If you have not heard about The Great Googa Mooga then you've been living under a rock!
This weekend is the two-day long food and drink fest of all fests for all palates, music tastes pulsating throughout Prospect Park & endless revelry amongst event goers as folks moved elbow to elbow from one booth to the next.
The suspense of this event was 'what is this "Googa Mooga" all about?' I've been to countless local foodie events, after all this is NYC the land of food trucks and street vendors (another reason to love this city!), so I'm not new to the idea. But this event was building up to be a bit more that the norm. Googa Mooga was going to recreate a foodie-themed amusement park in the heart of Brooklyn!
The initial glitch that arose was scoring tickets to this event - if you were fortunate. After the website debacle and angry tweets/emails, I along with a few hundred others were able to cop a ticket and, later, Googa Mooga even extended an extra entry ticket to holders so that they can bring a guests (which was cool). And some attendees opted to spend the cash for VIP access tickets. Well the weeks after that were a blur between the series of updates on the who's who of food vendors on the roster (Big Gay Ice Cream, Brooklyn Soda Works, etc.), the scheduled attractions (performances by several bands including The Roots, Hall & Oats; wine tastings and much more) and the anticipation of a larger than large crowd. Googa Mooga was shaping up to be one event that this city will never forget.
I attended on Saturday - amped and ready! I arrived and knew there was a walk ahead of me so with the proper kicks I proceeded towards the entrance gate. I finally arrived in the early afternoon and the Nethermead lawn already it was packed. I smelled pork, chicken and then some as I entered. After being checked in and with map in hand, I went straight ahead to the bank of booths ("the Marketplace").
I must admit the lines were ridiculously long, the lawn was packed and the tunes were blaring in all directions but nonetheless I was having an absolutely great time (even ran into fellow Brooklynites - Brooklyn Exposed - as they made their rounds!).
There was so much to do or not do. It was downright insane at times - trying to decide what to do next. I ended up simply stuffing my face then walking it off to the next foodie-something. I paused, at times, in awe of the clusters of folks noshing away, dancing, laughing and just having a fantastic time. The negative chatter about how bad this event was executed, how it reminded people of the DMV, etc. faded to the waste side. An event of this magnitude is not going to happen without a hitch, frankly, I feel that the hosts did an exceptional job with all things considered and I hope that this becomes an annual staple of NYC. A great draw for people to explore Brooklyn as the other best thing in the city outside of the isle of Manhattan.
-Chante
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