Final Summer Stroll event set for Aug. 12

Cars to be banned from Third Avenue for a night

August 10, 2016 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Ellen Lindstrom entertained the crowds with her lively accordion at the Summer Stroll on 3rd event on Aug. 5. Eagle photos by Paula Katinas

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Already basking in the glory of three successful Summer Stroll on 3rd nights held earlier this summer, the Merchants of Third Avenue group is busy preparing for the fourth and final stroll this Friday, Aug. 12.

The city will create a pedestrian plaza along a 10-block stretch of Third Avenue, between 80th and 90th streets, that will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday. Cars and trucks will be banned from the Summer Stroll zone so that pedestrians can be kings and queens of the street.

What pedestrians will find are sidewalk cafes that stretch out onto the roadway, stages where performers will offer everything from soft rock to Broadway show tunes to operatic arias, games for kids, dancers and art projects.

The Merchants of Third Avenue group has been presenting Summer Stroll on 3rd every year since 2012.

The first three Summer Stroll events for 2016 took place on July 15, July 22 and Aug. 5. The location changed each week to enable all parts of the avenue to host the event. On July 15 and Aug. 5, Summer Stroll was held on Third Avenue between Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) and 80th Street. The July 22 event took place between 80th and 90th streets.

Summer Stroll on 3rd gives thousands of people a chance to leave the stresses of work behind for a night and relax and unwind.

Ilene Sacco, a lawyer and the former president of the 68th Precinct Community Council, is coordinating Summer Stroll on 3rd for the Merchants. State Sen. Marty Golden (R-C- Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn), Councilmember Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst) and Community Board 10 are providing logistical support.

Summer Stroll on 3rd is part of the Weekend Walks program of the New York City Department of Transportation, a citywide series in which selected streets are closed to vehicular traffic for a day or a night so that New Yorkers can enjoy outdoor activities.

For a listing of Weekend Walks around the city, visit www.nyc.gov/weekendwalks.