Dino Lopreiato was getting some things ready for the return of Brackenridge’s street fair when a kid asked him what he was doing it for.

“I said, ‘I’m doing it for you,’ ” he said. “He ran around saying, ‘They’re making a fair for me! They’re making a fair for me!’ ”

That’s the kind of excitement that drove Lopreiato, a borough councilman and president of the Brackenridge Improvement Group, and others to put in all the work needed to put together “B.I.G.’s Street Fair,” named for the group. It brought music, food, games and vendors to Brackenridge Avenue on a sunny, hot summer day Sunday.

The annual fair had not been held since 2020 amid the covid pandemic. Lopreiato hopes it’s now back for good, on the second week of every August.

“The goal is to make everybody see what Brackenridge has to offer,” he said, after playing drums with Fossil, one of the bands performing. “This is a nice social event to-do that gets everybody together.”

Brian C. Rittmeyer | TribLive Beth Gault, of Harrison, a member of the Pioneer Hose Co. Ladies Auxiliary, makes funnel cakes during B.I.G.’s Street Fair in Brackenridge on Sunday, Aug. 10.  

Beth Gault, secretary of the Pioneer Hose Company Ladies Auxiliary, agreed. She was at the auxiliary’s tent making funnel cakes to-order, which she said takes about two minutes. Making them in advance doesn’t work, she said, because if they sit, “they get nasty.”

“I think it’s good for the community,” she said of the fair. “We need to get more people out.”

Josh Frihse, who has lived in Brackenridge for only a few months, said it was great to be able to just walk out of his home and right into the activities.

“It’s great for the kids,” he said, after taking a picture of his son, Greyson, 5, with Checkers the Zebra.

“I think it’s nice,” said his fiancee, Crystal Duff. “It’s great to celebrate local things.”

Brian C. Rittmeyer | TribLive Mason Callender, of Brackenridge took his pet rat, Jaco, out for a daylight walk during B.I.G.’s Street Fair in Brackenridge on Sunday, Aug. 10. While there, he chatted with and bought soap from Catherine Burke, of Pitcairn, with Hi Hemp Infused Crafts.  

Even Jaco, Mason Callender’s hooded rat, was having a good time — comfortable enough that he started grooming himself while Callender bought soap from Hi Hemp Infused Crafts, one of the vendors.

Callender of Brackenridge said he takes Jaco out for walks all the time, but usually after dark.

“This is awesome, honestly,” Callender said. “I had forgotten about it for a day. Then I heard the drums and I was excited to see what was going on.”

Brian C. Rittmeyer | TribLive Cindy Arndt, of Harrison, works her bingo cards during a game outside on Brackenridge Avenue that was part of B.I.G.’s Street Fair on Sunday, Aug. 10  

Kyle Sloan of Harrison was calling bingo games for the Pioneer Hose Co. Ladies Auxiliary. While he’s done it at the fire hall, he had never called games out on the street before, which required using older, portable equipment.

“It’s old-fashioned, but it works,” he said.

Cindy Arndt of Harrison was among the players, keeping track of multiple boards and trying to keep up with Sloan as he called out the numbers.

“I like it,” she said. “I enjoy playing bingo.”

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