Third Avenue Festival coming to Bay Ridge for its 42nd year

Get ready for a day full of good, old -fashioned Bay Ridge fun.

The Third Avenue Festival is returning for its 42nd year and promises to bring the same variety of fun as past years and more, according to organizer Chip Cafiero who is hard at work till the last minute, putting the finishing touches on the event.

“I’ve been running it for 38 years,” he said. “The main aspect different this year from others is that there are more merchants participating in the festival because of Summer Stroll. They liked it and now want to try the festival.”

Though it’s a new year, attendees can expect the same type of excitement and activities as in recent years. Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis will hold her annual pet adoptionevent. Irish band Canny Brothers will perform, along with local musician Frankie Marra, and there will be live DJ sets and dance performances along the strip.

“We are going to have a ton of entertainment, such as dance studios, karate schools, bands and stages,” Cafiero said.

For the kids there are several blocks of rides, along with face painting, and stage and puppet shows. And for the adults, there is plenty of shopping including a flea market area and lots of vendors.

The festival will span from 69th to 94th Street, with 17 non-profit organizations currently participating, but more expected, said Cafiero. “We should be getting more of those by the deadline,” he predicted.

Being with the festival almost since its inception, Cafiero knows how important tradition is to Bay Ridge. “It’s just a great event for the community and it brings out all their people too,” he said. “We are anticipating a good festival and a big crowd. The only thing we have to worry about is the weather.”

However, the event isn’t only for Bay Ridgeites. “It’s one of the key things that have kept this community together, but people come from all over the country,” Cafiero said. “I know people that are coming from Connecticut and New Jersey. There’s going to be an Our Lady of Perpetual Help reunion. It brings people back. People come back and stay with family overnight or for the weekend. I know someone who comes from Florida every year to meet a bunch of friends. It’s something that keeps Bay Ridge alive.”

The Third Avenue Festival will be held on Sunday, October 4 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., rain or shine.