A street fair on Columbus Avenue. Photo by Bill Calamita.
A community board committee has approved a list of street fairs for next year, and we’ve printed it below. The fairs tend to benefit local nonprofits, though a report looking at 2008 numbers indicated that the organizations don’t end up taking home much money. There are expected to be fairs on 12 dates next year, versus 13 this year.
The list of fairs still needs to be approved by the full community board next month.
Click on the image to enlarge it.
Wooo hoo can’t wait! These fairs are all so different from each other- each one a distinct experience. If I need burnt corn, $2 socks that fray the first time you wash them, or a demo of rug cleaner, I have more than a dozen chances for fun! And they don’t disrupt traffic. Get your street fair on, UWS!
Why?
Love the street fairs! More! More! More!
Why would a self-respecting block association invite in a blight?
Please discontinue all street fairs. How will we be able to bike through red lights if there are so many people in the streets blocking traffic? Last year I was biking through all the people and my bike skidded on a sausage and I fell off and almost landed in a crepe and an arepa but luckily I fell into a pile of $2 socks, to break my fall.
I literally laughed until I cried. I am going to hope I know you in real life.
This is the first thing I’ve ever read in this paper that really made me laugh out loud. Oh but I do love West Side Rag anyway.
If you’re Al Sharpton’s kid you can sue the city for $5 million!
Funny!
These Mort & Ray guys are the only ones who make money off this racket. It’s all Chinatown glasses etc., and the whole enterprise is mobbed up forever. I think the setup was investigated a few times buy it didn’t go anywhere. Producers + private sanitation + strange fee system = fill the blank.
I would rather have street fairs than traffic. Bring them on.
Street fairs cause traffic.
Not on the street with the street fair. Yes, we all know it is the same cheap goods, but I enjoy walking around.
So, Mark, on days other than the 12 days of street fairs you don’t walk around?
I was going to ask Santa for new white tube socks, cheap t-shirts, some plants, a squeegee like from TV and high end Egyptian thread count sheets, but instead I’ll just wait four months until the first fair.
I’ve never cared for what street fairs have to sell, like everyone else on here I agree it’s usually the same junk and bad food out there. But, I love street fairs because you get a chance to see so many of your neighbors outside and walk casually where you usually have to run to avoid cars. Lighten up people, every street will be a bike lane anyways in 10 years so enjoy the road while you can! :-p
I hate the street fairs. They are generic, somewhat dirty events that do nothing to highlight the various unique qualities of the neighborhood.
I’m already salivating for my $9 mozzareppa
Ever notice that the street fairs have essentially the same exact vendors over and over?
I’ve read that there’s a lot of corruption with these fairs and there are big restrictions as to which vendors are allowed.
It is actually very difficult for a new vendor to participate.
There should be an investigation into how these street fairs are run and who’s making money off of them.
Instead of the street fairs can we do a Purge a dozen times a year like the Movie. This would decrease the west sides carbon foot print.
You people are so salty and bitter about everything haha, lighten up a bit
Once again Broadway between 72nd and 86th are hosting 2 street fairs within the course of three consecutive weekends at the end of May-beginning of June (the weekend in the middle has it on Broadway between 65th and 72nd). I don’t mind street fairs, but I notice that there are no fairs in July, and only one in August. Can’t one of the aforementioned fairs be moved to the empty months?
CAll 311
Sorry the Sausage guy and sock man are on vacation that month.
Street “fairs” are a bummer for bus riders.
The street closures mean bus detours,lack of access to buses, bus service disruptions and extra slow bus ride due to extra traffic generated by street fairs.
And a really bad scene when there is subway track work and the MTA is using “shuttle” buses.
It does not seem unreasonable to think that folks should be able to use/get around on mass transit – buses – on weekends.
Not understanding why street “fairs” should get priority over functioning mass transit?
I love the street fairs because it breaks the tedium. Its a little change-up. Life is all about dealing with change. So they’re totally predictable these days… who cares. It’s something different outside your living room windows. It fun to walk down the middle of the street to the sound of a shitty band playing in 90 degree temperatures. But hey, it’s NYC and this is the way it’s supposed to be. Slide on the ice a little… be spontaneous for an afternoon.
This is exactly the problem. The street fairs are always the same over and over and over again. If each street fair had different vendors they might be more interesting, but how many times can you bear looking at the same socks, hats, bed sheets, makeup, socks, hats, bed sheets, makeup, sock, hats, bed sheets, makeup, socks, hats, bed sheets, makeup, etc. Is that annoying? That combined with the traffic surrounding the fair from diverted traffic makes them a nuisance. The summer weekends in the city are much more peaceful than any other time of year; these street fairs detract from that wonderful calm.
I LOVE the street fairs. I’m there for the burnt corn and Mr. Pickle, ah sweet, sweet sodium. Yeah, the stuff is the same, the leg openings on the underwear are different sizes, and the sausage hero prices have skyrocketed to equal the rent on a studio apt., but seriously, it’s still a blast. All the complaints listed here are true and valid, but too bad, this is New York…..”Hey, I’m walkin’ here”. Besides everyone brings out their dogs to eat all the fallen food and I also get the chance to pet the pooches so I don’t need to get a dog of my own.Plus a couple of years ago some big yogurt company was giving away cases of the stuff at the end of the day. My colon has been clear ever since. Look, it’s in our NYC DNA to hate everything and everyone but destiny is only a state of mind. So bring on the nail clippers and table of 200 spices all in open containers so the pigeons can poop bomb them, but be positive, the vendor does not charge extra for the poop, or does he?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a street fair where shops and restaurants along the street would set up booths and tables and chairs offering their products and foods? This would be a fun opportunity to check out the goods at those shops we’ve been too busy to stop into or try the cuisines of unfamiliar restaurants. In my opinion, it would be a true community experience.
Who is Mort and Ray?
An alias for Donald Trump.