By Kelsey Durham
Austin Street was transformed into a street fair last weekend as the annual Forest Hills Fall Festival took over a stretch of the roadway, bringing with it the unique food and shopping the area has to offer.
More than 200 vendors set up shop Sunday along the street, between 69th and 72nd roads, as hundred of visitors crowded the roadway between them. The yearly event, hosted by the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce, featured food, shopping, crafts, games and activities for children, making the street festival popular with visitors of any age.
As shoppers walked down the street, they were greeted by local businesses marketing their products as the smell of carnival food filled the air around them. Children’s laughter could also be heard coming from designated areas where games and activities, such as a bounce house and other play areas, were set up for the younger attendees to enjoy.
“My 6-year-old is loving this,” said Elizabeth Campanella, a Jackson Heights resident who was strolling through the fair with her children Sunday afternoon. “We actually came here to shop and saw everything going on, so we decided to check it out.”
Campanella said she is used to street festivals taking place in Jackson Heights, but she said the Forest Hills was much larger in comparison. She said she was intrigued by the number of vendors she saw offering crafts and other items and ended up doing some of her shopping at the street festival, instead.
“The shopping is cool and I think the prices are really reasonable, so we’re having a lot of fun,” she said. “I would definitely come back.”
Meredyth Holmes, who has lived in Forest Hills for four years now, said she also came for the shopping, but her 5-year-old son was enjoying the games and rides geared toward children as she took a break in between booths.
“The kid stuff is great, but I come to see the vendors,” she said. “They have such good deals here and it’s really cool to see different designers. It’s a good way for new businesses and local businesses to advertise their stuff.”
Holmes said she was happy with this year’s event and had a great time spending the Sunday afternoon with her family in her own neighborhood. She said it reaffirmed her belief that Forest Hills is a great place to raise her children and to feed her love of shopping at the same time.
“We love Forest Hills,” she said. “It’s a very family-oriented neighborhood, and stuff like this is great.”
Reach reporter Kelsey Durham at 718-260-4573 or by e-mail at kdurham@cnglocal.com.
