It's back! Giglio feast returns on July 7

Talk about heavy lifting.

For more than 100 years, the Giglio has been delighting Brooklynites with the lifting of an 80-foot tall, three-ton tower.

To unsuspecting visitors to Williamsburg during the 12-day feast, the sight might be a bit mysterious, what with 100 grown men slowly hoisting the tower — a statue of St. Paulinus of Nola — down Havemayer Street, while still managing to hold on to their beer.

It’s all part of a celebration honoring Paulinus, whose saintly behavior included sacrificing himself for his son, being enslaved in Africa and then returning to Nola in one piece, where he was showered with lilies, aka gigli (read more about the tradition here).

Now in its 123rd year in the neighborhood, the feast also features music from acts like Danny Vecchiano and the Giglio Band, great, greasy street fair food like sausage and peppers and zeppolis, and a celebration of the community around Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish, which organizes the festival, which runs July 7-18.

Year in and year out, it’s not to be missed.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Feast and Festival of the Giglio [275 N. Eighth St. at Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg, (718) 384-0223], July 7-18. The giglio is lifted on July 11 at 1 pm; on July 14 at 8 pm; and on July 18 at 2 pm. For info, visit www.olmcfeast.com.

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The (Long) Weekend: 7.2-7.5

Friday, July 2

Boroughwide: Go 'Fourth' this weekend, with our guide to holiday happenings in Brooklyn, all weekend long (and Monday, too!).

Greenpoint: Find your next summer frock, or a rare record, at the Greenpoint Flea Market.

Saturday, July 3

Bed-Stuy: Celebrate the other Independence Day - the day New York freed its slaves - at the Weeksville Heritage Center. Cody ChesnuTT performs.

Boroughwide: It's your last chance to break out "Fur Elise" in public at part of the "Play Me I'm Yours" public art project.

Sunday, July 4

Boroughwide: Why waste a beautiful day outdoors? You can still drink, but do it at one of these rooftop destinations.

Boroughwide: Need to cool down? Head to an outdoor public pool near you.

Monday, July 5

DUMBO: The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival invades the borough, with events planned all week long.

Fort Greene: See Spike Lee before the Nike and vodka deals, when his feature debut, "She's Gotta Have It," screens at BAM.

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Pumps & Pleats: Ride your bike in style

Photo by Ted Levin

Story by Michèle De Meglio

Any fashionista knows that you must look chic at all times.

So with spring in full swing, it’s time to break out your bicycles for some fun in the sun. But wait! You can’t ride around on any old beat-up piece of junk. You need a chic cycle — and so do I.

I scoured the borough (and even hit Paragon Sports in Manhattan) for the perfect beach cruiser. Why a cruiser? Well, it’s much more comfortable than the folding bike I own and comes in crazy colors and prints that are definitely cuter than my gunmetal gray Breezer!

Roy’s Sheepshead Cycle Shop on Coney Island Avenue off Avenue X has tons of bikes but a limited selection of cruisers by Electra, a California-based bike brand.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous lemon yellow Amsterdam cycle painted with delicate red flowers, stop in at Roy’s. It’s a super feminine and super pretty ride but I was set on scoring a blue bike. C’mon, wouldn’t it be sweet to ride an ocean blue beach cruiser on the Coney Island boardwalk (during permitted hours, of course)?

So I headed to Ride Brooklyn on Bergen Street between Flatbush Avenue and Fifth Avenue, which sold a color-block cruiser to a friend of mine last year.

Only a few Electra styles were in stock and I immediately passed on anything bearing the word “Townie” down the frame. Lame-o!

Since they didn’t have the Coaster One model I was really digging, I took a test ride on a baby blue bike decorated with white tropical flowers.

All it took was one quick trip around the block for me to fall in love with the Hawaii bike’s slick ride and flashy style. It certainly helped having a cute fella scream, “Awesome bike!”

I nearly bought the sucker but wasn’t pleased with the three-speed style or steel frame. So I ordered the Coaster.

After five depressingly long days, my bike arrived in Brooklyn looking even better than I could have imagined! The white frame was smooth and shiny and the blue splashes on the fenders, frame and seat were more vibrant than azure blue Caribbean waters. There has never been a prettier bike in Brooklyn!

For my first adventure, I sped down the rolling hills in Prospect Park. The bike rode like a dream — and turned heads. If I had a buck for every person who screamed, “Oh, that’s a nice bike,” I’d be a rich gal. Now that is cruising in style!

Michèle De Meglio is a native Brooklynite addicted to all things chic. Check out Pumps & Pleats each week for more adventures as she scours the borough for fab duds and accessories.

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There's still time for the pianos

“Play Me I’m Yours,” an installation of 60 upright pianos throughout the city, invites you to do just that — play.

The pianos are scattered across the five boroughs, including the Coney Island Boardwalk and McCarren Park in Brooklyn, free to play.

Among the intrepid include DC-based keyboard-driven indie band Jukebox the Ghost, which attempted to play a piano in every borough last week, succeeding at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1. They tagged along their guitar and bass to perform a song off their forthcoming album, “Everything Under the Sun.”

You have until July 5 to play the pianos yourself, band optional. So whether you seek one out, or happily happen upon a vacant piano, it’s yours.

“Play Me, I’m Yours” Pianos now through July 5 at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1, Columbus Park, Coney Island Boardwalk, the Myrtle Avenue entrance and Visitors’ Center in Fort Greene Park, McCarren Park, the Carousel and Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park, Von King Park, and Willoughby Plaza.

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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Hip-hop festival bigger than ever

By Alex Rush

The annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is like the genre itself — it’s gotten bigger and more expensive every year.

When it began in 2005, the festival was a free, afternoon concert with just a handful of acts, the most famous being 1980s group Brand Nubian.

Over the years, the DUMBO showcase has managed to book a slew of nationally known artists like Ghostface Killah and DJ Premier, Video Music Box founder Ralph McDaniels as a host, and local business sponsors such as Brooklyn Brewery.

Today, the summer festival, held at Brooklyn Bridge Plaza from July 5-10, is a six-day celebration of the culture, complete with an amateur MC competition, a film exhibition, panel discussions, a DJ show and a $15 price tag for its main performance day.

Still, it’s a bargain, especially with the pioneering hip-hop group De La Soul headlining on July 10. The group has been in the game for more than 20 years and is still dropping new material. The Duck Down Records crew, celebrating their 15th anniversary, will also be performing at the waterfront show, as it has done the past two years.

“Most of the Duck Down roster is from Brooklyn, so it’s an honor and a privilege to come back every year,” said Steele, one-half of the gritty Smif-n-Wesson rap duo (pictured). “Expect our latest music and a real, live show. Ain’t no lip-syncing going on here.”

Other noteworthy performances include former Juice Crew member Masta Ace, borough up-and-comer Skyzoo, as well as a few out-of-towners, including Slum Village-associate Black Milk, bringing his hard-hitting rhymes to represent Detroit, and Washington, D.C.-based trio Diamond District, offering their blend of sample-heavy beats and story-telling rhymes.

There’s more than just the music to look forward to. Festival director Wes Jackson is especially pumped for the July 6 Bodega Education Initiative, a teach-in about the life and works of late producer J Dilla. The seminar is true edutainment, with hip-hop artist Q-Tip among the speakers at the Initiative, held at The Brooklyn Historical Society in Brooklyn Heights.

“We wanted to create an academic archive for hip-hop music and culture,” said Jackson. “Hip-hop has a healthy commercial and entertainment value, but we need to create an editorial and academic record so our story is told properly.”

The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Plaza and Tobacco Warehouse (26 New Dock St. in DUMBO, no phone), July 5-10. Ticket prices vary; Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival Bodega Education Initiative at The Brooklyn Historical Society [128 Pierrepont St. between Clinton and Henry streets in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 222-1241], July 6, 2–8 pm. Tickets $10. For info, visit www.bkhiphopfestival.com.

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Emancipation Day

July 4 is, of course, the day America declared its independence from England. But it was also Independence Day for New York slaves, who were officially “freed” in 1827.

To mark the occasion, the Weeksville Heritage Center in Bedford-Stuyvesant celebrates with a day of music and lectures on July 3.

The main attraction is pioneering neo-soul and rock musician Cody ChestnuTT in a rare performance.

Shawn Peters, the arts and programming consultant at the lost-and-then-found African-American village from the 1840s, describes ChestnuTT’s music as Chuck Berry-style rockabilly with the conscientious message of Bob Marley.

Before each show, the musician, who is of Jamaican heritage, gathers his audience around a la the tradition of African storytellers before performing his experimental rock and roll.

Emancipation Day at Weeksville Garden [1698 Bergen St. between Buffalo Avenue and Rochester Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (718) 756-5250], July 3 at 4 pm. Admission $5 (suggested donation). For info, visit weeksvillesociety.org.

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Outdoor hot spots

In the Times' feature on the 10 hot spots of summer, the newspaper makes number 1 rooftop bars.

There's is in Manhattan - the Standard Hotel - which reads to us as being too exclusive to actually enjoy this summer.

For low-key alternatives right here in Brooklyn, check out our guide to rooftop dining.

Minus access to your own roof, a friend-of-a-friend's, or a random art space (we had a pretty nice view at Shangri-La recently), the rooftop bar scene in Brooklyn seems pretty skimpy. Did we leave something out? Let us know your favorite places to drink a beer and watch the sunset.

Photo: The view from Williamsburg's Berry Park. By Stefano Giovannini

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