9th Season of Hester Street Fair Kicks off This Weekend
It’s that time of year again. With the winter thaw comes spring… and the Hester Street Fair.
The fair has set up shop on Hester Street nine times, and this iteration brings some fresh programming and tasty treats to keep foodies and those who want to support local coming back for more. This year adds new vendors, new music, and new festivals within the festival to the lineup. Opening day is tomorrow, and will include by R&B band JIL and punk rockers Pretty Sick. There will also be $4 cans of VICE’s relatively new beer, Old Blue Last, paired with tacos from L’estudio. Later on in the season, there will purportedly be a Hester Street Balls Bistro, which has nothing to do with the Mr. Lower East Side pageant.
With another year under its belt, the Fair certainly is getting away from that grassroots flavor forged in the first few years. It’s a bittersweet realization, as some would argue it’s keeping up with the pace of gentrification. Nevertheless, last year nearly 40 businesses made their business debut at the Fair – can’t really argue with that kind of accessibility.
The Hester Street Fair runs from this weekend through October 27, with Saturday markets from 11AM-6PM, and special events on select Sundays. It’s located at the intersection of Essex Street and Hester Street. Full fair info (events, vendors, etc.) can be found on their website.