Well this was a really pleasant surprise…read more Just when you think you are going to another Italian Festival we came here to Casa Belvedere. It is located in the Grymes Hill Section of Staten Island. The mansion itself was built in 1908 and one of the few Italianate arts and crafts style mansions in the area. It is an historic landmark which is listed on the NY State and National register of historic places. When you turn the corner and enter the grounds of the mansion the views are absolutely breathtaking. The Verrazano Bridge and New York Harbor are laid out in front of you like a picture postcard. They had vintage cars, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and even a 1915 Lancia. Another point of interest was all the photos in the house called "The Greats". It is an exhibit of Italian American Sports legends from every sport imaginable. They also had food and drinks from local Italian merchants, activities for the kids and items for sale. The one thing I tried was a wheat beer from a local brewery called Flagship Brewery which opened in 2013 in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island. It was named the Flagship American Wit with 5.75% ABV it is reminiscent of a Belgian Ale. It was very refreshing in an Indian Summer kind of day. It happens every September, the last weekend for the past 4 to 5 years.

Really beautiful location! You can see half of the north shore from the top of this hill. There's…read morealso a lot of lawn to just stroll on despite the compact neighborhood.

This was a great experience in culture from all the delicious foods, beer, and desserts to the live…read moremusic and dancing. I enjoyed the pierogies, stuffed cabbage and a few other items while here. I saw many artisans selling handmade and imported wares, from jewelry to clothing. It a short walking area as this occupies the school and its auditorium and the enclosed parking lots. So plenty of parking nearby. Even live music and band along with Ukrainian music and dancing! Definitely a very fun afternoon and evening. Great raffles and 50/50, to try your luck at and the prices were quite extensive everything ranging from mini daytrip's and weekends to high-end luggage, TV's, game systems housewares etc.Just remember to keep an eye out for this festival every year following Father's Day.

The 18th Avenue Feast, in my opinion, is the Brooklyn annual pre-game to San Genaro. Over the…read moreyears, the feast has become smaller, and seemingly shorter in duration. I've never had a bad experience, but it's not what it used to be. As I'm older now, to allow my daughter to have some fun. Some rides, a few games and some quality food. After a year off, due to Covid, it's made it's return. I'd suggest if you have small kids, it's better to go earlier in the day, before the teenagers and adults come out.

Love the Feast of Santa Rosalia. I try to go whenever it's on. sausage Sandwiches are blazing from…read morethe Lucy Carts!

You had me at bagpipes…read more Through the years I have been to this festival many times, even when they were located in South Beach. It has definitely changed. Our last trip here was two years ago, it had rained heavily the day before so the fields were quite muddy. Today was a gorgeous day, bright and sunny. Maybe it was the luck of the Irish. There are two stages with entertainment performing simultaneously. We were able to catch the following: The Celtic Rebels, the Dawn Daniels Dancers, the Sashing and Mashed Pipe Bands ( they played God Bless America), Clan Erin Pipe Band and Robbie Doherty. Since it is never too early to Christmas shop, our first stop was the Tinker's Shopping Village. There are plenty of vendors selling everything Irish. There is not much celebrating the Irish on Staten Island. It is either this festival or the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Forest Ave in March. Which happens to be the third largest in the country. For lunch we tried The Irishman's Bar B Q. They are currently a catering business located in the vicinity. The ribs were delicious, fall off the bone with a slight kick. The smoked Mac and Cheese could have been warmer, but it didn't stop me from finishing it. Prices were very reasonable at all vendors. Looking forward to next year's Fair.

It was good the year they had it. Then we went the next and it wasn't there. There was no notice…read morethat the fair was cancelled.

Great Street Fair... spread out all over downtown Westfield. So many vendors selling so many…read morethings. Lots of food to choose from and plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. Great place to spend a leisurely Sunday walking around...

There are a few things in life that are inherently good. In my opinion, those include: live music,…read morecarnival food, thrill rides, good weather, quality time with friends, and animal freak shows. The Union County Music Fest provides all of the above and more, and all at the super low price of ... well, NOTHING! Let's start with the logistics. First of all, it would be nearly impossible to get to Music Fest without a car, so I'm lucky my Jersey-dwelling pals offered to drive. Second, Music Fest is held in association with the county fair, which accounts for the rickety and slightly scary rides, the carnival food (funnel cake, anyone!?), and the Anibal freak show. Freaks on display included a zebra/donkey cross breed, sheep with five legs, and a midget bull. Awesome! Now on to the music. There was a great mix of styles on display, and the three bands I saw each provided a very different experience. First I saw The Zombies, a '60s psychedelic band that was popular with the older crowd, but still were pleasantly enjoyable. For me, the highlight of the evening was getting to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band, who were absolutely spectacular. His mix of rock, funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel is not to be missed and I was totally blown away by his incredible work on the pedal steel. In fact, I was so impressed that I weaseled my way backstage after his set so that I could tell him I was hooked and will definitely be seeing him again soon. See the attached picture for visual proof. Headlining Sunday night was Spoon, another band that I really like. They were better than when I first saw them a couple of years ago in NYC in a venue that I hate, and the crowd was very receptive. The threat of rain kept many people away, which was too bad for the bands but good for me and my friends. We were right up near the front for both Robert Randolph and Spoon. A few of my friends were there for the Saturday lineup as well, and they said it was much more crowded, which isn't a surprise since the weather was so much better. Saturday's performers included headliners Train (not my thing, but ok), OK Go, The Bravery, and several others. The festival also boasts a small stage for local bands, as well as a pop/dance area, which seemed popular with the tweens. I hear there was also a human freak show on Saturday, but unfortunately it was not open Sunday. I'm excited to see who will be back for Music Fest in 2011, but it will be hard to beat the experience I had there yesterday.

For Union County, this was a great festival. However, it was poorly put together also…read more First off, we did the smarter thing and used Uber to get to and from the event because I heard parking was a disaster. Also, there were very few signs. When you did park, you had a bit to walk but there were no signs that told you where to go. I think they need better signage and more lighting in the dark as I almost twisted my ankle walking over. The craft beer garden was $9 a drink, which was a bit high. And you didn't get to sample anything before you bought it (also note get your token beforehand) so careful how you spend it. Though, they had some great beers there. The waits weren't too long surprisingly. However, the lines for some of the food trucks were way more. Many food trucks already sold out of food when I got there Saturday night. Meh. But thankfully there were plenty that were more well prepared. The rides were a little pricey also at $1.50 a ticket and some of the rides at 5 tickets. Eek. I think I'd go again but they do need some improvement. Also, more lighting would be appreciated all around. This review doesn't include the concerts because I didn't bother with that. If you angled yourself properly in the food truck/carnival area, you got a GREAT view of the MainStage for FREE FYI.

Did you know the story of San Gennaro originated in Naples, Italy?…read more Starting in the late 1880s many Neopolitan Italian immigrants settled in lower Manhattan, on Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy. By the year 1926, they decided to celebrate their heritage in honor of their favorite Saint. 2025 marks the 99th year of celebration of San Gennaro who famously protects Neopolitans from fire, earthquakes, droughts, plagues and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. San Gennaro is a truly powerful champion for the people. However, this eleven day festival is all about the food and fun. So, Let's eat! Mangia! **Runs September 11th through 21st ** **It's Free! - But do bring plenty of CA$H money for food** * ** Some say it's claustrophobic and an overpriced tourist trap** ***Weekdays are bit less crowded *** You're welcome Grazie mille!! XO

If you're lucky enough to be reading this on a slow Friday at work, your next destination should be…read moreReddit, where you can enjoy "it's fake Disneyland for tourists" comments followed by counterattacks about those smug and simplistic critiques. I don't love it but I usually try to go at least twice. I liked the hot sausage at Johnny Fasullo's with a hot pepper on top. If you're into carbs try a potato croquette and rice ball combo at Caffe Napoli. I wasn't as impressed with the Ferrara cannoli this year but maybe I'm wrong. If possible, go on a weekday, but the crowds will always be abundant.

This was my second or third excursion here. It's been years since I've gone but it's probably a…read moremediocre fair, which is about ten blocks long, at best. A few basic rides and food being sold but I think it's relatively boring and just blah overall. If you're not a regular, live nearby or just in the area, for another reason, it's surely not worth venturing over here, in my opinion.

so happy this year there were different vendors for food and jewelry, toys etc. even some new rides…read morethis year. had lots of fun . even saw a freestyle singer this year

Stopped by the fair on a very warm Sunday afternoon. I decided to take the train instead of driving…read moreand it is very conveniently located basically across the street from the train station. There were many vendors to check out and they had a nice selection of items. They also had a specific area set aside for the food vendors but there wasn't much seating. I only saw a few tables and chairs set up. As far as food they had a nice selection to choose from. I had a great empanada from Empanada Monster, some boardwalk fries, and your traditional twist soft ice cream cone. They also had the Cousins Maine Lobster Truck, and the Thai Food Addict Truck. I thought the prices were very reasonable. They were even selling cans of soda and water for $1.00 They also had a DJ to provide some entertainment and a bouncy house for the kids as well as some games to play. Very nice street fair...

Ever since I was little, my parents would take me out to the fairs, particularly the ones in…read moreCranford and Westfield since we obviously lived close-by to these areas. We go to these events every year to see what was being exhibited. The bigger size of the fair, the better, since there would be a lot on display for the visitors to see and possibly buy. We were always fond of the fairs in Cranford and Westfield because of it's sizes, and this year, this fair is still big, thus giving me the chance to see a lot on display. This fair was located in the heart of downtown Cranford. Various food vendors were available, selling different kinds of meals and snacks, particularly fried foods. Other vendors were selling crafts that they made, like candles and tiny picnic tables which were meant to hold salt and pepper shakers. More vendors also sold classic toys and sports memorabilia. There were also different organizations and companies onsite for distribution of various services (like Vivint and FIOS). Some of the tables from those organizations had little "Wheel Of Fortune" games for the kids. I certainly remember playing those games when I was a little boy in the 90s at the fairs. Overall, I'd say all of that was interesting. If that wasn't enough, there were some classic cars on display on one little side street. There actually wasn't that much, but it was enough for me to look and enjoy what was being shown. Who doesn't like looking at old, classic cars? If I had a favorite out of what I saw, I'd say it was the Porsche. I didn't recall seeing those cars at the Garwood event a few months ago. As I walked around, I got overwhelmed by the smell of the oil that was used for the fried foods. I wasn't amused by that. That also left me wondering whether or not the oil was replaced recently prior to the actual frying procedures. The smells were obviously not too far from the booths where the actual frying was taking place. The big size of the fairs in Cranford will always make me a fan! :D

I typically hate NYC street fairs, but the Fifth Avenue lived up to its name!…read more Unlike some other fairs, where it's all the same sausage and peppers on every block, the Fifth Ave Fair puts a big emphasis on local businesses, with most of the food options coming from those storefronts! There was also a live band, lots of random stuff to buy (mostly jewelry and clothes). I set up station by the Letter of Marque Theater space and watched/participated in some awesome soundpainting and improv performances! Go support them! Also devoured a ton of pizza, and had more than a few beers from Nunu Chocolates. I love drinking in public! The fair also extended pretty far down! From almost Flatbush all the way down to the numbered streets!

It was amazing to see so many families and people of all ages (and dogs) enjoying it. Lots of good…read morefood, entertainment, music, beautiful jewelry, crafts, clothes, etc. I got info on acupuncture, veterinatian for my cat, delicious dumplings and spent the whole day walking and discovering things. Definitely a must for next year.