Photo by Ellen Joy.
The community board has approved street fairs for 2017, and the first one is just a few months away. Despite efforts to reduce the number of street fairs in the city, there will actually be fairs on more dates this year than there were last year — 13 versus 12. The city is considering rules that would limit each community board in Manhattan to 10 fairs a year. People have complained about the congestion and other disruptions caused by the street fairs, and the fact that many seem virtually identical.
Check out the fairs below. E and W mean East and West. Some street fairs are sponsored by multiple groups, so the same street fair will show up on separate lines on the list. Click to enlarge.
Yes! Love the street fairs. It’s the only time you can get a real sausage and peppers in this city.
Looking forward to those nice warm-weather days bumping into folks who’ve been away (or even hibernating).
I’ll take street fairs over traffic any day.
I love me a good street fair too, but they cause a lot of traffic, both around the start of the fair, and on the parallel avenues which take the brunt of the extra traffic.
100% agree. City is more peaceful to walk around on these days.
So easy when you can get your tube socks and funnel cake all in one trip.
On a serious note, I can’t think of a venue more softer or like the xmas market in Berlin which I find deeply frightening.
More softer?!?! Ooops
Bring back the one on Columbus from 86 to 96 please. Best day of the year. People ridicule street fairs but it’s so nice to be able to just walk down the middle of the street.
More crap we don’t need. Who in hell attends these events?
People that complain about street fairs shouldn’t live in NYC. Street markets are one of the many exciting events that make living in NYC worth the long work hours we put in to afford to live here. The complainers should move to the burbs!
V –
Fourth generation New Yorker here – but not a fan of street fairs.
Puzzled at the pronouncement that folks need to move if they don’t like street fairs…
That seems a bit harsh.
To me, most street fairs are very non-New York type events.
They strike me as bland, soulless affairs that could just as well be in Cleveland.
Why do we need more of these things? Often bad smells and hordes of people. I avoid them like the plague.
Ummm… do you commute during rush hour?
They sell same stuff on all the street fairs with few
occasional unique finds.( very rarely though)
I just hope local US made goods from talented artist and craftsmen will be featured. Most stuff are made from China.
They should make it a requirement that all items are Made in America.
Love the food venders….dislike the other vendors selling junk.
These street fairs would be a great opportunity for the city to feature vendors for companies making things in NYC, not China!
So people complaint many fairs seems identical. So do many acts of sex, but that doesn’t stop people.
Hard to argue with that.:) I like the way this guy thinks.
You must not be doing it right.
I buy all my shish-kebobs, tube socks and bonsai trees online these days so…
Street closures for street fairs (not to mention biking events or walkathons)severely impacts bus service: buses are 1) re-routed/service curtailed and 2) slowed by the overflow traffic.
Even worse when no subway service due to MTA repairs at the same time buses are rerouted due to street fairs.
And especially difficult for elderly and disabled who cannot manage subway.
Street fairs emerged in the 1980s as a way to create community when Manhattan was a very different and much quieter place.
But IMO street fairs have morphed into junk shopping venues, with street closures that significantly impede needed bus transportation. I’d rather have bus access for my family.
Hooray for street fairs, tube socks and all!
so E is east and W is west. dont understand what that means to all above avenues on west side that all run north and south. please explain
About time these fairs start up again! I need to restock my 1000 count thread sheets and white tube socks all while eating a fried ear of corn. It’s my one time of the year to splurge. Maybe grab a lemonade while watching the demonstration for the new magic mop if I’m lucky.