Third Summer Stroll hits Third Avenue

The much-loved Summer Stroll on Third Avenue will return to Bay Ridge for a third time this summer on Friday, August 7, bringing “a wildly successful concept“ from Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) to 80th Street, according to Merchants of Third Avenue President Bob Howe.

“The Stroll lets community people enjoy their neighborhood, and meet up with people they haven’t seen in months or years, and allows grandparents, parents, children to stroll together,” said Howe. “It’s not Broadway but it’s probably as successful as Broadway.”

Like the two previous Strolls this season, the festivities will last from 6 to 10:30 p.m. and feature local businesses, dining and a center stage hosting community entertainers.

“My favorite feature of the Stroll would probably be the al fresco dining, eating out on the sidewalk or the street,” said Howe, who estimates that there will between 5-10,000 attendees at the August 7 event. “I think it’s both fascinating and entertaining.”

However, at the end of the day, the goal of the Stroll is two-fold.

“The importance is simple,” explained Howe. “For the residents who are around on a Friday night in the summer, it’s a great opportunity to walk a few blocks with their family.

“From the merchant’s point of view, summer is a slow period,” he went on. “This [the Stroll] acts as an attraction to keep people in Bay Ridge one night longer. That’s why we do it on a Friday night, to get people to stay an extra night in Bay Ridge and be able to take off the next morning.”

The season’s fourth and final Summer Stroll will be held Friday, August 14 between 69th and 80th Streets.