Rain doesn’t dampen Fifth Avenue Festival fun

June 6, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cast members from Narrows Community Theater loved performing at the festival. Eagle photos by Paula Katinas

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It rained an hour before the start of the Fifth Avenue Spring Festival and it poured during the last hour of the event. But in between, it stopped raining long enough for the annual street fair to take place and the crowds still turned out for an afternoon of food and fun on Sunday.

Sponsored by the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), the festival stretched from Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) to 85th Street like a long, giant block party. The event opened at noon and kept going until 6 p.m.

Here are some of the sights and sounds from Sunday: The rock band Full Disclosure drew large and enthusiastic crowds. The Narrows Community Theater thrilled audiences by offering a preview of its next show, “Annie Get Your Gun,” from a stage. A little girl was thrilled when she won a goldfish at one of the carnival booths. People lined up to buy sausage and pepper sandwiches, delicious mozzarella cakes and fried Oreos. The Diana Lisa Trio performed outside Mussels and More Restaurant. The owners of Havin A Party, a party supply store, were selling Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton masks.

Despite the cloudy skies and the constant threat of rain, the festival drew large crowds of hardy folks who decided to take a chance and pay a visit to Fifth Avenue armed with their umbrellas and a sense of adventure. They were rewarded with an event that featured nearly all of the planned activities.

There were a few weather-related cancellations, however.

For example, the Pizza Eating Contest sponsored by the owners of Rocco’s Pizzeria was canceled.

Last year winner Geoffrey Esper ate an astonishing 28 slices of pizza in 12 minutes.

The pizza eating contest, which always draws an overflowing crowd of spectators, also raises money for charity.

But the disappointment over the canceled contest didn’t last long. It was quickly announced that plans are under way to hold the event later this month.

The weather also caused many restaurant owners along the avenue to cancel plans to open sidewalk cafes.

Still, the festival had many outdoor cafes, including one at Schnitzel Haus, a German eatery near 73rd Street where kielbasa sandwiches sold at a brisk pace.

The BID is a public-private partnership representing the interests of property owners, merchants and residents on Fifth Avenue between 65th and 85th streets, one of southwest Brooklyn’s premiere shopping strips.

The BID uses members’ money to plant trees, install benches, sweep away litter and generally beautify the avenue to attract customers so that storeowners can benefit and the local economy can improve. Like all BIDs in New York City, the Fifth Avenue group works in close consultation with the Department of Small Business Services.