A street fair on Columbus Avenue. Photo by Bill Calamita.
We’re a little late in posting this, because there have already been a few street fairs this year, but here’s the list of Upper West Side street fairs in 2014 courtesy of Community Board 7. On May 11, there’s a fair on Columbus Avenue from 66th to 72nd street.
TO SEE THE 2015 STREET FAIR LIST, CLICK HERE.
There are also other street fairs approved by other agencies that aren’t on this list but will be on our calendar.
| Date | LOCATION | Sponsor Name | |
| 04/27/14 | Broadway, 96-102 Street | Veritas, Inc. | |
| 04/27/14 | Broadway, 102-106 Street | Duke Ellington Blvd. Neighborhood Association | |
| 05/04/14 | Broadway, 86-93 Street | Broadway Mall Center | |
| 05/11/04 | Columbus Ave, 66– 72 Street | Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center | |
| 05/18/14 | Amsterdam Ave, 77–89 Street | West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce | |
| 05/25/14 | Broadway, 72-82 Street | Coalition for a Livable West Side | |
| 05/25/14 | Broadway, 82-86 Street | Safe Haven West Side Basketball League | |
| 06/01/14 | Broadway, 65-72 Street | Project Open at Lincoln Center Towers | |
| 06/08/14 | Broadway, 73-82 Street | West Side Fed. of Neighborhood & Block Assoc. | |
| 06/08/14 | Broadway, 82-86 Street | The Broadway Mall Association | |
| 07/19/14 | Amsterdam Ave, 96–106 Street | Valley Restoration, LDC | |
| 07/27/14 | Broadway, 60-65 Street | Environmentally Sound Development | |
| 08/24/14 | Amsterdam Ave, 79-86 Street | Goddard Riverside | |
| 09/21/14 | Columbu Ave, 68–86 Street | West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce | |
| 09/28/14 | Broadway, 96–103 Street | Bloomingdale Area Coalition | |
| 10/19/14 | Broadway, 86 – 90 Street | NAACP Mid-Manhattan Branch | |
| 10/19/14 | Broadway, 90 – 96 Street | Symphony Space |
Or it may be easier to read in the format below:
It would be enjoyable to sometimes just close Broadway without the street fair, as has been done with Park Avenue.
The Park Avenue closing is an event called Summer Streets (sponsored by the city??) which occurs on JUST 3 Saturdays each year….and lasts until 1:00 p.m. each day.
Idea is to promote walking/bicycling and city-gazing.
However, Park Avenue is NOT a major bus route (probably one reason it was chosen) but Broadway definitely is.
And every time Broadway, Amsterdam, or Columbus is closed by a street fair (see above list) there is incredible confusion and chaos, as today’s relatively small (66-72nd) Columbus fair which had southbound M7 and M11s being diverted at W. 72nd. and backing-up traffic above 72nd.
And all for the chance to buy yet more tube socks or cell-phone covers while eating charred ears of corn!?!?
Why is the Columbus Ave Crafts Fair in danger of having it’s permit revoked and yet there are more and more of these fairs that sell underwear, old spices, Chinese made T-shirts and rug shampooers authorized every year.
Who does one talk to about this conundrum?
Street Fairs should be disbanded. They are pure profit making commercial enterprises that create traffic mess, and punish local businesses. A small street or block fair on a side street is a nice event, but not the closure of a major avenue.
Yes…but instead…it’s not about traffic…most people that live in the city DON”T WANT traffic period. So these street fairs offer a day of relief. I think the spots should be for local artists, musicians, local farmers, garment makers and other products that people NEED and WANT in the city…not for large corporate stores that are already there to push their own products that the neighborhoods already have access to.
I agree!
Be SO nice to not have hoards traffic and aggressive car horns keeping us up all night.
Awful street fairs selling crap.
Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a third world country. What happened to the elegant, sophisticated, NY that didn’t cost a fortune to be a part of?
While there are plenty of the usual suspects at this Sunday’s Amsterdam Ave fair, it is also a great event participated-in by almost all of the businesses between 77th and 89th streets.
This is a very handy list — thank you West Side Rag. But the only ones remotely local and decent are the May 18 on Amsterdam Ave and the Sept 21 on Columbus Ave. The rest are just rubbish.
There is a “real” street fair on 5/17 sponsored by the 102-103 block association. Location is 103 street between WEA- Riverside
Add one vote in favor of these street fairs. It’s nice to have use of the street for a day, in the sun, without worrying about being run over by a careless taxi or a hurry-hurry-hurrying SUV. And if no one wanted to buy tube socks at these fairs, hey, the tube socks sellers wouldn’t be there.
It’s even nicer when local merchants get to participate, which is rarely if ever the case with the one-block side-street fairs run by a local PTA. (There’s plenty of room, and reason, for those too.)
I don’t know about you, but every time I’ve been to one of the Broadway or Amsterdam street fairs, they’ve been thick with people — local, neighborhood people, none of them there against their will, most of them strolling leisurely and taking in the environment. Buying, eating, visiting, chatting.
What’s so bad about that, if so many people enjoy doing it?
I have lived in Nyc for 30 years, on the upper west side. I look forward to these fairs. If i am in town i am compelled to go to all of them . I have seen every one of the vendors, i know what to expect. It is part of the fabric of the summer. I just love them.
I agree. I like the street fairs even though I rarely buy anything. People strolling along seem to be in a good mood. What’s wrong with that? I guess the grouches who don’t like the fairs don’t attend but others like me do.
A lot of people stumble upon these street fairs. They don’t necessarily seek them out.
And this we know *how*, exactly?
How many are “a lot”? Many / most / all of the people strolling the street fair? Or just someone you sorta kinda know?
And this statistic of yours holds for each and every street fair?
Come on.
I remember when there were Block Parties, in support of the block and get to know your neighbors. Now it’s all about 10 block street fairs that sell the same stuff at every one for the exception of maybe a few merchants on each block.
So go and organize a Block Party on your block — no one’s stopping you. The street fairs on the avenues don’t conflict with holding a little local fair on a side street.
Besides, a lot of people stumble upon these block parties. They don’t necessarily seek them out.
they can be fun, sure.
but its gotten way out of control, with too many fairs disrupting every weekend.
Surely a compromise can be found.
Would you please re-print the Street Fair Schedule with more spacing between the dates. Very confusing–can’t tell which streets are for which date
Thank you…….
Sorry. We’ll try to update. This is the format we received it in.
Avi
Could someone please explain the purpose of these excuses for fairs? They are rarely unique, they tie up traffic, they cause litter and pollution, and they offer nothing beyond tube socks and mozzarepas – at MULTIPLE STANDS. I’m sure that local businesses suffer. A fair that promotes neighborhood businesses and diversity, that attracts commerce to restaurants and shops, makes infinitely more sense. Who makes money from them, other than fair organizers and tube sock dealers?
What politician are they giving money to so that this cancer soils the fabric of our very souls so much?
Hello just wanted to know where can I get the 2015 schedule for the street fairs ??