OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
COURIER LIFE, AUGUST 13-19, 2021 15
BY JESSICA PARKS
Bay Ridge residents looking for a
sense of normalcy are in luck, as the
beloved Third Avenue Festival and the
Ragamuffi n Parade will both march
into the neighborhood in October — despite
some uncertainty with the spread
of the Delta variant across the city.
“It is the sort of the unoffi cial beginning
of fall,” said Louis Coluccio,
owner of ALC Italian Grocery and one
of the four members of the Third Avenue
Merchant Association’s transition
team. “We would love to see it happen
safely and continue this spirit of renewal
and rebirth.”
The Third Avenue Festival, scheduled
for Oct. 3, and the Ragamuffi n Parade,
always planned the day before,
were both canceled last year due to the
coronavirus pandemic. Now, the organizers
are facing some concerns about
their fate with the spread of the Delta
variant putting a halt to the city’s reopening
process.
But plans for the street festival are
still moving forward, Coluccio said,
and they are ready to adapt to any
changing regulations, just as small
businesses did throughout the entire
pandemic. “We have to make the best of
it,” he said. “We plan and we pivot, and
that’s being a small business owner.”
The festival’s longtime organizer,
who is putting on the event for the last
time this year, said he and his volunteers
are already scrambling to get
ready, as they’ve had far less time than
in past years. “Normally, I start working
on this in March,” said Chip Cafi -
ero, the man behind nearly every Bay
Ridge street fair for 43 years.
While the festival is scheduled to
run between 69th and 94th street, there
aren’t any defi nitive attractions to share
just yet, but Cafi ero said event-goers can
expect the usual music, rides and street
vendors that have always been a staple
in years past drawing thousands of attendees,
many traveling from far beyond
Bay Ridge. “There are people that
come from all over,” Cafi ero said.
The festival guru is also involved
with putting on the Ragamuffi n Parade
— an annual procession fi lling the avenue
with hundreds of kids in costume,
area politicians, and local civic groups
— which he says will defi nitely return
for its 50th rendition Oct. 2,
“It’s a great event that draws thousands
of kids,” Cafi ero said, adding
that as soon as it’s over he and his team
begin preparing for the next day.
Together, the two events bring a
sense of celebration in Bay Ridge —
which even with the new normalcy of
outdoor dining, Coluccio is sure will
draw in many locals who have missed
the annual tradition.
“Even though they already have
the tables out, everybody does a little
extra,” he said. “It’s a tradition. A very,
very Bay Ridge thing.”
These will be the last two events
put on by Cafi ero, who the local councilmember
praised for his selfl ess service
to the Bay Ridge community for
all these years — which would have
been less if he had taken Cafi ero up on
his offer years back.
“There have been so many great
events that simply would not have
been possible and would have never
happened without Chip and his incredible
hard work behind the scenes,” said
Councilmember Justin Brannan. “The
best part is, Chip only does it because
he loves this neighborhood. He doesn’t
care about the credit or the glory.”
And while he might agree he is a
nice guy, don’t bother him on the day
of the event, Cafi ero laughed.
“I am a nice guy, I have tons of
friends, but on the day of the event
I have no friends,” he said. “I am focused
and stay out of my way.”
Ridge
building
Third Avenue
Fest, Ragamuffi n
Parade plan to
return in October
THIS AGAIN: Hundreds of attendees visit Bay Ridge’s Third Avenue for its annual festival in 2017. File photo by Jon Farina