Bay Ridge does street fairs better than most of the city, and this is its biggest: the avenue closes for a long stretch through the neighbourhood, and the businesses that line it come outside rather than being displaced by out-of-town vendors. Merchants of Third Avenue is a volunteer nonprofit, and the Summer Stroll series it runs all summer has trained the strip to do this well. It falls the day after the Ragamuffin Parade on the same avenue.
What to expect
Third Avenue closed to cars for a long run through Bay Ridge, with vendor tables and food stalls down both sides, restaurants and shops trading onto the sidewalk, live music, and family activities scattered along the way. It is a walk-the-length-and-back kind of fair rather than a single hub, and it gets busiest through the middle of the day.
Good to know
- The festival closes Third Avenue through Bay Ridge; you can join or leave the route at any cross street.
- It is free to attend - you only pay vendors.
- The R train runs one block west under Fourth Avenue, with stops at 77th Street, 86th Street and 95th Street.
- It is organised by Merchants of 3rd Ave., a volunteer-run nonprofit, with support from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.
- The Bay Ridge Ragamuffin Parade runs on the same avenue the day before, so the two pair into a weekend.
- Bay Ridge's own restaurants along the strip stay open, which is the better bet if the stall queues get long.
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Common questions
Is it free?
Yes. The Third Avenue Festival is free to attend and open to the street; you only pay individual vendors and businesses.
How do I get there?
Take the R train to Bay Ridge - 77th Street, 86th Street or 95th Street all put you a block from Third Avenue, where the festival runs.
Who runs it?
Merchants of 3rd Ave., a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit of local businesses, with support from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. The same group runs the Summer Stroll on Third series.
