El Sol Brillante

June 2025 Garden Meeting
2025-06-28 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our next meeting will take place on June 28th at 11 AM. All are welcome, including prospective members. Please email any other points of discussion you wish to raise beforehand so we can add it to the agenda.

Bokashi Workshop - Part 1 - Bokashi Gardening
2025-06-21 11:00 - 13:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
An intro to the basics of bokashi gardening and soil care (towards creating a living soil—see postscript below).
Learn the two main ways to make the basic bokashi ferments:
a. the bokashi sprinkle with wheat bran (aka bokashi bran)
b. the bokashi spray (a liquid bokashi ferment, aka Activated EM).
We will also make EM•5 foliar spray (another type of liquid bokashi ferment with garlic and hot peppers) which is used to spray on plants and trees, as well as treat the soil.

These bokashi ferments will take at least 2 weeks to ferment before they’re ready to use.

What is living soil? Soil that’s full of life (microbes, worms, insects) and is self-sustaining and self-balancing.

Self-sustaining: as in a forest, no one feeds a forest, microbes break down organic matter at all stages (from freshly dead to fully decomposed plant matter and all other organisms) providing a full range of nutrients.

Self-balancing: when microbial life is dense in the soil in population and diversity, they keep pathogens (disease-causing microbes, but which have their ecological role) in check and can perhaps function beneficially (for example, in the human gut, E. coli, a pathogen, naturally exists, and when our body, their environment, is healthy, i.e., with a healthy gut microbiome, they actually produce vitamin K and anti-pathogens against other pathogens; when we’re sick, esp. from food poisoning, their population explodes and change function producing toxins).

Soil can be made into living soil by various methods. The bokashi method is one way to facilitate building and maintaining living soil (or close to living soil).

At its very basic, bokashi is about applying microbes and organic matter.
The bokashi method, however, involves using microbes to ferment organic matter.
During fermentation, all kinds of microbes multiply and produce metabolites.

Metabolites are both 1) necessary for the microbes metabolism and 2) byproducts of the microbes metabolism.
One group of microbes may use one set of metabolites to produce other kinds of metabolites which are then used by other microbes.
Metabolites includes nutrients (micronutrients and macronutrients) and other beneficial substances.
On average, a microbe can produce 50 unique metabolites and anywhere from 3,700 to 16,000 metabolites in total depending on species.

Metabolites, when in abundance, can give foods vibrant colors, enhanced flavors and aromas.

Spring Fundraiser Party & Concert 2025
2025-06-08 12:00 - 20:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
*Postponed one week to 6/8 due to weather*
Our Spring Fundraiser is coming up! Don’t miss one of the biggest neighborhood celebrations of the season. Our all-day party will feature live music, delicious food and beverages donated by our volunteers and local businesses, and craft areas for all ages. El Sol t-shirts will be available to purchase as well. There will be a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options. All proceeds go towards supporting the garden and its various programs. The event is free and open to the public.
Food and beverages will be available for a suggested donation. Additionally, guests may purchase an unlimited food and drink option that includes $5 off one t-shirt. To purchase in advance, click here.
Music Lineup:
Worm Catcher
Noah Whiteside
Michael Potter
Pinc Louds (solo)
The New Vigilantes

Pickle Making Class with East Village Kitchen
2025-05-28 18:00 - 20:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
The East Village Kitchen will be hosting a Pickle Making Class on May 28th from 6-8 PM. The class is $30 for two jars of pickles, or $18 if you bring your own jars. All proceeds go to the garden. Limited spots are available, you can click here to sign up.

Mayoral Forum on Community Gardens
2025-05-24 12:00 - 14:00 | St. Marks Church on the Bowery, 131 E 10th St
Register here
The New York City Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC) and Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) will host a Community Gardens’ Mayoral Forum on Saturday, May 24th, Noon to 2:00pm, at St. Mark’s Church-on-the-Bowery, 131 East 10th Street, Manhattan. As the city prepares for its next mayoral election, we seek to hear candidates’ views on the future of green spaces and environmental policies. The event will highlight the role of community gardens in New York City’s sustainability and environmental future. The event will highlight the role of community gardens in New York City’s sustainability and environmental future. The forum, moderated by internationally acclaimed food justice advocate Karen Washington, aims to provide an open, educational platform engaging with important issues surrounding green spaces, urban agriculture, food insecurity, and climate resilience.
We will address the vital role of community gardens in New York’s infrastructure, followed by a moderated Q&A with mayoral candidates. The event will also challenge the narrative that community gardens obstruct affordable housing development, exploring solutions to balance urban growth and green space preservation. This forum offers candidates the opportunity to share their vision for a sustainable New York City and engage with voters passionate about community gardens, environmental justice, and sustainable urban policies.
We hope you can join us for this important conversation.
Karen Washington is the Co-Founder of Black Urban Growers, La Familia Verde/Garden of Happiness & NYCCGC past president.

Garden Meeting
2025-05-13 19:00 - 19:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
*Postponed to May 13th due to weather*
Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 6th 13th at 7 PM. All are welcome. We will primarily be discussing planning for our annual Spring Fundraiser Party on the 31st. Please email any other points of discussion you wish to raise beforehand so we can add it to the agenda.

First Meeting of the Season
2025-04-05 11:00 - 11:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Join us for our first Garden Meeting of the season. We’ll be reviewing some of our ongoing maintenance projects and possible improvements as well as giving keys to new members who earned them in the previous season.

Holiday Gathering
2024-12-14 14:00 - 18:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Join us to send off 2024 with a cozy gathering featuring a bonfire (drought permitting!) and holiday drinks like cider and cocoa. All are welcome.

Final 2024 Meeting
2024-11-24 12:00 - 12:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our final meeting of 2024 will be on Nov 24th at Noon in the garden.

Fall Fundraiser Party
2024-10-19 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Mark your calendars! Our fall fundraiser will be on Saturday, October 19th, from Noon to Moon as always. We’ll have music, food, and activities for all ages.

Pre-Fundraiser Meeting
2024-10-15 19:00 - 19:30
Our next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct 15 at 7 PM. We will be mostly going over preparations for our fall fundraiser, to be held the following Saturday.

Participatory Writing Exercise
2024-09-28 15:00 - 15:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Join a participatory writing exercise inspired by a prose or poem prompt. Sitting beside experienced writers, we’ll listen to the prompts, write whatever comes to mind, and share a few of our spontaneous creations with the group.

Here’s one I hope appeals to Gardners:
by Mary Oliver

LINES WRITTEN IN THE DAYS OF GROWING DARKNESS

Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

into a rich mass, in order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out

to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing as we must,
how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality of what will be?
I don’t say
it’s easy, but
what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?

Bokashi Workshop Series: Bokashi Mudballs
2024-09-28 11:00 - 12:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Join us for our upcoming bokashi workshop series as part of the LUNGS NYC Harvest Arts Festival.
Sat 9/21, 11 am – 12 pm. Bokashi Fermented Beverages
How to use the same microbes used to make bokashi to ferment juiced fruits (e.g., pineapple, ginger) for human consumption. Sample beverages will be served.
Sun 9/22, 11am-12pm Bokashi dog run
How to use the bokashi microbes (i.e., Activated EM or bokashi spray) to spray down a dog run to minimize odor and pests, such as biting flies.
Sat 9/28, 11am-12pm Bokashi mudballs
How to use the bokashi microbes to make mudballs which can be used to inoculate contaminated soils and waters.
Sun 9/29, 11am-12pm Non-food-waste bokashi gardening
How to use the bokashi microbes to improve your soil, as well as, do non-food-waste bokashi composting (speeding up the composting of plant clippings and small branches).

Guided Meditation with Three Jewels and LUNGS NYC
2024-09-22 14:00 - 14:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Please join us for a free 30-minute guided meditation, led by a certified meditation teacher from East Village’s Three Jewels Enlightenment Studio. Seated among plant life, we’ll focus on our breath and joy and love for all beings, using comfortable stillness and visualization techniques. It’s a free event and open to all (including first-time meditators!). We will begin promptly at 2:00 PM, so please arrive a few minutes early to find your seat. We’ll have benches and chairs, but you might like to bring a blanket to sit on in case it fills up. We hope to see you there and enjoy this beautiful moment of peace together.

September Garden Meeting
2024-09-14 12:00 - 12:45 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our monthly meeting will be held on July 13th at noon. All are welcome to attend (members and non-members) and bring up any points of discussion with the community.

August Garden Meeting
2024-08-19 19:00 - 19:45 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our next meeting will be Monday, August 19th at 7 PM. All are welcome whether or not you’re a member.

July Garden Meeting + Bokashi Workshop
2024-07-13 12:00 - 15:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our monthly meeting will be held on July 13th at noon. All are welcome to attend and bring up any points of discussion with the community.
We will have a bokashi workshop after the meeting from 1:30-3:30 pm. In addition to food waste and composting, we will cover other gardening applications with bokashi. We will make the bokashi sprinkle and the bokashi spray. Click here for more information.

An Evening Reading at El Sol Brillante
2024-06-13 19:00 - 21:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
El Sol Brillante is pleased to invite you to an early summer reading at the garden, Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m., featuring four New York City writers who engage deeply with nature and their environment.
The readers are
🍀 Andrea Mauri (@babedrea33), an archaeologist, blogger, and co-founder of @ihatewarmag
🍀 Alex Wolfe (@ppedestrian), an artist who writes a newsletter about walking
🍀 Lori-May Cruz Orillo (@a_drifter__), a poet, artist, and gardener
🍀 El Sol Brillante’s own Andreas Apostolides, a writer and lawyer.
The event is free and open to the public, recommended for ages 16+, and hosted by the New York City poet and artist Em Brill (@em.info). We hope to see you Thursday! 🌷

Spring Fundraiser Party 2024
2024-06-08 12:00 - 20:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Let’s get ready for summer! Our end-of-spring fundraiser party on June 8th at noon. There will be live music, delicious food and beverages donated by our volunteers and local businesses, and craft areas for all ages. We also just resupplied our t-shirt stock and will have all sizes for sale. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food will be available. All proceeds go towards supporting our garden and its composting program. Free and open to the public.

Garden Meeting + Spring Fundraiser Party Planning
2024-05-25 12:00 - 13:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our next garden meeting will be on May 25th, the focus will be on planning our upcoming spring fundraiser party on June 8th.

Meeting + Board Elections
2024-05-04 12:00 - 12:30 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our next meeting will be Saturday, May 4th at noon. We will also have elections for board positions at the meeting.
If you are interested in working on the board, please reach out to the board by emailing info@elsolbrillante.org—we can answer any questions you might have.

First Garden Meeting of 2024
2024-04-13 11:30 - 12:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
All are welcome to attend, whether you are an existing member or new and looking to join.

We will have an introduction about garden membership in addition to info about upcoming Board positions, which will be up for election at our subsequent meeting.

Bokashi Gardening Workshop hosted by the LES Ecology Center
2023-10-14 13:00 - 15:00
The Lower East Side Ecology Center will be hosting a bokashi gardening workshop on October 14th from 1-3 PM. If you’d like to participate, you can sign up here! Non-participating observers are welcome as well!
The workshop will focus on the use of bokashi on other than composting, including using the bokashi spray/liquid (aka Activated EM) to improve soil and plant health. Participants who sign up will receive a multi-purpose bokashi solution to take home.

Fall Fundraiser 2023
2023-09-30 12:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Come celebrate the season, meet your neighbors, and support the Garden!
Our fall fundraiser party is coming up Saturday, September 30th from noon to moon. The all-day celebration will feature live music, delicious food prepared by garden members and local businesses, refreshing beverages, and fun for the whole family.

General Membership Meeting + Fundraiser Prep
2023-09-27 18:00 | El Sol Brillante, 522 E 12th St.
Our next general membership meeting has been postponed to Wednesday, September 27th at 6 PM due to rain. We will be reviewing volunteer roles and preparation needed for our Fall Fundraiser on the following Saturday.

March to End Fossil Fuels
2023-09-17 13:00 - 16:00 | Broadway & West 55th Street
The 12th Street Block Association and El Sol Brillante Jr. will be participating in the upcoming March to End Fossil Fuels. We will be meeting to create banners for the march in the Down To Earth garden on the Southwest corner of 12th and B Tuesday 1:30PM – 4PM during normal composting drop-off hours.

Anarchist Book Fair
2023-09-16 18:30 - 20:00 | La Plaza Cultural, E 9th St. & Avenue C
The annual Anarchist Book Fair will be using our garden as overflow space on Sept 16th. The
fair is centered at La Plaza Cultural.
From their website:
For this year’s book fair, we invited anarchists from the city, the region, and around the country to speak, teach, and inspire on every aspect of our struggle. But we especially invited our comrades who are engaged in the fight against police and helping to build alternative systems of community justice.
