Brackenridge festival making B.I.G. return after covid

Belly dancers and Brazilian drummers will take center stage at the B.I.G. Fair in Brackenridge, which returns this month after a five-year covid-related break.

Brackenridge Avenue will close from Morgan Street to Locust Lane while live bands entertain crowds along the quarter-mile stretch.

The smell of gyros, hot sausage and cabbage rolls will fill the air from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10 during the festival hosted by the Brackenridge Improvement Group.

“This is a thing to bring the community together,” said Councilman Dino Lopreiato, president of the improvement group.

“We hear a lot from older people that we used to have carnivals and events. We want to show people that we are trying to create good times.”

The entertainment and food will be top-notch, organizers said.

Timbeleza Brazilian Drummers are renowned for their vibrant music, having performed “all around the world, including in Rio during Carnival,” Lopreiato said. They are scheduled to show off their skills at 2 and 5 p.m.

Also hitting the stage will be rock cover musicians Fossil, Sweet Soul Collective (comprising members of 56 East) and the Dave Iglar Band.

The ethnic food will cover a wide array of tastes, from Mediterranean and Italian to Polish and American.

The Pioneer Hose Ladies Auxiliary will be selling funnel cakes and haluski while members host bingo.

Pioneer Hose and Eureka Fire-Rescue-EMS will bring their trucks for the kids to get an up-close look.

“My kids loved that the last time,” said organizer Colleen Ringler. She joined the improvement group in 2023 and is excited about spearheading events that spur pride.

“I’m really excited to get the community back together,” she said.

Proceeds will go back into the community through the improvement group’s efforts to plant trees and host cleanup events.

An upcoming goal is to create a flag park across from the American Legion along First Avenue.

The B.I.G. Fair was a community staple for seven years before the pandemic.

“After covid, everybody got a little lax and were happy to be home on the couch,” Lopreiato said.

“We want to get things going again and show everyone how nice Brackenridge can be.”