Chaand Raat Bazaar Attracts Thousands to Coney Island Avenue

Last night an estimated 15,000 people attended the third annual Chaand Raat Bazaar on Coney Island Avenue, between Foster and Avenue H. Each year, the American Council of Minority Women hosts the event, which is a major one in South Asian Muslim culture and religious tradition.

Chaand Raat is the eve of Eid al-Fitr, aka Eid, which is a three-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. On Chaand Raat, which translates to night of the moon, people gather to celebrate and spot the new moon--which Adeel pointed out didn't actually happen last night in North America. Celebrating, as you can see from the photos, generally involves shopping for the clothes, cosmetics, and jewelry that will be worn on the day of Eid.

There were proclamations galore given to and presented by local political and community leaders, including Comptroller John C. Liu, Council Members Mathieu Eugene and David Greenfield, Assemblyman Jim Brennan, as well as former Community Board 14 District Manager Doris Ortiz and her successor Shawn Campbell.

For as many people as were there, it seems the 70th Precinct--including its new Deputy Inspector Eric Rodriguez, who was standing smack in the middle of CIA for most of the night--kept things under control. Though maybe next year they could completely shut down that section of Coney Island Avenue, or better direct traffic to keep it from backing up on local streets.

After all that, plus the major holiday that begins today, you'll understand why a lot of businesses are closed today.