“We must have had Open Hand Theater at our very first year,” said Grace Flusche as she flipped through a photo album of images from the debut Westcott Street Cultural Fair in 1992. “Girl scouts were there… we had ponies? … Oh, we don’t have a dunk tank anymore.”
The 20th annual fair kicks off at noon Sunday, Sept. 18, and runs until 6 p.m., with entertainment on six different stages and a comprehensive collection of vendor booths throughout the Westcott neighborhood.
Still poring over nearly 20-year-old photos, Flusche explained why the first event was so important:
“Westcott Street was at risk,” she said. The unique, tight-knit neighborhood is home to a healthy mix of families, longtime Syracuse residents and students, and an eclectic business district.
But back in the early ‘90s, when the first fair was held, the neighborhood was experiencing a transition.
The local grocery store had closed, and in its place opened a day rehabilitation center and a church — “which meant less stores, less shops less and less of a neighborhoody feel,” Flusche said. “Things were changing.”
So a small group of neighborhood residents — including Flusche, William Knodle and Susan Nathan — decided to organize a street fair to remind their neighbors what was great about their area of the city.
The fair itself has gone through changes since the early days, and one of the most important was organizers’ decision to pay the performers, Flusche said.
And, of course, the event has grown to engulf several blocks east and west of Westcott Street, drawing roughly 8,000 people to the neighborhood every year.
But Flusche said the mission of the event has remained intact throughout it’s 20-year tenure.
“Our early intentions were to bring members of the community together for a day of celebration,” she said. “And that’s absolutely what we still believe in doing.”
For more details about the 20th Annual Westcott Street Cultural Fair, including performance schedules, stage locations and a listing of children’s activities, visit westcottfair.org. Admission is free.
