It all began in 1973. Since then the weekend after Mothers Days have become favorite weekend for New Yorkers. All because of The 9th Avenue International Food Festival & Street Fair.

More than a million people visit the festival each year.
It’s unique and amazing, celebrating the joys of ethnicity through food, entertainment and every kind of street fair stall.

When: May 16-17, 2009

Where: Ninth Avenue from 37th Street to 57th Street

The festival is held to raise money for the community groups in Hell’s Kitchen and they describe the festival like this:

Working up from the south end of Ninth Avenue, you will be enticed by:

• chorizo sandwiches – from Esposito Pork Shop, at 38th
• the best sausage and pepper hero ever – from Giovanni Esposito & Sons at 38th
• clams and oysters on the half shell at the seafood stands (Central Fish and Sea Breeze) around 38th Street
• soupy, spicy gumbos, crab cakes and chicken curry – from Chantale’s Cajun Kitchen near 38th
• suckling pig and quail stuffed with fresh Greek spices and feta cheese – from Ninth Avenue International Foods, near 40th
• peppery crisp squid – from Siam Grill, near 42nd
• iced coffee and iced cappuccino – from the Empire Coffee & Tea Company near 42nd
• bourbon ham sandwiches, Texas chili with corn bread, mango
  barbecue wings and macaroni and cheese – from Good And Plenty To Go, at
  43rd
• carrot cake and apple pie – from the Little Pie Company at 43rd
• chicken salad made with corn, black beans and jicama, and barbecued pork tostadas – from Zuni, at 43rd
• meatball hero – at The Holy Cross church stand on 43rd
• corn fritters gently flavored with shrimp, crisp spring rolls and nasi goreng – from Bali Nusa Indah, near 45th
• spanakopita and tiropita surrounded by the most delicate
  phyllo pastry that you will ever find, and then baklava or strudel -
  from Poseidon Greek Bakery, near 45th
• breads, brownies, cookies and cinnamon-raisin, garlic, rosemary or black olive fresh bread twists – from Amy’s Bread, near 47th
• jambalaya – from Delta Grill at 48th
• pork in mole sauce, wrapped in a corn tortilla – from Tacocina at 49th
• huge, inexpensive portions of Brazilian foods like bolinho bacalhau, a fried salt-cod casserole – at Rice ‘N’ Beans, near 50th
• Greek barbeque, octopus, lamb and chicken souvlaki – from Uncle Nick’s, near 50th Street
• pad thai, dumplings – from Wondee Siam, at 54th
• roast pork – at Ned Kelly’s bar on 55th

And somewhere along the way you will also come across:

• alligator, shark, lobster, shrimp and catfish nuggets
• burritos, jerk chicken and curried chicken
• cheescakes – from Martha Francis
• french pastries
• fried elephant ears
• full pigs rotating on spickets over an open fire
• grilled corn on the cob
• kokoretsi (lamb livers and sweetbreads wrapped in intestines)
• paella
• soft shell crab
• steak sandwiches
• turkey drumsticks

Image by JohannaCT and the.joberg.

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