Ragamuffi n canceled due to COVID
Third Avenue Festival still scheduled for following day: Organizers
Attention Small Property Owners!
Save Time & Reduce Stress!
for 1- to 4-Unit Rentals
For Information:
Call 718-469-4679
Email isaxon@nhsbrooklyn.org
Visit www.nhsbrooklyn.org
COURIER LIFE, AUG. 27-SEPT. 2, 2021 3
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
Bay Ridge locals are devastated
to learn that their beloved
Ragamuffi n Parade is
canceled, sending yet another
blow to the borough as COVID-
19’s Delta variant continues to
wash over the city.
“With uncertainty around
the spread of the Delta variant
across the city, and out of an
abundance of caution for kids
under 12 and our community
as a whole, the 2021 Bay Ridge
Ragamuffi n Parade has been
canceled,” wrote Councilmember
Justin Brannan in an Aug.
23 Facebook post.
The Third Avenue Festival
is still scheduled to happen
the following day, although organizers
are monitoring the
situation for further updates.
“The Merchants of Third
Avenue and I will of course
keep a close eye on the Delta
variant and see where the
numbers are at in the coming
weeks to determine what is
best of the health and well-being
of our community,” Brannan
added.
The Ragamuffi n celebration
was scheduled to return
to the neighborhood on Oct. 2,
with local shop owners hailing
the comeback of the annual
street fair.
“There are people that come
from all over,” organizer Chip
Cafi ero told Brooklyn Paper in
August. “It’s a great event that
draws thousands of kids.”
Yet, as even vaccinated
people have been subject to
breakthrough infections of
COVID-19, the parade organizers
have decided to shutter
the tradition yet again, following
a 2020 where the neighborhood’s
streets were barren due
to the pandemic.
“This decision was made
by the very dedicated Ragamuffi
n Parade Committee
who work hard each year to
organize the parade,” Brannan
said. “To be clear, the
parade was not ordered to be
canceled by the city, the state,
or anyone else. It was 100 percent
their decision and I respect
their decision.”
In the Five Boroughs,
around 3.64 percent of
COVID-19 tests have come
back positive during the seven
day average ending on
Aug. 21. That number is reminiscent
of the height of the
pandemic, although some argue
that the numbers may be
skewed as less non-positive patients
are seeking tests after
receiving the vaccine.
Yet still, the city has seen
a seven-day average of 1,688
new cases — including both
confi rmed and probable cases
— which was enough to shut
down the parades, where organizers
had no way of enforcing
vaccine mandates.
“This is sad news but I do
think with the information we
have right now it’s a good decision,”
wrote one social media
user. “I’m glad they didn’t
wait until the last minute to
make it too.”
The cancelation comes
amid a series of measures
the city has taken to stop the
spread of COVID-19.
The Ragamuffi n parade is canceled this year due to COVID-19. File photo
Get help with:
day-to-day & seasonal maintenance
lowering overhead costs
bill pay & rent collection
dealing with city agencies & laws
finding & keeping tenants
OWNERS DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE ON THE PROPERTY.
MIXED USE ELIGIBLE.
Choose
from a menu
of services
A HUD-certified housing nonprofit agency.
We've been helping our neighbors buy,
maintain & keep their homes since 1982.
/www.nhsbrooklyn.org
/www.nhsbrooklyn.org
link
link