Nyack Street Fair comes to town

Several times a year, Nyack”™s famous street fair brings visitors, business and craft designers to town.

The tradition, dating back some 30 years, helps Nyack secure a spot “on the map,” according to one local business owner.

“I find that the street fair brings in a lot of people who have not been to Nyack before,” said Maria Luisa Whittingham, owner of women”™s clothing and accessories store Maria Luisa Boutique and ML Gifts & Accessories, both on South Broadway.

Whittingham, who has been open for business in Nyack since 1987, looks forward to the street fairs, held every season except winter.

“We gain some of those visitors as customers on the street fair day, and some of the customers we gain after the street fair day,” she said. “In other words, they come in, they”™re with their families, they like what they see but they can”™t stop and shop, so we still gain them as customers.”

Whittingham said she always sets up a table in front of her store at 14 S. Broadway for New York City-based jewelry designer Lisa Medoff, whose line is a hit with customers. The meet-the-designer aspect of the street fair is a big draw for visitors, who come from miles around to peruse the handmade crafts for sale, she said.

“We have carried Lisa”™s jewelry for 15 years,” Whittingham said. “It”™s a good way to feature a designer”™s entire line.”

The Nyack fairs are sponsored by the Arts, Crafts and Antiques Dealer Association, which offers visitors “200 vendors offering fine crafts, jewelry, art, photography, collectibles, antiques, specialty items, live entertainment, food and much more.” According to P.J.”™s Promotions, a promoter of craft and antique shows that is now managing the Nyack fairs, the street fair brings more than 20,000 people to the village for each one.