30 years of Fun on Fifth

The festival took place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), led by Executive Director Elizabeth Lovejoy, sponsored the event.

โ€œWe are thrilled to host the 30th Annual Fifth Avenue festival, which is a milestone,โ€ Lovejoy said. โ€œWeโ€™ve introduced exciting, new additions such as pony rides and expanded activities for children. Our aim across all our events is to create a fun, family-friendly atmosphere while driving significant foot traffic to support the success of merchants and vendors.โ€

Pony rides for the young ones were a new addition to the festival this year.

Lovejoy has been in the BID since 2017 and executive director since August 2023.

โ€œWhatโ€™s so appealing about Bay Ridge and Fifth Avenue especially is its diversity,โ€ she said. โ€œItโ€™s a small town in a big city. Everyone knows each other, and thatโ€™s why Bay Ridge is so special.โ€ย 

According to Lovejoy, her greatest accomplishments thus far are obtaining a $75,000 grant from the NYC Department of Small Business Services and the Fun on Fifth festival.ย 

Sponsored by the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, Sundayโ€™s Fifth Avenue festival ran from 69th to 85th streets.
Sponsored by the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, Sundayโ€™s Fifth Avenue festival ran from 69th to 85th streets.

ย Former State Sen. Marty Golden was among the festivalโ€™s spectators.

โ€œItโ€™s events like these that mean a whole lot to the community,โ€ Golden said. โ€œHaving people get out and enjoy themselves, getting to know their neighbors and the small businesses in the area โ€” itโ€™s about getting people engaged.โ€ย 

46th District assembly member Alec Brook-Krasny referred to the festival as โ€œan incredible tradition that started 30 years ago.โ€

โ€œIโ€™ve been here practically every year, and I so enjoy it,โ€ Brook-Krasny said. โ€œI certainly hope it will go on for another 100 years. Itโ€™s about having fun, eating great food and enjoying it with your friends and families.โ€ย 

From left: Marty Golden, Jennifer Moore, Alec Brook-Krasny, Richie Barsamian and Vito LaBella.
From left: Marty Golden, Jennifer Moore, Alec Brook-Krasny, Richie Barsamian and Vito…

Read the full article here


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *