Park Ave Summer Art Festival

If you live in Rochester and you love to have fun — then you probably wait for Park Ave Fest weekend like a kid waits for Christmas (or possibly with even more anticipation). The Festival itself provides a great deal of entertainment — there are a ton of vendors, lots of food, interesting music (very different from other festivals), different demonstrations going on, sometimes impromptu street performances. Its usually on a great weekend weather wise by some pure chance of luck (or the weather gods just love PAF also?).
If you want to party — there are a ton of house parties all over. Don’t know anyone? No one cares, just bring some beer (or food or whatever) and ask to join — almost any party will be glad to have you.
If you hate Park Ave Fest you probably love to complain about «parking» or «partying» or it «being too hot» and really… your opinion should be limited to whats on Netflix, how comfortable your couch is, or how amazing you are at keeping «those pesky kids off your lawn.»

Ok, lots of people watching, most of the stuff is at other festivals. What’s good is seeing places you can’t get near sometimes due to parking issues. They have bands, it’s family & dog friendly. The art is ok at best. If you need a walk and wanna visit with friends check it out. Parking is a pain, I live in the area and people are seriously acting stupid… But whatever It’s Rochester and they enjoy their feats and I can see why. After a hard winter they deserve it. Enjoy

Took some out of town friends that have never been before, they definitely expected more art tents… however it seemed like it was the normal amount to me. Lots of bight photographs and artists with their home made items. Mixed in with local food vendors and food trucks… so many choices and samples galore. Local radio stations with sign ups for prizes and giveaways.
The people watching is the best, so much entertainment… grab some food and sit back and enjoy!
If you don’t fill like the street food is your thing most of the restaurants on Park ave have outside seating too.
I like to go every year for a nice walk and to check out the local artists all in one area.

Park Ave weekend … is it really that time again? Festivals set my summer calendar in Rochester, and Park Ave is the beginning-​of-​the-​end.
The Park Ave festival is one looong row of vendor after vendor after vendor. I believe there are a few musical demonstrations along the way, but nothing like the free concerts at the Lilac Fest or even Corn Hill.
Why do I go to Park Ave Fest? Because I love Rochester, and I love festivals. But if there’s any sort of limit to your delight in browsing handmade jewelry, pottery, and American Girl doll clothing, then I’d direct you to one of the others instead.

I have to disagree with some other reviewers. I went this past Saturday and had a blast. I parked on Monroe Ave where there was plenty of street parking and walked the 0.7 mile up to Park.
Many restaurants and businesses on Park had stands offering a few select items for sale on the street. Many had free samples. Most were also offering their normal table service. There was also the standard festival food tents. There is a little something for everyone.
There is music in some of the bars like Dragonfly (which was GREAT!), and the official festival stages have a nice lineup of local musicians with plenty of space to sit and watch for a few minutes or a couple of hours. The artist tents are pretty interesting. The whole festival goes for so long. If you keep walking I’m sure you will find something that interests you.
The atmosphere is great, with a safe mix of families and partiers. The people watching is incredible. I will definitely be back for future years!

I love Park Ave fest and look forward to it every year. I usually try and hit it up both Saturday and Sunday, and the dynamic is totally different. I’ll admit to turning my park ave experience into a drinking game on Saturdays, how could you not, the people watching is divine.
The people that reviewed before me are totally right, Saturday is a party day and you’ll see people partying in their yards, porches, and balconies all down the main stretch. It can get pretty loud and people can get rowdy, but they generally keep it contained to their yards. This year I noticed that a lot more people were having their parties on side streets so it wasn’t as rowdy as previous years.
Sunday is a lot more laid back, and family friendly as the younger crowd is usually partied out. It’s also usually a little less crowded on this day. There’s a really wide variety of local art and little knicknacks for sale, but honestly, a lot of the people are the same you would see at lilac or any other nature. It’s cool to see what cool new stuff the «regular» vendors have come up with though. It’s also nice that a lot are now using the square (or similar) readers and are able to take credit cards now.
There’s also a really wide array of food offered, you can get a burrito, then walk 10 feet and get a gyro. Who doesn’t love festival food?
This year they also added another live music stage, and actually did it right and set it off to the side (as opposed to one of the other entertainment stages where people are in chairs blocking the way).
Parking is usually a hassle though, and if you’re riding a bike good luck finding a spot for it.
Overall, a good time. If you want to party, go on Saturday. If you’re looking for a more laid back experience, go on Sunday.

Whether you enjoy this festival or not pretty much hinges on whether you plan on hanging onto your sobriety or not. As sad as it sounds, this is the simple truth. I really enjoyed the Park Ave fest when I lived on Park Ave (as did my friends), and the festival meant shots at 10am, followed by beer pong in the garden and then vodka off an ice luge later on. Of course the festival was tons of fun!
No one should go to this event with high expectations of witnessing or procuring quality arts and crafts. The festival is really more about showcasing Park Ave local merchants/​retailers and creating a festive veil for the frightening frat parties that infest the houses and apartment buildings in the neighborhood. The drunken revelers will usually hit up a few of these parties and then dodge in and out of Park Ave bars and shops, mauling children and killing ear hair cells with decibel-​high shrieks. The sickening realization that this may have been me at one time sits heavy in my heart.
Times have a-​changed though, and while I’m now a more fervent guardian of sobriety, I still enjoy the fest in small doses to grab some food, peruse the photographs/​paintings and some al fresco fun. I just fully expect, especially later in the day, for it to be a mess.
I really wouldn’t bring kids here. Bring a smile and some patience!

Watch where you are walking!!!
After the 22^nd person walked into me we took a left on Vic Park B and got the hell outta dodge.
Go early if you are over 45.
Tip: Park for $ 5 at the lot on East/​Alexander for easy in and out.

Has anyone seen the art? Or any art? There are LOTS of «Exhibiter» tents, everything from Dunkin’ Donuts to Spinal Scans, but there is NO ART. You may find, through the crowded pedestrian stream of lemmings, selections of yard ornaments, a few places with earrings, and several crafts on a stick, if that is of interest to you.
The word «Art» should be removed and barred by legal action.
The appropriate name is «Street Fair» as it conducted in a street and presents a gathering of consumables to purchase (food, drink, crap), done up in a crowded and overhyped atmosphere more reminiscent of a carnival (without all the rides).
If you have not been here, and are considering going, I offer the following honest assessments:
– If you are going to try and enjoy any business that is actually on Park Ave, it will be harder to get to and more crowded that you can imagine;
– if you are going to take part in the zombie parade that is the street stroll you will be bumped, cut-​off, and or entrapped by the other zombies, many of whom smell either of too much perfume/​cologne or body odor or a combo of both;
– If you are not between the ages of 19 and 26, and looking to show off your self adornments (or lack thereof) or your self «improvements», self enhancements, or your physical self generally, in exchange for the ability to gawk at, and be gawked at in return (you hope) and to covet those of that similar mindset, then know that you will be in the minority of the attendees for the zombie parade;
– if you are not the fool from whom your money is easily parted, then you are not the intended audience target of the «over 300» vendors at this Street Fair;
–if you go you will likely enjoy the experience of more traffic, more parking difficulties, and walking for blocks through decent neighborhoods that have been taken over by drunken yard parties, that perfectly replicate any state college fraternity row pre-​tailgate football Saturday in which red plastic cups and empty cases of beer are the newly established ground cover as unattended stereos blast out onto empty yards.
If I lived in this neighborhood, this would force me to move. There is a lot to offer, in and around Park Avenue, without this event, they must do this for the money. Or maybe they don’t like their neighbors?
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The organizers get this review and it’s one point rating for consistency, as it appears not to have changed much since Alex’s review two years ago.

Same collection of drunks, hucksters, bad artists, lousy bands, and general collection of pikers and yahoos you’ll find at any other local ‘art’ festival. Usually held on the hottest weekend of the year, just to make it stink even more. Pathetic, low-​brow enjoyment, and, like ‘chicken french’, a Rochester favorite…
…god help us…

I have a soft spot for Rochester’s annual Park Avenue Festival. It’s located on Park Ave, one of Rochester’s most oldest and unique streets. Surrounded by little shops, restaurants and historic homes. The festival features a lot of great local and nationwide artists, craftspeople and musicians.
It’s a pretty generous amount of blocks filled with tons of live music in all sorts of genre’s as well as yummy food stands (my favorite) and art & craft tables. I moved away from Rochester over 10 years ago, but try to make it back every couple years for this. Of course, you have your drunk college students hanging out in front of their porches acting a fool, but it’s all in great fun.
A great festival!