Sleepy Hollow Street Fair Draws Thousands To Beekman Avenue

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Thousands attended Sleepy Hollow's street fair (photo by Sunny McLean)

October 9, 2022

By Robert Kimmel–

Beekman Avenue, Sleepy Hollow’s main street, became a huge outdoor market Saturday, bringing thousands of visitors to attend its annual Street Fair. Crowds of people observed and purchased goods from an array of vendors ranging from crafts persons offering their own creations and groups providing information about their organizations, to food vendors satisfying the cravings of the attendees with a variety of cuisines and tidbits.

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“Overall, a huge success, with approximately 5,000 attendees,” said Stephanie Rodnick, Executive Director of the Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce, the organizing co-sponsor of the event along with the Village of Sleepy Hollow. “It was wonderful to see the streets of Sleepy Hollow filled with people and their four-legged friends,” she said. A good number of leashed dogs accompanied their owners

The vendors’ booths, totaling nearly one hundred, lined both sides of Beekman, with some utilizing the large parking lot across from Village Hall. Among the exhibitors were the Sleepy Hollow Police and Fire Departments, along with the Villages’ Ambulance Corps, medical and religious groups. Several restaurants extended dining tables out into the Avenue.

“Every vendor we spoke to had incredible sales, a few even had record sales,”Rodnick said. “There were some first-time vendors that already want to sign up for next year’s fair. Our chamber members that participated were happy with the day as well. The villages, members and businesses will certainly have visitors come back to patronize our area businesses in the off seasons as well.”

While local residents made up a majority of the attendees, other visitors identified themselves as coming from distant locations. “We spoke to so many attendees that came from far away to visit Sleepy hollow and Tarrytown for the long weekend – Montana, Tennessee, Massachusetts, California and of course the more local New Jersey, the five boroughs and Long Island,” Rodnick explained. Visitors from North Carolina and Oklahoma, as well as other far-away places, identified themselves at The Hudson Independent’s table at the Fair. A number said they were also drawn to the area by the many events leading up to Halloween and by the village’s association with the “legend” of the holiday.”

“We had plenty of visitors and attendees stop by the chamber table and inquire about the area, things to do, places to shop, to visit and eat,” said Rodnick. “It shows us how important it is for the Chamber to continue to support our businesses by spreading the word via marketing, social media and events like the street fairs and the upcoming Winter Stroll on December 3.”

Even when the Street Fair officially ended at 4:00 p.m., it took more than half an hour for the crowds to disperse. Parking spots in adjoining streets and lots had been totally filled, and traffic moved slowly to leave the area.

Representatives of the co-supporting sponsors of the Street Fair, Tarrytown Honda, Corcoran Legends Realty, ENT & Allergy Associates , Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital and Tompkins Financial all expressed their delight about the success of the event.

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