June Hobby Guide (Brooklyn Edition)
The best workshops, clinics, intensive classes, and multi-week courses happening in Brooklyn next month.
Only multi-part courses and extended workshops (i.e. 3+ hour classes) are included here.
For introductory classes & experiences, subscribe to our weekly newsletter where we share ~10 hobby happenings each week.
What’s Kicking Off This June
Here are the hobbies we’re covering in this issue:
Nature & Outdoors: 🍄Foraging, 🌱Plant ID & Plant Care, 🐝 Beekeeping, 🛶Canoeing/Kayaking
Creative Expression: ✍️Writing, 📸Photography, 🎨Visual Art, 🎶Music
Crafting: 🧶Fabric Art, 💍Metalsmithing, 🏺Pottery, 🍾Glassblowing, ✨Stained Glass, 🪑Woodworking
Physical Activity: 💃Dance, 🏓Pickleball, 🥋Martial Arts, 🔀Shuffleboard and other leagues, 🏄♀️Surfing
Want to feature a hobby class, organization, or hobbyist in this month’s guide (or the next one)?
Email ooonyc@substack.com and tell us about it!
1. Nature & Outdoors: Top Picks
🍄 Foraging Walk: Prospect Park
Sat June 13 & Sat June 27 12pm–3pm · Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park · $25 (suggested donation)
Since 1982, Steve Brill has been leading foraging walks to teach you how to identify edible and medicinal plants. Equal parts botany lesson, folklore, and meditative nature walk.
🌿 Herbaceous Landscape Plant ID (6 Sessions)
Starting Wed Jun 3 · 5:00 pm · Brooklyn Botanic Gardens · $407 ($371 members)
Learn to identify perennials, annuals, and native plants used in the urban landscape through hands-on sessions on BBG’s grounds.
🌱 Plant Health Care (6 Sessions)
Starting Tue Jun 23 · 5:30 pm · Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Crown Heights · $407 ($371 members)
An in-depth look at Integrated Pest Management, insect identification, and plant pathology, with scouting walks to practice diagnosing real pest and disease problems.
🐝 Urban Beekeeping Basics
Sat Jun 27 · 10:30 am · Brooklyn Botanic Gardens · $75 ($68 members)
A half-day class covering bee biology, hive care tools and techniques, pest management, and the particular considerations of keeping bees in an urban environment, with live hive observation.
🛶 Canoe Camp (4 Sessions)
Starting Sat May 30 · 10:00 am · Gowanus Dredgers · $200
On-water adventure, skill-building, and summer camp vibes. Learn practical skills for exploring our urban waterways: paddling, radio communication, knots & line work, trip planning, chart reading, tides & currents, weather, water safety, and event planning.
Other Public Paddling Offered By:
Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse: free kayaking Wed/Thur/Sat all summer, reservations needed (Brooklyn Heights)
Red Hook Boaters: free kayaking Thur/Sun all summer, no reservations—first come first served(Red Hook)
North Brooklyn Community Boathouse: free canoeing every other Sat through October, no reservations (Greenpoint)
2. Creative Expression: Top Picks
✍️ Personal Essay & Memoir (8 Sessions)
Starting Wed Jun 17 · 7:00 pm · Sackett Street Writers, DUMBO · $1,050
A selective, publication-focused workshop for writers with experience — taught by Amy Shearn, author of five novels and instructor at the Yale Writers’ Workshop. In-person workshopping of student work, with typed instructor feedback and a private one-on-one conference included.
Other Writing Workshops Offered By:
Written in Brooklyn (Online with In Person Events Farm.One)
Brooklyn Public Library (Across Brooklyn)
Center for Fiction (Fort Greene)
📷 Basics B&W Printing Workshop
Sat Jun 13 & Sun Jun 21 @ 10:00 am · Gowanus Darkroom, Gowanus · $165
Hands-on intro to black and white darkroom printing. Bring developed negatives, and learn enlarger use, chemistry, and printing technique. Leave with a contact sheet and one or more silver gelatin prints. Max four students.
Other PhotographyWorkshops Offered By:
Bushwick Community Darkroom (Bushwick)
BRIC: Digital Photography, Photoshop Essentials, Podcasting, Interviewing, Video Editing etc (Fort Greene)
🎨 Beginner Oil Paining (4 Sessions)
Starting Mon Jun 1 · 6:45 pm · Creatively Wild Art Studio, DUMBO · $300
Explore a range of techniques with professional tips and guidance. Suitable for total beginners or intermediate students. Other courses in June include: Block Printing, 3D Sculpture, Beginner Comics, Beginner Watercolor, and more.
Other Visual Art Workshops Offered By:
Brooklyn Brainery: Watercolor, Gouache, Charcoal, Embroidery, Felting, Tapestry Weaving, Cross-Stitch etc (Prospect Heights & Park Slope)
Ko Art Studio: (Cobble Hill)
🎸 Beginner Guitar | Ukelele | Violin
Enroll Early for Summer 2026 (Jul 6–Aug 27) · Weekly, 1 hr/session · Bantam Studios, Park Slope · $380 + instrument rental
Beginner classes designed specifically for people starting from scratch or returning after time away. Small groups, instrument rentals available, and a student recital to close out the summer.
Other Instrument Workshops Offered By:
Kalman Music School (15 studio locations across NYC ·+ at-home available)
Fogo Azul (women’s drumline, practice in public schools across NYC)
3. Crafting: Top Picks
🧶 Beginning Knitting (2 Sessions)
Starting Tue Jun 2 · 6:00 pm · Woolyn, Cobble Hill · $100
A two-session intro covering knit and purl stitches, casting on and off, basic stitch patterns, fixing simple mistakes, and how to choose yarn. By the end you’ll be equipped to make a cowl or scarf independently.
🧵 Intro to Garment Sewing (1-Day Intensive)
Sat Jun 6 · 11:00am · Brooklyn Craft Company, Greenpoint · $165
An intensive one-day workshop where you sew a complete woven tee shirt from a commercial pattern. Learn body measurement, pattern reading, garment assembly, ribbing, and hemming. Leave with a finished custom-made garment. Basic machine-sewing skills required.
Other Fabric Art Workshops Offered By:
Brooklyn Craft Company: Sewing, Weaving, Crochet, Dyeing etc (Greenpoint)
Woolyn: Weaving, Spinning, Crochet, Knitting (Brooklyn Heights)
NY Sewing Center: Sewing, Embroidery, Clothing Making, Pattern Making etc. (Williamsburg)
Brooklyn Sewing Academy: Tote Bags, Embroidery, Alterations etc (Dumbo)
Bond Craft Studio: Needlepoint, Crochet(Carrol Gardens)
Acorn Craft Shop: Knitting, Watercoloring, Craft Nights etc.(Crown Heights)
Cleo’s Yarn Shop: Crochet, Knitting, Craft Nights, etc (Bushwick and Ridgewood)
💎 Powder Coated Talismans (4 Sessions)
Starting Wed Jun 3 @ 6:30 pm · Brooklyn Metal Works, Prospect Heights · $400
Foundational jewelry fabrication course — sawing, filing, soldering, forming, and creating wearable amulets, charms, and pendants from small metal forms. The final session introduces powder coating to add vivid, durable color to finished pieces. No prior experience required.
Other Metal Art Workshops Offered By:
NYC Jewelry Lab (Williamsburg)
🏺Handbuilding Course (6 Sessions)
Starting Mon Jun 1 · 6:30–9:00pm · Studio Shipley, Prospect Heights · $475
Learn coiling, pinching, slab-building, and surface design in an intimate, well-equipped space. Act fast because both of their six-week wheel throwing courses in June are already sold out!
Other Ceramic Art Workshops Offered By:
HeyClay (Gowanus) —> 8-Week Pottery 101 · Starting Sat Jun 6/Wed Jun 17/Sun Jun 21 · $650
Bushwick Ceramics (Bushwick) —> 6-Week Handbuilding · Starting Sat May 30 · 10:30am · $490
ArtShack (BedStuy) —> 5-Week Beginner/Intermediate Wheel Throwing · Starting Sat June 27 · 10:00am · $390
The Pottery Studio (Gowanus)
ClayHouse (Cobble Hill)
Slowburn Ceramics (Gowanus/South Slope)
BKLYN CLAY (Prospect Heights)
Gasworks NYC (South Slope)
✨ Stained Glass
Sun June 14 or Sun June 28 · 11:00 am · Shiny Sparkle Labs, Red Hook · ~$265 ·
Glass studio that offers a variety of workshops and multi-part courses. All tools and supplies provided Cut, foil, and solder your way to a finished 8×8" panel — ready to hang by the end of the day. No experience needed.
Other Glass Workshops Offered By:
Urban Glass: 2-day glassblowing 101 workshop June 20-21, $675 (Fort Greene)
GlassaBlanca: private stained-glass lessons (Park Slope)
🪑 Start Woodworking!
Mon–Wed Jun 15–17 or Jun 22–24 · 7:00–10:00pm · Makeville Studio, Gowanus · $430 ($360 + $70 materials fee)
Three intensive evenings for complete beginners: shop safety, wood selection, hands-on machine work (planer, jointer, table saw, band saw), and basic joinery. Leave with a cutting board and the foundation to take on more advanced classes.
Other Fun Crafty Workshops Offered By:
Craft Society: Bookbinding, Ratan Lampshades, Candle Sculpting etc (Gowanus)
Recess Grove: Block Printing, Candle Sculpting, Felting etc.(Williamsburg)
Happy Medium: Furniture & Lamp Building, Painting etc. (Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Chinatown)
NYC Resistor: Repair Cafes, Laser Cutting, 3D Pinting etc (Downtown Brooklyn)
Brooklyn Creative Reuse: Upcycling, Book Binding, Sign Making etc (Industry City)
YumeBk: Mosaics, Metal Embossing, Lantern Making, Mending, Block Printing etc. (Prospect Lefferts Gardens)
4. Physical Activity: Top Picks
💃 Burlesque Master Class (6 Sessions)
Starting Thu Jun 11 · 6:30 pm · Coney Island Museum · $395 total
Taught by Jo Weldon, this course guides students through building a complete original solo number from scratch: character, concept, music, costuming, choreography, pasty-making, and tassel twirling, culminating in a real showcase on the Sideshow Theater stage.
Other Dance Classes Offered By:
Mark Morris: Drop-In & 6-Week Intros in Ballet, Jazz, Samba, Salsa Tap, Hip Hop, House etc. (Fort Greene)
Brooklyn Swings: Swing & Blues Classes every Monday (Prospect Heights)
Full Circle: $100 Intro to Pole 4-Week Class Kicks off Friday Jun 3 @ 1:30 (Bed Stuy)
Good Move Dance Company: Hip Hop, Modern, Slutty Jazz etc (Williamsburg)
Skaterobics: Roller Dancing (Bushwick)
🏓 Intro to Pickleball Clinics
Multiple Options · Velto Pickleball Club · 160 Van Brunt St, Red Hook · $20
Four courts, open all day. They offer beginner group lessons with certified coaches alongside open play and league sessions.
Other Pickleball Classes & Leagues Offered By:
PKLYN (Gowanus)
Red Hook Pickleball Club (Red Hook)
Court 16: Also has tennis classes and leagues (Downtown Brooklyn)
DiscGolf: Weekly on Sundays, free (Cypress Hills)
⚔️ Intro to Kendo
Wed 7:00–8:30pm & Sat 2:00–3:30pm · Brooklyn Kenyukai Dojo, Bed Stuy · First class free then first month $100
Japanese martial art of sword fighting—practiced with bamboo swords and full protective armor, within a framework of deep etiquette. It’s as much about posture, breath, and presence as it is about striking.
Other Martial Arts Classes Offered By:
Brooklyn Kung Fu (Bushwick)
Brooklyn Martial Arts (Downtown Brooklyn)
Jade Fortress Martial Arts (Williamsburg)
🔀 Shuffleboard (8 Sessions)
Staring Mon Jun 22 or Tues Jun 23 · 6:15, 7:15, 8:15, or 9:15pm · Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club, Gowanus · $650/team (4–10 players)
Competitive summer season — eight weeks of play, a DJ, new friends, and an end-of-season banquet party. Only four players compete per night but teams can be up to ten, so it’s built for social groups.
Other Recreational Leagues Offered By:
Carreau Club: Pétanque (Industry City)
Volo Sports: Basketball, Dodgeball, Bowling, Soccer, Volleyball, etc (Across Brooklyn)
Ultimate Frisbee: Summer league registration coming soon (Across Brooklyn)
Gotham Archery: Summer league kicks off in July (Gowanus)
🏄♀️ Surf Camp
Mon–Fri, 9am–1pm · New York Surf School, Rockaway Beach · $125/day, $329/3 days, or $525/5 days
Open daily, to all ages and skill levels. Each session starts with a land lesson, then moves into a supervised water session with CPR- and first-aid-certified instructors who group students by comfort level.
Want to feature a hobby class, organization, or hobbyist in our June roundup? Email ooonyc@substack.com let us know more 🙃
