Brooklyn's Progress
September 2003

After a 2-year hiatus, one of New York's most popular street festivals, the Atlantic Antic, is back on schedule in its regular fall time slot. On September 21, Atlantic Avenue will be transformed into a fun-filled fairway as thousands of vendors, craftspeople, performers and merchants hit the streets for the Antic. The event is scheduled for Sunday September 21, 2003, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Atlantic Avenue from Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights to Fourth Avenue in Boerum Hill. It is produced by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC).

The Atlantic Antic has a reputation for outstanding street shopping and noshing. It typically draws a quarter of a million people, many of whom come for delicious ethnic food and the mix of entertainment. This year, three dedicated stages will showcase approximately 30 acts. A special Middle Eastern music stage will feature legendary Antic veteran Eddie The Sheik and his traditional oriental belly dancers, ouds and doumbeks.  The Main Stage at Boerum Place, emceed by comedienne Carmen Mofongo, will feature Brooklyn artists performing doo-wop, big band jazz, Latin hip-hop, rock & roll, reggae and fusion. The Bond Street Stage will present the Kalabash Theatre, Anointed Voices gospel chorus, the Performance Criminals, Brazilian and Irish music, dance and theatre troupes. Another performance area at Hicks Street will present the Gowanus Wildcats Drill Team, an annual favorite.

Kids are in for a special treat:  the Flying Bridge Puppets parading up and down the Avenue; pony rides with the Black Cowboys (btw. Hicks & Henry); Big Chair (252 Atlantic), an 8-foot wooden chair where kids get to "think big" and take their own digital photos, presented by the Micro Museum (http://micromuseum.com/); music making with Bonga (Hoyt Street Garden); clowns and face painting can be found in various locations on Atlantic Avenue especially near Hicks Street.

Cheesecake Eaters: On Your Mark, Get Set, Inhale!
Premiering this year will be the World Cheesecake Eating Championship - presented by Downtown Atlantic Restaurant & Bakery and sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eaters (IFOCE).  The event will pit contestants against one another in a race to see who can consume the most cheesecake in 12 minutes. Pastry chef Fran Sippel will prepare 250 cheesecakes for the competition scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the Bond Street Stage, in front of Downtown Atlantic at 364 Atlantic Avenue. The winner will receive a trophy, a romance weekend at the Marriott Brooklyn Bridge and the title of World Cheesecake Eating Champion.

Pete's Waterfront Alehouse, a popular destination at 155 Atlantic Avenue, will host a biergarten with local craft beer from Brooklyn Brewery and feature live music throughout the day with the Black Coffee Blues Band and the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra. The establishment will sell its award-winning barbecue beef brisket and pulled pork sandwiches along with ice cream and German sausages. Other Avenue merchants are planning sidewalk sales, outdoor cafes and promotions.

A full program schedule is posted on the web at http://www.atlanticave.org/.

The Atlantic Antic was established in 1974 by local merchants and is produced by the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation, a not-for-profit organization committed to the economic development of the Atlantic Avenue from Brooklyn's East River waterfront to Flatbush Avenue. The event spans four neighborhoods and attracts more than 300,000 people. For more information, call 718-875-8993 or visit http://www.atlanticave.org/. Email: atlantic494ldc@aol.com.

SPONSORS: The Fall 2003 Atlantic Antic is sponsored by Time Warner Cable; Affinity Health Plan; Amsterdam News; Power 105.1; Ridgewood Savings Bank; Verizon; Two Trees; Con Edison; Commerce Bank; Community Capital Bank; Health Plus; Independence Community Foundation; Independence Community Bank; KeySpan Energy; Bank of New York; People's Alliance Federal Credit Union; Citibank N.A.; Washington Mutual; Time Equities.