Slideshow: Street Style From the Great GoogaMooga Festival
Photo: Jonathan Nesteruk
The Great GoogaMooga Festival descended upon Prospect Park this weekend, featuring tasty fare by more than 75 different vendors (Vinegar Hill House, Sullivan St. Bakery, Craft, DuMont Burger, and Blue Ribbon, to name a few), plus musical acts like the Roots, Holy Ghost!, Lez Zeppelin, and the legendary Hall & Oates. Despite rumors that the lines were too long and grassy knolls filled with grumpy, cell-phoneless hipsters, GoogaMooga had many happy, interestingly dressed attendees. We sent a photographer to capture some of the crowd and hear their best guesses at the meaning of GoogaMooga — either a beast, an expression of excitement, or baby talk, depending on who you asked. Click through our slideshow for a sampling of what people wore while filling themselves with foie gras doughnuts.
Rebecca, art director Have you eaten anything good yet?
I just got here, but I'm drinking some Riesling.
A sweet one?
No, I don't like the swe...
Rebecca, art director Have you eaten anything good yet?
I just got here, but I'm drinking some Riesling.
A sweet one?
No, I don't like the sweet of anything really.
Jackie, works in advertising What’d you eat today so far?
Well, we knew it was going to be crowded here, so we went over to Essex Street Market ...
Jackie, works in advertising What’d you eat today so far?
Well, we knew it was going to be crowded here, so we went over to Essex Street Market first and had our own little GoogaMooga over there.
Katherine, works at a tech start-up What do you think GoogaMooga means?
Oh, we were looking it up before we got here. I don't know. I don't thin...
Katherine, works at a tech start-up What do you think GoogaMooga means?
Oh, we were looking it up before we got here. I don't know. I don't think anyone successfully looked.
(To friend: Did we find out what GoogaMooga means?)
(Friend: Is it a beast?)
Susi, traveler Were you here yesterday already?
No, no, just today. Yesterday I was suffering from a crushing hangover. Went out with friends on...
Susi, traveler Were you here yesterday already?
No, no, just today. Yesterday I was suffering from a crushing hangover. Went out with friends on Friday night. I had a dire mix of drinks: Champagne, prosecco, some kind of gin cocktail, tequila, and vodka.
Okay. So, are you going to be drinking today?
Maybe, a little bit.
What's your next festival?
I honestly don't know. I'm just sort of floating on the wind. Seeing where it blows me.
Isadora, singer/songwriter What are you most excited about?
Crawfish Monica. I think they have all different types of seafood things going on. L...
Isadora, singer/songwriter What are you most excited about?
Crawfish Monica. I think they have all different types of seafood things going on. Last year at the jazz fest, they had these crawfish strudels that were amazing.
Nobu, fashion designer How would you characterize the fashion here today?
You know what? I thought it was going to be a lot more, of like a hips...
Nobu, fashion designer How would you characterize the fashion here today?
You know what? I thought it was going to be a lot more, of like a hipster, like, "Whose gunna have the bigger beard or the tighter shorts?" But it’s really not. Everyone’s pretty normal, so that’s nice.
Ben, interaction designer What's that you're drinking?
An amazing Chateauneuf-de-Pape, for, like, four dollars. The wine’s a better value than a...
Ben, interaction designer What's that you're drinking?
An amazing Chateauneuf-de-Pape, for, like, four dollars. The wine’s a better value than a beer. The beer is like, you get smaller then a pint for twelve dollars.
What are you excited for today?
I got here early before the lines got too long, so I went to the big names that I’d never been to before. Now, I want to listen to music. This should be a new model for music festivals, they should have food like this.
Cece Black, jeweler, and Guy Robinson, retired Did you make your earrings?
Yes.
What have you tried so far?
Cece: I've tasted all the Champagn...
Cece Black, jeweler, and Guy Robinson, retired Did you make your earrings?
Yes.
What have you tried so far?
Cece: I've tasted all the Champagnes that they had. And then we had the black angus. Have you had that yet?
Guy: Do it. Stop the interview. Stop the pictures.
Cece: Oh my god. It’s an 875-pound angus beef that has been cooked slow, at 200 degrees for 30 hours. And the whole cow is over there. Head and all.
Guy: And right next to it is the hamburgers.
Cece: They are shucking now at the boathouse. Don't miss that.
Laura, fishmonger So, what do you think about the festival so far?
It’s overwhelming. I worked at Celebrate Brooklyn for a season, and I've work...
Laura, fishmonger So, what do you think about the festival so far?
It’s overwhelming. I worked at Celebrate Brooklyn for a season, and I've worked at the San Francisco Performing Arts Festival, and I’m somewhat familiar with how they run, and I just think that they need more signs, that's all. Because i was confused, and I'm a somewhat intelligent person. I was like, Where do i go? I don't know how to get my ExtraMooga thing? But that's, like, very minor.
Do you know what GoogaMooga means?
It's like a jazzy term from like soul music, maybe.
Melissa Lee, design director and eighties prom dress collector So you're here to pig out?
I ran the Brooklyn Half-Marathon yesterday as well so,...
Melissa Lee, design director and eighties prom dress collector So you're here to pig out?
I ran the Brooklyn Half-Marathon yesterday as well so, yeah, now I’m here to pig out. I biked out here, too. It was really nice.
Natasha, works for Market Media Management You seem kind of unhappy right now.
I just got here. My roommate has my ticket inside and so they’re ...
Natasha, works for Market Media Management You seem kind of unhappy right now.
I just got here. My roommate has my ticket inside and so they’re not letting me through. I don’t know what to do. I have to figure out a way to get in.
Sade, in PR and Sinat, writer Were you here yesterday?
No, we couldn't get tickets. Everyone was trying to come because the Roots were per...
Sade, in PR and Sinat, writer Were you here yesterday?
No, we couldn't get tickets. Everyone was trying to come because the Roots were performing.
Do you know what you're going to eat?
Sinat: I definitely want to check out the Maison Premiere and see if they have oysters over there.
Sade: I think it might be a liquid lunch as well, because of all the wine options.
Alena Niu, toy designer It's noon, what did you try so far?
Crawfish mac and cheese, and the pork belly taco, and the foie gras doughnut.
So yo...
Alena Niu, toy designer It's noon, what did you try so far?
Crawfish mac and cheese, and the pork belly taco, and the foie gras doughnut.
So you guys are clearly here for the food.
Yes. And the Hall and Oates. Well, I am. I saw them last year. At Coney Island.
Do you go to the mermaid festival too?
Yeah, we've been going every year.
Carol Song, buyer Have you had some oysters?
Yeah, we did. We had everything. The best thing that I’ve had so far was probably — they just ...
Carol Song, buyer Have you had some oysters?
Yeah, we did. We had everything. The best thing that I’ve had so far was probably — they just passed out these little taco appetizers with some sort of tuna inside, like a raw tuna inside a hardshell taco. It was mini. A single bite that was like perfect.
What are you drinking?
Albariño. The white wine that’s served here. It’s pretty good. You want to try some?
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