This weekend, there is more Brussels in New York than you might think

After a two-year break due to the coronapandemic, Brussels is again getting ready for the Iris Festival. On 7 and 8 May, the 33rd anniversary of the Brussels region will be celebrated with a well-filled programme and an extra edition in New York. "There is more Brussels in New York than you might think."

This weekend the Belgian capital is celebrating its 33rd anniversary. It does so with various events, walks, food trucks and performances in the many parks and neighbourhoods of the capital. One of the central attractions is '100 years of the garden suburbs of the Brussels-Capital region'. To mark the centenary, sixteen communes in the Brussels-Capital region will be hosting free guided tours to highlight its heritage and history. 

Brooklyn Grange

On Saturday European institutions will also open their doors to the general public during 'Europe Day'. One day later, the American city of New York will be the place to be to celebrate the Iris Festival. Celebrators are welcome between 12 and 15 hrs at the Brooklyn Grange in Sunset Park, where Hub.brussels and the City of Brussels will welcome guests at the sustainable vertical farm with a view of the Manhattan skyline. 

The New York event, with the slogan "There is more Brussels in New York than you might think", will focus on typical Belgian products such as beer, waffles and chocolate. Important Brussels companies will also be promoted. At the same time, the Belgian capital wants to profile itself in New York as a sustainable and circular city that wants to contribute to the climate objectives. The American visitors of the Iris Festival can even win a trip to Brussels. 

(AHU)

© BELGA/AFP