Tarrytown’s Main Street Fair to Attract Thousands This Sunday

Tarrytown’s street fair returns for its 24th year on Sunday, June 5, 2011 with a new name (Tarrytown Craft and Food Fair), a new sponsor (North American Refinery) and ten fewer vendors than last year.

Roaming pirates will replace the Alice in Wonderland characters that wandered about Main Street last year, courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley whose new attraction Pirates of the Hudson debuts on July 2-4 at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow.

Ninety merchants will occupy the exhibit spaces–100 participated last year. The municipal parking lot behind will be used this year exclusively for car parking. It accommodated 20 vendors in 2010 and provided space for a kid’s play area (this activity has been eliminated for 2011). The lot was also the location for the Ruth's Chris Steak House refreshment center (which is also gone). Regeneron, however, will bring back its science fair.

The overall number of spaces available was reduced to 90 after the Village of Tarrytown declared the municipal parking area off limits for the 2011 fair. Exhibit space sold out early with perhaps as many as 50 vendors turned away.

John Sardy, Executive Director of the Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce, anticipates an attendance of 9,000 to 10,000 for the coming fair.

Great Grub in Good Supply

A variety of lunch and snack food stands will be in operation on Main Street–representing several local restaurants. 

Tarrytown's Chiboust has a long-standing tradition for offering fresh-squeezed lemonade and strawberry short cake at the fair; it will also entice visitors with Jill Rose’s French desserts. Henry Cabral's Tarry Tavern will sell burgers, salads, chocolate chip cookies and homemade sodas at its stand. Sol Mar will offer shrimp croquettes, codfish cakes, and barbecued chicken, pork and steak. 

Sleepy Hollow's Que Chula es Puebla will provide Mexican specialties including burritos, chimichangas, tamales, tortas (Mexican sandwiches), flautas, pina coladas and Mexican soda. Any item on Chris Grammatos's Lefteris menu can be ordered at the stand including gyros and other Greek favorites.

Lubins and Links will offer Lubins (slow-roasted beef with spices served on a hot dog bun and Links (all-beef hot dogs, homemade toppings on a bun). Italian ices and pizza will be available from Main Street Pizza and homemade ice cream will be provided by Main Street Sweets.

Food-related vendors also include Calaba Kettle Corn, Jill's Kitchen (sauces), Lollipop the Candy Shop, (candy and chocolates), Mint Specialty Foods, Set Back Inn (beverages) and Wild Coyote (gourmet hot sauces).

Event's Sponsor Seeks Gold and Silver

Fair sponsor North America Refinery, located at 21 North Broadway in Tarrytown, will conduct free appraisals at its Main Street booth (across from Tarry Tavern) for gold and silver objects such as gold chains, school rings, bracelets, earrings, silverware and coins. Matthew Gullotta, the refinery's president and founder, says that a free appraisal typically takes about three minutes including precision-scale weighing of gold and silver or nitric-acid testing of diamonds and precious stones. Rare coins, stamps and sports player cards should not be brought for evaluation.

Participants will need to provide proof of age (must be 18 or older) and identity (a driver's license is acceptable). Cash will be paid on the spot and a donation equivalent to 15 percent of the amount paid sellers will be made to the Washington Irving School Fitness Playground Project. Gullotta, a graduate of the Washington Irving School and Sleepy Hollow High School, met his wife and partner Cindy when both were students at Sleepy Hollow High School.

Volunteers Integral to Fair's Success

Volunteers involved in planning the 2011 street fair include Mimi Godwin (president of the Board of Education, Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns,), Kathy Davidoff (State Farm), Jill Rose (Chiboust), Jackie Golabek (Whimsies) and Elise Goldslag (Flying Fingers).

Staff members working the street fair on June 5 include James Casamo (Mahopac National Bank), Gary Solomon (Mahopac National Bank), JoAnne Murray (Allan Block Insurance), Mimi Godwin and Kathy Davidoff.