Bay Ridge's beloved Third Avenue Festival, originally set for Sept. 27, has been pushed back to Sunday, Oct. 4, as an approaching Nor'easter forced organizers to change plans. The street fair will now run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. along its usual route, stretching from 69th to 94th Street.
The postponement was confirmed by the Brooklyn Eagle, which reported that the festival, hosted by the Merchants of Third Avenue, was moved off its original Sept. 27 date because of the storm bearing down on the city. The event had previously been scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27, before the schedule change was announced.
Bay Ridge's Third Avenue Festival is known for filling the avenue with live music, food vendors, rides, games and a classic car show, drawing crowds every fall. The Merchants of Third Avenue, described by the Eagle's report as a merchant group and civic organization focused on stabilizing the community, put the event together as one of its signature efforts each year.
A Neighborhood Tradition With Deep Roots
The festival isn't a new addition to Bay Ridge's calendar. Over the years it has featured concert stages, dance performances, fashion shows, flea markets and outdoor cafes lining the avenue, per the same account. Marching bands, community groups and costumed performers have also been part of the mix, according to reporting from Brooklyn Paper, which described dozens of vendor booths offering food, wares and other goods alongside live entertainment from local bands.
The festival has attracted some notable visitors through the decades. John McCain attended in 1997, and Art Shamsky showed up in 2023, the Eagle's report notes. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has also walked the route in past years, talking with festivalgoers and posing for pictures, according to the outlet's earlier coverage of the event.
Organizing Handoff After Decades of Leadership
Behind the scenes, putting the festival together takes months of preparation, with planning for each September's event typically beginning the previous December, the Eagle's report states. Chip Cafiero organized the Third Avenue Festival for decades before recently turning operations over to other people. Cafiero said he was sure he would miss the festival, per the same account.
The proceeds from the festival have historically helped keep the avenue functioning, and MOTA also donates to and supports other local groups beyond the festival itself, according to the report. The event is expected to attract thousands of attendees once it returns to the avenue on its new October date, though historical accounts of past turnout have varied, with some describing crowds in the thousands and other coverage describing hundreds of thousands attending in past years.
Other Fall Events Also Shifting Dates
The Third Avenue Festival isn't the only fall tradition getting rescheduled around the storm. The Ragamuffin Parade was also postponed, moving to Oct. 3, while the Atlantic Antic was pushed to Oct. 4. Bay Ridge residents planning to head out for the rescheduled festival can expect the same stretch of Third Avenue, from 69th to 94th Street, to be filled with the sights, sounds and smells that have defined the event for years.
