Six years ago, when Carlos Nelson (video) first talked about this event the reaction he heard was “A street festival on 79th Street? You must be crazy. Nobody would come to a festival in the middle of 79th Street.”
There appeared to be about 10,000 people crowding 79th Street today when I visited for an event filled with good food, good people and good music. None of them were suggesting that Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation‘s Nelson was crazy for organizing this 6th annual event. And almost all of them – especially the kids – appeared to be having a great time.
The Festival marks what Father Michael Pfleger calls, in the video, “the turnaround of 79th Street.” Prior to today it had been four years since I’d spent more than a few minutes in Auburn Gresham. I’ll be heading back soon for a closer look at the neighborhood.