Recap: FAB! (Fourth Arts Block) Festival on 4th Street

Photo: Lori Greenberg

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. We wandered over to East Fourth Street this past Saturday to check out one of our favorite local events, the FAB! Festival. This “little block that could” is filled with small theaters, local businesses, and arts groups.

Photo: Lori Greenberg

They also know how to throw a great (and all inclusive) party, providing free dance and performances, both indoors and out. The blocked-off street was set up with stages featuring dancers and singers, along with some performers just happening by and interacting with the crowd.

Photo: Lori Greenberg

Local green organizations such as Transportation Alternatives, who provided valet bike parking, were present sitting side-by-side with some of our favorite businesses on the block including the Little Hair Shoppe and Bond St. Chocolate. (We are kind of addicted to their dark chocolate and sea salt bars – they are KILLAH, actually). A few residents on the block also were selling vintage goods and we scored an embarrassing amount of excellent jewelry. (No plastic bags for us, of course – we just wore all of it for the rest of the day.)

Photo: Lori Greenberg

This year’s festival aimed to reduce waste and ensure that 100 percent of the trash resulting from the festival would be appropriately reused, recycled or disposed of. GrowNYC provided recycling containers and NYC Water provided a large sink and spigots for drinking, old-school water fountain style, instead of wasting cups, bottles and importing water.

Photo: Lori Greenberg

After leaving the block, we passed another street fair, this one on Broadway. It was the usual generic “tube socks and meat-on-a-stick” vendors. No thanks, we’ll head back to Fourth Street.

Photo: Lori Greenberg