With sunshine galore, a few thousand visitors enjoyed the Myrtle Avenue Summer Street Festival in Ridgewood on Sunday, Aug. 20.
About 200 vendors and merchants had set up shop on Myrtle Avenue from Wyckoff Avenue to Forest Avenue, selling everything from decorations to clothing to artwork.
El and Steph Kelly from Astoria own MrTsCorner. The artist couple sells their 3D and resin print artwork on Etsy and at street fairs. It was their first as vendors at the street festival in Ridgewood.
“We make everything out of our apartment,” El Kelly explained. “Everything’s homemade. We only make things that bring us joy. We only make things that are fun to make.”
The MTA New York City Vintage Bus 3100, which served city straphangers from 1958 to 1968, a “Checkers” cab and vintage cars transported revelers back to the “olden days” as they enjoyed fair staples like funnel cake, smoky sausage-and-pepper sandwiches, turkey legs and cotton candy.
One of the many food vendors, Parka Zada, served authentic Jamaican dishes like oxtails, jerk chicken, curry goat and goat chicken. Judging by the long line, Parka Zada was a favorite among festivalgoers.
Nelly Severino said she and her friend found out about the festival by accident. They had planned to get some empanadas and were pleasantly surprised when they came across the festival.
“We had no idea that it was gonna be this long either,” Severino said. “So there’s a lot of options. We’re really excited.”
Charlie Chase, a festival staple, graced the fair with his red tail boa constrictor Bryklin. He was selling photo-ops with his snake for $5.
“[Bryklin] is well-behaved,” Chase said of the massive snake.
Joshua Valentin, who posed for a photo with Bryklin wasn’t a stranger to snakes.
“My dad had a few [snakes],” Valentin said. “So he would let me hold them while he was cleaning out the cage. I like snakes.”
Brandon and Melissa visited the fair with their kids, Victoria and Liam, who enjoyed “pressing the buttons” of the Taxi & Limousine Commission police car and speaking through the PA system.
“It was fun,” Victoria told QNS. “My little brother wants to be a police officer one day.”
The Myrtle Avenue Summer Street Festival was sponsored by the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District in conjunction with Clearview Festival Productions
