Do you remember? The first Thursday in September? If not, don’t fret. The Fresh Pond Road Street Festival began its four-day-long event on Thursday, Sept. 5, and will continue to offer fun games and vendors to the public until Sunday.
The Federazione Italo-Americana of Brooklyn and Queens, a nonprofit organization celebrating Italian American culture throughout the New York City boroughs, has been hosting the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival on the Ridgewood block for nearly 30 years.
Food vendors, merchants and carnival-style rides line the often busy thoroughfare from Woodbine Street to Menahan Street welcoming the community to a joint celebration.
Furthermore, in a more culturally traditional part of the festival, the organization honors Saint Maria del Soccorso, Patron Saint of Castellammare del Golfo and Padre Pio. The Italian-American Federation also recognizes an honoree (Un Amore Cosi Grande) Enzo Venuto, as shared on the organization’s website.
Festival organizers have also faced challenges in keeping the event to four days — a tale as old as the existence of the event as reported on in the past. Residents have criticized the event for causing parking constraints and detouring MTA buses onto nearby residential streets.
In a more recent past, the CB5 Executive Committee voiced opposition to the four-day format and recommended shortening the event to three days. The board ultimately voted in favor of this recommendation, limiting the festival to Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Despite the community board’s wishes, the festival still lasts four days, as it traditionally has been, and occupies its usual space in Ridgewood.
Funnel cake fans and parents looking forward to pulling their kids away from the aggressive and often expensive carnival game vendors have much to look forward to once more. Promises of a potential PS4 or Xbox prize at some games were only complimented by the temptation to win an off-brand stuffed animal prize.
While some game booths, like the balloon pop and water gun stands, focused more on fun than making money, other attractions, such as the Whip Car Ride and the Round-Up, drew even more attention from families at the festival.
One of the rides, often referred to as a Swinging Ship, also captured the attention of many, even if it would occasionally brush up on a sidewalk’s tree branches.
Food vendors were a major highlight, capturing both the attention and wallets of many attendees. A variety of traditional Italian sausage carts and South American fusion offerings from Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and beyond provided plenty of delicious options.
The popular Tanghulu, a candied fruit stemming from Chinese culture, stood out among the rest. Its popularity on TikTok and similar social media accounts has boomed since 2020.
Many of the merchants lining Fresh Pond Road offered a wide selection for attendees, though much of the merchandise was similar to what you would find at other street festivals across Queens.
Hello Kitty merch seemed to reign supreme, and just in time for the start of school, but other stands, like Leiella Creations, really brought out a more custom seller feel to the festival with an assortment of pens and other decorations.
The festival’s open-streets vibe perfectly aligns with its purpose for the community, offering families a space to enjoy entertainment right outside their doors. However, a word of caution for those with young children or elderly parents: be mindful of the many bikes—both electric and non-electric—that take advantage of the open streets during the event.
The festival runs throughout the weekend, from 6-11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, and from 3-10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8.
