Bay Ridge’s Summer Stroll on Third is continuing into August, and its second installment on July 22 drove even more people to the thoroughfare than its kickoff.
So far, the event — hosted by the Merchants of Third Avenue — has been a success for all involved, connecting the community to each other and local businesses.
“Well, for businesses, it brings out thousands of people,” said Louis Coluccio Jr., founder of A.L.C Italian Grocery and a Merchants of Third Avenue board member. “It’s a great opportunity to introduce yourself if you’re new. We kind of changed our approach as time went on and people got to know us. It was great to see for me to discover new businesses that I might not have seen post-COVID. So to see everybody out and happy, I celebrate it.”
This year’s Strolls kicked off on July 8, and returned July 22. But, there is still fun to be had with Strolls scheduled for Aug. 5 and Aug. 19.
Food eating contests have reigned supreme this year, and have become a fixture at the Summer Stroll — among them, the first annual taco eating contest hosted by Ho’ Brah Taco Joint, which took place July 22. At the event’s first installment, Aunt Butchie’s Desserts hosted its inaugural cheesecake eating tournament.
Summer Stroll on Third first started in 2012 and has since been so successful, its model is used around New York City. Its take-to-the-streets atmosphered has even mirrored throughout the pandemic thanks to the city’s Open Streets program.
The Stroll’s return to Bay Ridge has been especially meaningful to the event’s newest coordinator.
“The Summer Stroll on 3rd has been a cherished neighborhood tradition for the last decade, drawing thousands of visitors each year from throughout Brooklyn and beyond,” Summer Stroll Coordinator David Annarummo said in a statement to Brooklyn Paper. “In my first year as coordinator for this incredible event, I wanted to make sure that there was something special on each end of the avenue to get people excited. The July 8 cheesecake eating contest and this past week’s taco eating contest served as the perfect prelude to live performances by freestyle recording artists Joe Zangie and Noel, which drew great crowds to our main stage.”
The Summer Stroll on Aug. 5 will encompass Third Avenue from 68th to 83rd streets and the closing Stroll on Aug. 19 will run from 83rd Street to Marine Avenue.
To find out more about the Summer Stroll, visit the official event website.
