The weather is warm and the days are longer, so on Sundays many Brooklynites and visitors head to Prospect Park, in central Brooklyn, for the weekly Smorgasburg. This year 100 vendors of food and drink are set up in an oval on the east side of Prospect Park, easily accessible by subway trains and buses.

From April to October, the Prospect Park Smorg is a destination for so many people. Situated in Brooklyn's premier public park, the Smorg features many different cuisines, from the fairly pedestrian to the rather unusual. Several Asian selections are available, as well as Sudanese, Central American, South American (Bolivian, etc.), barbecue, vegan fair, Greek, New Orleans style, and so much more. Have a hankering for ceviche? Ramen burgers? Oysters? Devilled eggs? arepas? Prickly pear cactus lemonade? Lobster rolls? This and more are available.

Some of the food stands offer upwards of a dozen options, while others have three or four offerings. Some of the stands are dessert-only venues, such as the Ring Ding Bar (those little packaged, iced cakes in several exotic flavors), the pudding tent, shaved ice stand, and a few others. 

There is one bar (with a long line) serving beer, but many of the food stands hawk excellent non-alcoholic beverages. Lemonades of various types are available, and the Sudanese stand sells hibiscus juice. A few independent vendors outside of the Smorg area sell bottled water and sodas too.

Besides all the different tantalizing food options, the Smorg is people-watching incarnate. Certainly there are lots of hipsters making their way around the area, munching on dressed-up corn on the cob and dumplings. But there are also lots of families with children of various ages, and senior citizens. There are people of all different ethnicities and races, gender orientations, religions, and so on. It really is a mixer for all different types of people, and dogs as well (so many people bring their pooches here). Tourists rub elbows with dyed in the wool New Yawkers. 

The food is fairly reasonable in price: while you could easily drop $40 for a big multi-course meal here, you can also have a few snacks and spend just $10 or $13. 

People come solo, they arrive in groups, they meet up with or bump into friends. You get to chatting with the people at your picnic table. The vibe is very easy going.

On Sunday, May 19th my husband and older daughter and I came by, and ate arepas with cheese as our appetizer. Then my daughter and I feasted on vegan bbq from a newcomer tent. My husband brought over veggie noodles. We drank the cactus lemonade and then ate frozen cheesecake pops. We were very full and pleased with our purchases.

Some of the stands could use fine tuning and get overwhelmed by their orders, while others are rather quick. On a sunny Sunday, this is an excellent place to eat.