The best street fairs NYC has to offer
Soak up the sun while attending these street fairs NYC offers with live music, great grub and vintage shopping
If you need another reason to get excited for summer, NYC street fairs take over various blocks in all five boroughs when the weather gets warmer. While frolicking through these vehicle-free roads, snack on sensational eats from the best restaurants in NYC and score stellar throwback wares and antiques as you would find at our city’s finest vintage clothing stores. As enjoyable as eating and shopping can be, there are many more things to do outside, from rocking out at outdoor concerts to peeping at some street art. Take advantage of the beautiful weather, including awesome free things to do, while the streets are full of fun.
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Best street fairs in NYC
PopUp New York Street Fairs
If you’ve ever encountered a random street fair while wandering the city, chances it's Pop Up New York's doing. The brand hosts numerous outdoor bonanzas while giving back to local non-profits. From the end of April to late October, the company hosts a new wave of bazaars featuring up-and-coming restaurants, designers and musicians in trendy neighborhoods. Check out the full lineup of upcomoing events online.
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Andrea Moed
Hester Street Fair
Out of all the street fairs in New York, this Lower East Side hot spot has the trifecta: Great food, shopping vendors and live entertainment. Although Hester Street Fair is most notorious for its wide selection of finger-lickin’ bites (awesome new dishes join the fray every week), it’s really upping its entertainment factor with themed events such as a vintage day and a lobster-and-beer blowout, at which the best seafood joints might compete for the best lobster tail.
Atlantic Antic
More than 500 food and craft vendors and multiple stages will close down a busy Brooklyn artery for Atlantic Antic, which is usually held at the end of September. Spanning ten blocks and cutting through four neighborhoods, it's billed as NYC’s largest street fair, so there’s more to see than stands hawking pashminas and MozzArepas. The eclectic musical lineup brings together diverse local talent and you can graze on grub from a delicious variety of artisanal vendors—washed down some fab locally brewed ale, of course. Check for announcements at atlanticave.org.
Smorgasburg
At this massive grub hub, there’s only one rule: Come hungry. The Brooklyn Flea spin-off draws more than 10,000 visitors per day with a slew of 75 to 100 incredible food vendors. Our pro tip? Make sure you peruse the lineup before you go—those mouthwatering scents and the bevy of choices can make you dizzy (and the dense crowds can make you hangry).
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