It’s open season for vendors hawking delectable delights at Red Hook Park.
Local dignitaries helped the merchants of portable munchies mark their busiest trading period at the recreation space, Bay and Clinton streets, with a celebration – and, of course, a sampling of the type of summer fare that has helped boost the commercial revitalization of the waterfront area.
City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe was joined by Senator Charles Schumer and Cesar Fuentes, executive director of the Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park, for the occasion.
“These vendors are a Brooklyn gem, and I’m thrilled that they will be supported and celebrated for Red Hook and New York to enjoy,” Schumer said. “The diversity and vitality they bring to this city is a cultural treasure.”
Last year, the tasty operation was threatened when the Department of Parks and Recreation had previously told the vendors that if they wanted to remain at their current location, they would have to submit a bid for the right—just like vendors across the city.
Buoyed by support from local elected officials and devoted customers, the vendors applied for a permanent license in the fall, which was granted in March.
“We are thrilled to say ‘Welcome back’ – or ‘Bienvenidos de nuevo’ – to the Red Hook Food Vendors. One of the great New York City pleasures is enjoying tacos, huaraches and other fine Latin American cuisine at Red Hook Park,” Benepe said.
In recent years, vendors have drawn New Yorkers and tourists alike to the sprawling green for tasty Latin American specialties.
The vendors’ current permit is effective for a six-year term, and provides for the operation of an ethnic and specialty food market in Red Hook.
