Bay Ridge gears up for 44th Annual Third Avenue Festival this Sunday

It’s a month of Bay Ridge traditions.

The storied Third Avenue Festival – now in its 44th year – will once again encompass the thoroughfare on Sunday, October 15.

The all-day event — which runs all the way from Bay Ridge Avenue to 94th Street, making it one of the longest in the borough — typically draws crowds in the tens of thousands as merchants, live bands and local entertainment groups hit the streets for a day of fun.

Those that saunter the strip this year will be met by merchants, non-profit organizations, city agencies, flea markets, vendors and even an on-site pet adoption, sponsored annually by Assemblymember and now-mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis and Pet Lovers United as One.

Kids can also enjoy complimentary face painting, rides and meet-and-greets with some of their favorite costumed characters, all organized by local merchants and organizations, while their parents sample some of the delectable food for which the strip is known and browse among the merchandise from its variety of shops.

According to festival organizer Chip Cafiero, the annual affair is one that means a lot to neighborhood residents.

“The festival is very important to Bay Ridge,” Cafiero said. “It brings the community together just like the Summer Stroll. Having these kinds of events makes Bay Ridge a small town within a big city.”

As always, the festival will take place the day after the neighborhood staple Ragamuffin Parade, which will hit the strip on Saturday, October 14, though this year’s is expected to have warmer weather than in years past.

The Third Avenue Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., rain or shine.