Each September, Queens residents gather for the Astoria Alive Street Fair. During this time, the streets of the Astoria neighborhood fill with top-quality artisan booths. The carnival games, numerous rides, and other attractions offer memorable experiences. Learn more about this popular fall event at queenski.com.
A Celebration for the Whole Family
Astoria Alive Street Fair features a wide range of arts and crafts, with local vendors offering delicious food and culinary delights. The variety of food reflects Astoria’s rich cuisine, renowned for its restaurants and food markets featuring dishes from around the world. Children can enjoy rides, engage in fun games, and participate in activities like face painting.
Each year, the festival program changes slightly. For example, in 2015, visitors had the opportunity to adopt a pet from a mobile trailer filled with animals looking for new homes. Additionally, there were fire safety education sessions held alongside fun games for the whole family.
The festival is sponsored by the Astoria Restoration Association, a nonprofit organization that works with local residents, businesses, and various city and state agencies. Its mission is to support and improve the economic, cultural, and residential conditions in Astoria for the benefit of all its residents.
Celebrating Diversity
The festival celebrates the diversity of Astoria, a neighborhood in northwest Queens. The area was originally settled by the Dutch, but over the years, it welcomed people from various ethnic backgrounds. For example, after World War II, there was an influx of Italian immigrants, followed by immigrants from Greece and Muslim countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria, after 1965.
Interestingly, the first landowner in the area was William Hallett, who settled there in 1652 with his wife, Elizabeth. They moved to Flushing after their farm was destroyed by Native Americans. In the 19th century, wealthy New Yorkers began developing Astoria. The neighborhood was later named after John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest man in the U.S. at the time. Local leaders hoped to attract investments from him, though Astor made only a small contribution and never actually set foot in Astoria.
In the latter half of the 19th century, Astoria saw significant economic and commercial growth, attracting many German immigrants who mainly worked in furniture and carpentry factories. One such German settler, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg, founded Steinway & Sons in 1853. Today, Steinway & Sons is a world-famous company producing high-end musical instruments. Additionally, Astoria played a significant role in early American filmmaking, a legacy preserved today by the Museum of the Moving Image and Kaufman Astoria Studios, one of New York’s largest film production centers.
Overall, Astoria is a vibrant commercial hub with bustling blocks of shops, restaurants, and nightclubs alongside historical landmarks. Visitors should check out the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden and Astoria Park, which offers stunning views of the East River. Astoria Park is also known for housing the city’s oldest and largest swimming pool, which opens on the first weekday after the New York public school term ends and closes before the start of the school season. The area is also home to artists and creatives, with its vintage boutiques, trendy restaurants, and galleries.