For six hours on Sunday afternoon, residents of Glendale and surrounding neighborhoods withstood the hot and humid summer heat to attend the Myrtle Avenue street fair, sponsored by The Kiwanis Club of Glendale.
The fair, held between Fresh Pond Road and Forest Avenue, featured horseback riding for children and a wide variety of foods and drinks, such as Italian sausage, Colombian arepas and lemonade.
Marilyn G., a Glendale resident for 20 years, took her daughter, Victoria, 12, on a few rides and ate lunch at the local food stands. Marilyn, who lives on Cornelius Street, just blocks away from the fair, tries to attend every year.
“I just appreciate anything that the community does to bring everybody together,” Marilyn said.
Sara Piasek and her daughter, Kara Cruz, 9, traveled from Canarsie, Brooklyn to attend the fair. Although Piasek got Cruz a baby turtle at the fair, they were primarily there to see their uncle Frank, who runs a sausage and hot dog stand.
But it wasn’t just food and games at the street fair.
Orlando Oyuela and Jorge Mendez, along with 15 kids aged 7 to 10 years old, were looking for donations to support the soccer team at St. Matthias church on Catalpa Avenue in Ridgewood.
Oyuela, whose son, Orlando Jr., 8, plays on the team, said that parents cannot afford the amount it costs to register the team for league play. The team needs $1,360 just to register the team, and that money wouldn’t cover other expenses like uniforms and equipment.
“We’re just trying to keep the group together,” said Oyuela, who helped oversee the kids who were collecting money, while making sure they had cold water to stay hydrated in the summer heat.
The fair also gave local businesses an opportunity to bring their storefront outside in hopes of attracting more customers and giving back to the community it serves.
Joe Fuoco of Joe Fuoco’s Music Center showed off his store’s equipment and his skills with a live performance that included covers of popular hits including The Beatles “Let it Be.”
Fuoco said the performances are a way to give back to the community, not self-promotion.
“I feel that if you can get people involved, it brings spirit and connection to the community,” Fuoco said.
by Luis Gronda
