BY T’NEIL GOODEN
The FAMChella street fair was back for its eighth year in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, last weekend, with vendors trying to regain what they’ve lost since the pandemic.
Mother and son Bernadette and Peter Jackson own Geekie Treatz LLC, a vegan catering company, and they are FAMChella veterans. The Jacksons closed down Geekie Treatz LLC during the early days of the pandemic, as they had not been open long enough to get funding from the NYC government. They said FAMChella was critical in helping them come back from the pandemic.
“After the epidemic, it wasn’t so much starting from scratch, but it’s rebranding, regrouping,” Ms. Jackson said. “And here we are now. It’s been working out well. Communities like this have no vegan food at all. So we figured we would come out and be able to address this in the neighborhood and give them a chance to see what we have to offer.”
FAMChella, a free family-friendly festival, filled the streets of Fifth Avenue from 68th to 81st Street with children, parents, vendors, and volunteers celebrating this year’s activities. Brooklyn Bridge Parents collaborated with the 5th Avenue Bid to organize the event.
FAMChella’s organizers say they were inspired by the flair and excitement of California’s Coachella, with a childlike twist, as it is an event that celebrates youth and their families. The event greeted children with bouncy houses, face painting, water fun, DIY bedazzled headbands, and more, bringing entertainment to a usually silent street. Nearly every attendee had their children with them, allowing them to explore the activities in front of them.
“As New Yorkers, we live in small apartments and there’s not so much play available,” said Katharina Goetz, the founder of Brooklyn Bridge Parents. “We love closing streets, we love hosting street fairs, and we love bringing play and education to the streets and plazas of New York City.”
Vendors displayed homemade treats, clothing, crocheted hats, meals, and jewelry.
“I like it when people like my products. They try them on, they love the colors, and I get customers of every single age,” said Lesley Boustamente, owner of RubyGemsDreams, a jewelry company. “Sometimes they [elders] think that it’s too young, but actually, even elderly ladies, they enjoy the necklaces and the floral designs. So it’s really nice.”
People came from nearby and others from Queens and Staten Island.
“You really get to get out and meet people. You know what I mean?” Mr. Jackson said. “Because there are so many different types of walks of life that when people stop and buy things from you, they get to converse with you, and then you get to hear everything.”