For those who rarely venture outside the Manhattan bubble, prepare to be blown away by one of our neighboring boroughs’ best fairs. Brooklyn’s annual Atlantic Antic Street Festival promises to flaunt the best of this vibrant neighborhood.
From noon to 6 p.m this Sunday, the largest street festival in New York City will represent the different cultures and histories of four neighborhoods in Brooklyn. With over 500 booths of artists, craftspeople, musicians and food merchants, Atlantic Antic will display an impressive palette of Brooklyn’s cultures.
The festival is hosted by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation, a non-profit established in 1974.
The Atlantic Antic website says, “The mission of the AALDC is to further economic development, historic preservation and cultural enrichment in the greater Atlantic Avenue area.”
The Antic stretches between Hicks Street and Fourth Avenue — a total of 10 blocks where visitors can truly experience the antics of Atlantic Avenue. As this year’s festival mantra exclaims, “Have it All on Atlantic: From the waterfront to the arena.”
The festival is known for advertising new restaurants opening on the street, and this year’s new face is Krescendo, an Italian restaurant owned by Elizabeth Falkner, a contestant from “Top Chef Masters.” She will be featuring her new eatery’s specialties such as wood-fired pizza, pasta and an outdoor beer garden. There will also be food vendors including Red Hook Lobster Pound, Blue Marble Ice Cream and Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies, which will delight the taste buds of the old and young alike.
The spotlight of the festival will be shared by live music. “A must-see this year is a brand new stage presented by hip-hop impresario Rabbi Darkside at Mainmonide of Brooklyn between Third and Fourth,” said Sasha Mercedes, spokeswoman for the Atlantic Antic.
Mercedes also recommends other performances ranging in genre from French rock to funk soul, including Les Sans Culottes, The Get It and The Windsor Terrors.
Other anticipated activities include pony rides, face painting and fun prizes for children — an entire block is dedicated to younger attendees. The Broadway productions “Bring It On,” “Evita” and “Peter and the Starcatcher,” which sponsor the festival, will provide prizes, and the chance to win Broadway show tickets. In addition, the Brooklyn Nets will be represented in a mobile booth loaded with basketball hoops and video games.
This autumn festival is guaranteed to entertain both Brooklyn natives and newcomers.
“In a year where Atlantic Avenue has grown exponentially, I am happy to say the Atlantic Antic has, too,” said AALDC president Christian Haag. “Come again or for the first time, and see why this is NYC’s greatest street fair.”
Michelle Lim is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].