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.

I'm surprised by the negative reviews on the event board for the Dumpling Fest. I went for an hour…read moreand had a nice time. 9 times out of 10 you have to know the lines at festivals long. At least at the dumpling festival the lines moved quickly. You haven't experienced atrocious lines unless you experienced the Parked Food Truck Festival. Those lines didn't move AT ALL. What I liked about the fest, each vendor had two dishes to choose from. 4 dumplings each, ordering was quick and painless. Forging another line wasn't so painful. They had all types of dumplings, from asian to Polish perogies and ravioli (Italy's dumpling?). My fave, Bruce Cost Natural Chicken with Vegetable. The most awesome parts, the giant dumpling AND Mr. Dumpling Man. Plus, the winner of the dumpling eating contest won $1000 bucks. That's pretty sweet. I should have entered, I totally would have kicked some butt.

WHAT A COMPLETE WASTE OF $20... No like seriously!!... not even joking!!. I was only able to try…read moreout one tent and that because their line was super short, all other 5 tents were so long you didn't know where the line end. the area they chosen was so small that people were lining up in the streets blocking traffic. The cops has to come and speak to the person who was in charge and tell them to correct there lines or they were going to be shot down. there was only one lady in the entrance giving out flyers but quickly walked away once anyone asked her a question. You had multiple lines for tickets but never told anyone if your had already purchased a ticket you got to a special line, so basically i got off one line to go on another... YEAH!!! once you received your $20 tickets to try four tents you were suppose to go on line and explore your taste buds. That didn't happened, they lines were interwind with each other, the crowd that was watching the dumpling eating contest were blocking half of the tents.. LET's JUST SAY... the whole thing was a DISASTER. very poorly executed. Don't advertise a festival all over NY and have a small space and little vendors to come show off cold dumplings... please don't play yourself. funny thing is I watched tones of ppl argue with the event coordinator and getting their money back. I didn't do cause i figure hey, it's only $20 you guys need it more than i did.

I had such a fun time experiencing this, but maybe not the vendors. The various vendors definitely…read morehad their work cut out supporting the massive crowd. They mostly had great attitudes despite the chaotic event-professionals all the way. There were extended wait lines, and sometimes popular items would run out to the disappointment of many. But that didn't stop the festivities! The music was lively, the artists had beautiful displays of wares, the food was delicious, and the city provided a perfect backdrop.

This is it! Bahn mi in halves for $5, for those of us that can't take the entire thing. A duo of…read morehipster sandwich thieves must have felt the same way because my bahn mi was hijacked. ROBBED. The food truck remedied the situation, thankfully, and I say mine was better. See the pix for best Vietnamese food if you're in Bklyn, but they are 404 on the map in Bath Beach. I'm guessing it's a roving food truck. Maybe you can summon them via the phone #. The best, most deliciously rich little cheese tarts had virtually no line, which I am still trying to wrap my head around. Ube and matcha cheese tarts went in my greedy little belly. Their card is attached. I had no room for the basque cheese cake, which looked delicious but was simply too big for me. Fancy. Many varieties of food, sugar cane being juiced with a roller machine to order, music, sugar painting and on and on. DJs, lights, the city.... Don't miss the next one, which is the last of the summer, sometime in August. Be early, the lines were long.

Food was good. Seems like on last day of block party vendors were sold out two hrs before close…read morerime. Whats up with that! Next year please invite park 11. Chicken and freshly made donuts was so good!

Absolutely delicious food from many great vendors. Definitely an experience that you shouldn't miss…read morewhen you are in NYC

All I have to say is WoW!…read more This event was so much fun, all the fried food, caipirinhas, and exotic lovely ladies made this festival thee highlight of my labor day weekend. There were so many small groups of musicians each performing in little circles creating dancing, fun, and happiness amongst the thousands of people filling up 6th avenue. The local food and real culture could really be found on 46th st east of 6th ave. West of 6th was pretty lame. A few Brazilian restaurants and mexican bars too helped liven the experience. I really felt like I was at a carnival type of experience at this festival. It was awesome.

I don't know why this is listed as "Greenwich Village." It's on 46th St in Little Brazil in…read moremidtown... Anyway I had no idea there were this many Brazilians in NY! It was mindblowing! I arrived around 12:30 and left around 230. There were a ton of food stands with things like fried ice cream, chicken/beef/vegetable doughy things, mozzarella-stuffed pancakes, Brazilian crepes, smoothies, gyros, and more. There are also lots of stands with fake jewelry and cheap clothes. It was interesting to walk around and take in the culture and people's collective passion for their country. There was a concert going on with some singers that I presume are well-known among Brazilians. The music was fun to listen to! There was a long line to wait on if you wanted to enter the dance section of the concert but you could hear it all over the festival. Up 6th Ave, there were stands of companies whom I presume were the sponsors. There was a man walking around with a snake offering people to take photos with it for $10... there was a statue of Pele- awesome. The people were mostly Brazilian but there were definitely other kinds of people there so I didn't feel out of place at all. Overall, I really enjoyed exploring the culture and being a part of this. Think I'll stop by in the coming years!

Having gone to Strawberry Fest annually during my undergraduate years, I knew I had to check it out…read morenow that I'm back for graduate school. I can see the quality has sadly gone down between now and over the past eight to twelve years, as it's underwhelming now, but you don't lose anything by going. It's easy to get in with an NYU ID or NYS state license, and if you go a little past 1pm, there won't be much of a line. There are strawberries (which they ran out of before 2pm) and the longest strawberry shortcake ever, but that's it for strawberry-related items now, as far as I could tell. There used to be ice cream, cotton candy, and other things, but now, there are bags, t-shirts, and raffle tickets up for sale, as well as a Mexican fast food lunch stand, a local band playing, some jingle gym situation happening for the kiddies, and some giveaways. It's about half a block long on W. 3rd Street behind Bobst and Stern. I'm a sucker for festivals, parades, and local flair. This one is heartwarming to think about because of my NYU ties, and if you're in the Village on the Friday it's happening, walk through it, especially if you're a student or have kids! It's a cute way to kill thirty minutes. Don't go out of your way to make it, though.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for these kinds of festivals, even if they are a block long. Maybe…read moreyears of deprivation have magnified the allure, but when I went to college, we never had festival anything. Now the lucky students get Pancake Day, Strawberry fest, this feast, that party. I would have felt something missing from my college years if I didn't experience Strawberry fest at least once, even if as an alumni. It's small, but boast the world's longest strawberry shortcake. If you look at my photo, you won't contest the boast. This year, there was also free cotton candy, soda, little smidgens of ice cream, a cup with strawberries and of course a slice of cake. You get a strawberry bag--all right, it won't give you the same sense of entitlement as a Yelp bag if one even exists, but it's great for shopping and for stuffing the free candy. Sour patch kids, Twizzlers, smarties and chews were given away. I left that for the happy fresh faced college students eager to sugar up for studying. There were even carnival game jammed into this block. It was a time of discovery. I did find out I'm an ace at skeetball. Take that, youngsters. It's always during a weekday, at a time when most expired college students are generally working but current NYU students are not. You'll need an NYU ID to get in or a state ID. The guard took pity on me when I told them I was a former student and couldn't find my ID since it had been years ago and allowed me to use my work ID. If you really want to mingle with youths, just make sure you have your new NYS ID card or your drivers license and in no time, you'll be noshing on strawberries. Unlike what Ming experienced last year, your ID does get you all the freebies as long as you are willing to wait on long lines. Some move fast, such as the cake line. A stroll down memory lane accompanied by a piece of strawberry shortcake isn't a bad detour if you happen to be in the area.

So much fun. I've gone the last 3 years! Tip is to go towards the end (around 5pm) and whatever is…read moreleft they give out mounds that were unsampled for free to people in little baggies :-) Don't recommend taking your dogs here. I did last year and regretted it. It's just become so packed these last few years. Great options, delicious insane flavored pickles (all super local) and you'll find cool other stuff that is also pickled like fresh kimchee and other amazing spicy stuffffss! I saw ice cream today. Couldn't read what it was so WTF but also very cool :)

The pickle day was about 4 blocks long with multiple vendors selling their twists of pickles. I…read moreloved it. There were items from pickle on a stick to pickle ice cream.

I've been coming to Fat Friday every year for the past four years - if you can't get down to New…read moreOrleans for Mardi Gras this is the closest replacement you'll find. In fact, former mayor Mitch Landrieu awarded them a certificate of acknowledgement for having NYC's most authentic Mardi Gras celebration. Like the Krewe's in NOLA, the organizers of Fat Friday do more than just throw a party, they volunteer their time, talent, and supplies. They act as a bridge between the two cities, benefiting arts, culture, and charitable organizations. Originally started after Hurricane Katrina to help fund relief efforts, their proceeds now go to a number of charities and cultural organizations, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Innocence Project, the LES Girls Club, and Figment. For that reason the first portion of the evening is a seated dinner with tickets going into the thousands of dollars, but general admission tickets (no dinner - just dancing) are around $35. I forget who has performed in years past, but this year it was the Hungry March Band and Cyril Neville. They also have a regularly performing band called Circus Mind that does jazzy/funky covers of dad rock (Talking Heads, Beatles). The musicians and the audience always give their all. You will be knocked around on the dance floor! As long as I've been going, the event has been held at the Angel Orensanz foundation- a former synagogue. Also the oldest synagogue in the city, and built in a Gothic style that's more frequently seen in churches. The setting is unlike anything else I've seen, all the dramatic architectural features are lit up in bright colors, an explosion of energy and celebration. Give the building a little research - a lot if interesting people and events have passed through its doors! The crowd and (I think) the organizers are somewhat affiliated with Burning Man, and attendees tend to be a mix of Burners and baby boomers. This means the costumes are top notch- even when other venues boast Mardi Gras themed parties no one is dressing up like they do here (I always see stilt walkers - so cool). I think this, along with the NOLA imported musicians, is part of what makes this party feel so much like a real carnival celebration. Free coat check. Beads, masks, and other party favors are strewn about for the taking, so don't feel you need to come in a costume- though you really should. My only issue with the event has remained the same over the years: the bar situation is always a little rough, this year the bar ran out of most of their booze about an hour before the event ended at midnight. I'm sure it's not easy lining up donations for liquor, it's a charity event and doesn't go all night so it's not too bad. I'd also love to see an alternative to bottled water being offered. I know they're making money for charity so a free cooler in the corner doesn't work, but Cajun china is a thing and those party favors would be reusable and sought after! Le bons temps rouler!

4 stars for the giant pretzel 2 stars for the room…read moretemperature bratwursts 1 star for the hot mess that was the front entrance area Myself and 3 friends stopped by around 6:30pm on a Friday. We were general admission, so the Security Guard told us to wait in the GA line and we waited behind 4-5 parties of VIP guests and 1 guy who was buying like ... 10 beer glasses and that alone took about 15 minutes. When we got the desk, the cashier/host told us that GA could just walk in and self-service order from the individual stands. So basically we waited roughly 20 minutes just to be told that we could just walk in. We ordered food, which came out pretty quickly - and we soon figured out why. The bratwursts were room temperature - one of them was downright cold. The saving grace was the giant pretzel, which really hit the spot. If you're really interested in bratwursts and German beers, there are TONS of better places.

Purposely chosen as my 1,000th YELP review because this event is just that awesome!…read more My friends and I have been coming here for about 4 years. Each year the event gets bigger and better but still maintains that fun sense of community. The only disappointment was that they didn't have the carousel this year! It could be because people have fallen off of it in drunken stupors (I don't know anyone who would've done something like that... ahemhusband...) but still- losing the carousel does take away from the event and subtracts one star. We usually buy the general admission tickets and can usually find a seat for all 6 of us. Since we are mostly all vegetarians, we enjoy the big pretzels more than the rest of the food offerings. Those big ole beers at $18 each go down way too easy. This might be why the carousel is no longer available to ride. That's a shame but maybe a safer thing. This has become one of the highlights of our year and will be for some time. Too many awesome things to note in one review- just go check it out!

I've been doing this art fair in the heart of Chelsea since 2006, and it keeps getting better and…read morebetter. Two floors in the centrally located Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea hosts about 80 fine art galleries from all over the world twice a year (Spring and Fall), making this fair the prime place to find affordable original fine art by both emerging and mid career artists. There are versions of this fair in various other cities in the US, Europe, and Asia, but I suspect NYC is the crown jewel. The fair opens on Wednesdays with a VIP and press preview, and then opens to the public at noon on Thursday and runs through Sunday. This is also a great place to meet the artists, as many of them are present with their dealers. Lots of affordable original art by hundreds of different artists and styles!!!

A great time to look at art. There's plenty of galleries that participate with 2 floors of artwork…read moreto enjoy. The prices vary from a few hundred to a few thousand for a piece. Everyone is very friendly and some of the artists fly in to share their prices. It's a great experience and worth visiting.