Westcott fair draws a crowd of characters

Despite an overcast sky and a bit of rain, hundreds of Westcott area neighbors came out for the 18th annual Westcott Street Cultural Fair.

The crowd was an an eclectic bunch, including kids performing skateboard tricks on the road blocks, dogs both abnormally large and abnormally small, and people wearing a wide range of costumes. 

Photo: Vernon Young

There were women dressed in ghostly white dresses, young girls dressed as princesses, and people covered in assorted scraps of cloth and ankle bells.  One couple walked around the fair with tiny trees on top of their heads.

A variety of booths lined the streets, featuring Westcott street staples alongside local artists and organizations.  In a short one-block stretch, you could pass the Westcott Theater selling tickets to upcoming shows, Funk ‘n Waffles selling old records, and the Freethinkers of Upstate New York  looking for conversation.  Across the street, Mom’s Diner had outdoor grills with hamburger, hot dogs, and chicken-on-a-stick.

The fair’s various stages provided a wide range of entertainment.  The Raging Grannies, a group of singing retirees, opened for a jazz group called Bobby Green and A Cut Above.  Diamond Sunday, a country band, played in a tiny parking lot squeezed between two buildings.

The performances included a stage featuring not one, but two puppet shows, a large crafts area, and a radio-controlled talking police dog that looked like Scruff McGruff on wheels.

The entertainment wasn’t contained to the stage areas.  Turning a corner could mean running into the Taoist Tai Chi society practicing in the street, or even a group of hula hoop dancers.

If you missed the fair, don't worry!  It comes back every year this time in September.