On a sweltering final day of summer, thousands of people gathered in the Westcott neighborhood to experience artwork and food. People ambled through the streets and ducked under vendors’ tents to escape the heat.

Community members came to the 28th annual Westcott Street Cultural Fair on Sunday, where vendors displayed culinary and artistic creations along Westcott Street, between Concord and Dell streets.

One of these vendors, Stephanie Gill, makes handmade jewelry and bags for her business, SA Camille. Her mom taught her how to make jewelry by hand when she was around 5 years old. Gill also designs reversible bags — one flipped from one shade of blue to a lighter tone with a print of strawberries.

Another tent had items created by artists from Kenya and South Sudan. HOPE for Ariang was founded by Gabriel Bol Deng, a former refugee from South Sudan. The group provides education and resources for children in South Sudan by creating handmade dolls and jewelry.

Elizabeth Deng, the executive director for the organization and Bol Deng’s wife, said the group pays artisans fair wages for their work. The remaining proceeds support the group’s programs in South Sudan. This is HOPE for Ariang’s first year at the Westcott Cultural Street Fair, Deng said.

“We have a desire to just have more presence in the community,” Elizabeth said. She wants to support a community that gives back to refugees like her husband.

Hammocks Hats & Happiness specializes in dreamcatchers and shawls. The owners comprised the tent of their favorite things like tie-dye shirts. The vendors also sold steam-punk hats. Madison Brown | Contributing Photographer

On the south side of the fair were more vendors, among which was Hammocks Hats & Happiness, a business started by Carmen Mannino and his girlfriend, Michelle Berthelot Giraud.

Their mission is to bring “peace and love” by offering a colorful array of Bohemian fashion, Mannino said. Berthelot Giraud specializes in crocheting the dreamcatchers and shawls and Mannino makes some of the leather goods.

The duo decided to define their booth by their “favorite things,” including tie dye shirts and dresses they bought wholesale. But what attracted some people to the tent was the display of top hats — some equipped with leather goggles and others with vibrant bands around the brim.

After purchasing a Steampunk hat from Marc Bowers — who owns Marc’s Handycraft — the two decided to sell them.

“People were commenting that they wanted to buy the hats right off our heads, so we decided why not sell these hats to people,” Mannino said.

The tent embodied the couple’s fashion sensibility — Mannino wore a rainbow vest adorned with pins and topped off the look with a hybrid green tam-beret hat.

Along with the crafted work, the fair showcased an array of food oddities. With the 2 p.m. sun offering attendees one last hope to maintain a tan, lines for food and drinks were sizable.

Cure Delicatessen & Provisions served up house-cured and smoked pastrami at the street fair. Tere Martini, co-owner of the deli, said the three owners plan to open its Westcott location in mid-November. The upscale deli and provisions market will be a twist on a New York deli with a local central New York feel, she said.

With people’s appetite and thirst quenched by the vendors and restaurants that opened their doors to the swelling crowd, fairgoers found themselves congregating around the various dance troupes.

Ryan Wood, a graphic design artist had a tent with digital renderings of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many other popular faces. Madison Brown | Contributing Photographer

Children in flowy white and gold dresses danced to gospel music at one end of Dell Street. Rosalind Little, the pastor of Grace Ministries, said the church’s youth ministry includes a dance team.

Other dancers performed at the Harvard Street Dance Stage, next to Recess Coffee. Performances featured were Kalabash Dance Troupe, Dance Theater of Syracuse and Los Metallicos.

Eddy Guzman, Kion Harvey and Bryan Diaz of Los Metallicos said they choreographed their pieces that morning. When a child ran onto the stage during the show, the three improvised and danced with them.

Wherever fairgoers strolled, music was not far away.

The Syracuse Gay & Lesbian Chorus, an all-inclusive chorus, was recruiting new members at the fair. The group was founded in 1991, with inspiration from the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus said Denise Cody, a long-time member. It has gay, lesbian and transgender individuals in both singing and non-singing roles, Cody said.

The 42-member choir predominantly sings seasonal songs, but it also seeks to showcase songs that address world issues. Its spring concert is geared toward promoting love and togetherness, Cody said.

From 2:00 p.m. to 3:10 p.m., Atkins Riot performed a “groovy rock-and-roll” set to provide the backdrop for the fair, said bassist and SU’s Student Support Coordinator for the School of Education, Sam Roux.

Roux and lead vocalist Anthony Saturno said they recently played Chevy Court Stage at The New York State Fair, one of many higher-profile gigs they’ve been featured at. While all of the members hail from central New York, this was the band’s first time performing at the Westcott Fair.

Vendors at the fair sold an array of handcrafted items including hypoallergenic jewelry, artwork and crafts at the fair. Madison Brown | Contributing Photographer

“It was hot as hell. Kind of painfully hot, but good vibe, good energy, sound was great and I’m pumped” Roux said.

The band is coming off of a 2019 Syracuse Area Music Award for its self-titled album, but performed hits from its new album “Too Much Whiskey.” Its set also included a cover of the Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle.”

Roux said they draw on inspirations from blues artists like Gary Clark Jr. as well as classic rock groups like Led Zeppelin.

With no plans of touring in the near future, the band will be hosting a formal listening party at Funk ’n Waffles on Oct. 16., to celebrate its new album “Too Much Whiskey.” The restaurant will be featuring custom whiskey cocktails, paying homage to the album.

Down an offshoot street from Westcott was a section where many of the painters and multimedia artists congregated. Models sat still as the artists sketched satirical cartoon versions of them.

Graphic design artist Ryan Wood had a tent filled with digital renderings of Mario, Donatello of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and other familiar faces.

“Most of my work is based off of pop culture,” Wood said. “I do a lot of retro video game work and I attend the Retro Video Game Con every year and sell there.”

But in a tent where pop culture dominates, a stylized work of a cello greatly contrasts these other designs. Wood explained that this was a tribute to his father, who is a cellist and was specifically made for a program cover for his concert last season.

As the sun set on the Westcott Street Fair, so too did it punctuate the end of an energetic celebration of another summer in Syracuse. One that brought together diverse beliefs, fashion trends, music, dance and culinary delights.

Published on September 23, 2019 at 1:34 am

Contact Mandy: ackrayna@syr.edu | @MandyKraynak