russ & Daughters New York Brunch: While this isn’t something you can technically find in Park Slope, it ships to you and is a tasty way to celebrate Father’s Day. Plus, it comes with a really cute coffee mug, $195 serves six. There’s also a Father’s Day Brunch package that’s the same as the New York Brunch package except you get a couple extra items, like a Russ & Daughters baseball cap, $210 serves six. You could also head down to Russ & Daughters at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and pick up takeout, one of Richard Bernstein’s favorite things to do.
Get his knives sharpened: Mike & Sons Sharpening Service runs out of a truck, and you can call Mike to see where he’ll be or ask him to come to you. Another option is Indulge Kitchen Supplies in Clinton Hill. They do pickup and drop-off as well.
Go out for gelato: Head to Un Posto Italiano, sit in the garden, and order their seasonal gelato — a recommendation from the very first PST interview with Stephanie Valdez!
Grill: One of my husband’s favorite pastimes is spending a chill afternoon by the grill, so we’ll definitely do that at some point over Father’s Day weekend. If you’re looking for meat, Winner Butcher offers a wide variety of high-quality cuts, and you can grab sourdough while you’re there too. For veggies, try the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket on Saturday between 8AM and 3PM.
Books & Subscriptions
“Pedro Páramo” by Juan Rulfo, translated Douglas J. Weatherford: One of Stephanie Valdez’s picks at Community Bookstore, “Pedro Páramo” is a national bestseller and soon-to-be Netflix film. The story follows a man who promises his dying mother that he will travel to Comala to meet Pedro Páramo, the father he’s never met. When he reaches Comala, he confronts hallucinations, memories, and a town populated entirely by ghosts.
“Crosswords for a Lazy Weekend” from The New York Times: Annie’s Blue Ribbon carries this collection of 200 of the New York Times’ easy to hard crossword puzzles. Perfect for park hangs and beach days!
“Diners” by John Baeder: Wouldn’t this be a fun gift for someone who loves diners? More than 100 diners from all over the United States — many of which no longer exist — are featured in this book. Baeder’s own captions introducing each diner describe the food, owners, patrons, and sometimes quirky histories. There’s a single copy of this secondhand book at Troubled Sleep, so head over ASAP if you’re interested. Another book I saw at Troubled Sleep — that would make a great Father’s Day gift — is Djuna Barnes’ “Interviews,” which is a collection of interviews with James Joyce, Lillian Russell, Diamond Jim Brady, Coco Chanel, David Belasco, Kiki, D. W. Griffith, Mother Jones, Billy Sunday, Flo Ziegfeld, Lunt & Fontanne, and many others.
PST Subscription: For a whole year of interviews with his neighbors, fun recommendations, and more gift a subscription to Park Slope Times! ;) “This is such a great idea! Thanks for giving us more reasons to love this neighborhood,” says Grayson Johnson, Park Slope dad, about PST. $60/year or $6/month.
Classes
Climbing classes: Bouldering Project is a climbing gym located on Degraw Street between Third and Fourth Avenues. They offer group and private climbing classes, as well as Free Climb Fridays, from $180/month for a membership.
Yoga classes: Build muscle and improve flexibility with yoga classes at Brooklyn Flow. They offer classes for beginners to advanced students and also have kids and family classes so the whole family practice together, from $25.
Head to a Game or Classic Car Show
Tickets to a New York Liberty game: Head to Barclays to watch the New York Liberty play on June 20th, June 22nd, or June 30th. Check the schedule for games later this summer. Also, get Dad an Everyone Watches Women's Sports tee!
Tickets to a Brooklyn Cyclones game: Watch the Cyclones play at Maimonides Park any day between June 18th and June 23rd. They also have a number of home games in July.
Tickets to a FerryHawks game: Take the Staten Island Ferry to watch the FerryHawks play on Father’s Day at 1:30PM. They also have home games later in June and several in July.
See the classic cars at the Seventh Heaven Street Festival: Did you know the Park Slope Chamber’s street fair has a classic car show?! Along with art, food, music, antiques, and shopping on Seventh Avenue between Flatbush and 16th Street, you can see a bunch of antique cars. The street fair kicks off on Sunday, June 16th, at 10AM and goes until 6PM.
Donate In His Name
Donate in his name to Brooklyn Public Library to help provide free access to books, technology, literacy programs, and more to the community.
Donate in his name to CHiPS, the Park Slope/Gowanus full-service soup kitchen and food pantry, to help end food insecurity and homelessness.
Donate in his name to Prospect Park Alliance to support restoration projects and clean-up in the park.
Donate in his name to Brooklyn Book Bodega to provide local children and their families with access to books, free events, and literacy-based community programming.
More Ideas
Frame an object: Framebridge’s floating option is perfect for framing objects. You can stop by their Park Slope shop at 159 Fifth Avenue, or use their website and click “start framing” and then “objects with depth.” You can frame almost anything — from a 3D kids’ art project to a license plate to old jewelry.
Make a card: What is it about homemade cards? They’re always a favorite in our family, and I love pulling out a bunch of markers and some paper and seeing what my daughter comes up with. If you’re looking for a traditional card, Annie’s Blue Ribbon has a big selection of Father’s Day cards.
Alone time: This year, I’m taking our three-year-old daughter out for a big chunk of the day so my husband Dan can chill BY HIMSELF. Everyone, regardless of whether they’re a parent or not, should get days like this. No *thinking* required.
Looking for more? The PST Mother’s Day Gift Guide has lots of ideas that work for dads too, like a bike ride in the park, a DIY cheese board, new running shoes, pasta kits, and more. Also, check out the Park Slope Thrift, Vintage & Consignment Store Guide for places to find fun secondhand gifts.
Happy Father’s Day!
(Birdwatching photo by Diane Helentjaris. Pickleball photo by Joan Azeka. Knife sharpening photo by Manki Kim. Grilling photo by Victoria Shes. Cars photo via Hillcrest Classic Car Show. Puppy photo by Isaac Davis. All other photos were taken by Kelley MacDonald or are product/brand images.)
Legendary crossing guard Miss Maggie is retiring — at age 90! Maggie has been working as a crossing guard at PS 282 since 1978. She will retire later this month when the school year closes.
06/07 Central Library Film Club: Pride in Many Tones — The Watermelon Woman (1996), 3PM 📍Central Library
06/07 Community Pizza Nights with Angela Lombardo, 4PM 📍Old Stone House
06/07 LGBTQ+ Teen Night: The Art of Exposure, 5PM 📍Brooklyn Museum
06/07 Beyoncé Dreamland Roller Disco-Cowboy Carter Edition- Lakeside Roller Dance, 7PM 📍LeFrak Center
06/07 Brooklyn Pride Movie Night: Caribbean Queen, 7:30PM 📍4th Street & 5th Avenue
06/08 28th Annual Brooklyn Pride Multicultural Festival, 10AM-5PM 📍5th Avenue between Union & 9th Streets
06/08 Brooklyn Pride 5K Run/Walk, 10AM 📍Prospect Park
06/08 BCM at Brooklyn Pride Parade, 11AM-4PM 📍Festival’s Family Fun Zone by the Old Stone House
06/08 Rose Tour, 11AM 📍Brooklyn Botanic Garden
06/08 Brooklyn Pride Main Stage, 12PM 📍JJ Byrne Playground
06/08 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Family Day: The Halluci Nation | Xiuhtezcatl | Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, 3PM 📍Lena Horne Bandshell
06/08 "Berlin>>Brooklyn" Opening Reception, 4PM 📍440 Gallery
06/08 Lakeside Roller Dance Night FT Roller Wave, 6PM 📍LeFrak Center
06/08 Funky Reggae House Party Presents a Brooklyn Pride Carnival, 7PM 📍Brooklyn Museum
06/08 28th Annual Brooklyn Pride Twilight Parade, 7:30PM 📍Fifth Avenue from Lincoln Place to 8th Street
06/08 Hot Gossip Comedy Show, 8PM 📍Littlefield
06/08 For TheO Gworls, 11PM 📍Littlefield
06/09 Brooklyn Animal Action CatWalk 2024, 11AM 📍Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park
06/09 Meet & Greet Fudgie, 11AM 📍Carvel/Cinnabon Parkslope
06/09 Smorgasburg, 11AM 📍Prospect Park Breeze Hill
06/09 Exhibit Opening: Adama Delphine Fawundu, Ancestral Whispers, 2PM-5PM 📍Lefferts Historic House
06/09 Concerts on The Slope: Echos of Genius, 3PM 📍St. John’s Park Slope
06/09 T4T: Two-Year Transgender Comedy Anniversary Spectacular, 7:30PM 📍The Bell House
06/10 Queer To Tell: A Storytelling Series, 8PM 📍Ginger’s Bar
06/11 Jack and Friends Summer Concert Series: Hopalong Andrew, 4PM 📍Park Slope Library
06/11 AMP’d Interval Training with Chelsea Piers Fitness, 6PM 📍Long Meadow
06/11 Rooftop Films Presents: Orphan Black: Echoes, 8PM 📍Green-Wood Cemetery
06/12 Summer at the Library Kickoff Drop-In Event, 4PM 📍Park Slope Library
06/12 Book Club: Lives of Girls and Women, 7PM 📍Community Bookstore
06/12 The Moth Mainstage, 7PM 📍Green-Wood Cemetery
06/13 Lalo-palooza, 10AM 📍JJ Byrne Playground
06/13 Nature Exploration: Pollinator Month, 12AM 📍Prospect Park Audubon Center
06/13 Drag and Draw, 7PM 📍Brooklyn Museum
06/13 Summer Yoga Series with Brooklyn Flow, 7PM 📍North Long Meadow
Thanks so much for reading Park Slope Times this week! I hope you find this guide useful, and please let me know in the comments if you use any of these ideas for your dad or a father figure in your life. Also, feel free to share any ideas you have too. Have a fun weekend, and HAPPY PRIDE!
Kelley xoxo