Member Spotlight: Ona Winet and Keith Bray

Ona Winet and Keith Bray have been supporting the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival for six years as Tent Pass members. Read below to see which types of performances are their favorites.
Tell us about yourself.
Ona: I’ve lived in Brooklyn since 2003 and I work in nonprofit. That’s what brought me here, and it’s what I continue to do.
Keith: I’ve lived in Park Slope since 1995, and I work in government for the department of transportation.
Why did you first decide to become members of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival?
Ona: Separately, we had both been coming to the shows, sitting on the grass, and then we had friends that were members who brought us in with them a few times and we got hooked on the amenities.
The reason why we continue to come all the time is because we like a wide variety of genres of music. You guys do a really great job of finding musicians in those respective genres who are established and really stand out.
What are three words to describe the Festival?
Keith & Ona: Open, culturally diverse, and rich.
How does the festival impact the community of Brooklyn?
Keith: The festival exposes the people of Brooklyn to dance, music, movies and more. The performances open up the community and give people a wide exposure to other cultures. It provides entertainment from around the world, including bands from Africa and Lebanon who have played here in the past.
What have been your favorite shows?
Keith: A more recent performer who I really enjoyed seeing at the park was Willie Nelson. The dance shows are also fantastic. For example, Philadanco and Dance Theatre of Harlem were amazing.
Ona: For me, the dance performances are ones I will not miss. I grew up rurally and didn’t have exposure to dance, so I really like that it is accessible, and that as a member, we can be right in front of the dancers. It’s amazing, those are always my favorite.