31st Avenue Open Street in Astoria To Reopen In April

ASTORIA, QUEENS — In true celebration of Earth Day, the 31st Avenue Open Street will reopen in April for pedestrians to enjoy a car-free roadway filled with food vendors and artistic performances.

The community program, which spiked during the pandemic, will open for its fourth season on April 22 between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through the fall.

During open street hours, 31st Ave. between 33rd Street and 35th Street will close to traffic and parking and open up to cycling, walking, and activities.

“As a third-year volunteer, it brings me a lot of joy to see our street used as a place for kids to learn to ride bikes, for dog owners to meet up, or for up and coming performers to find an audience,” said John Surico, a member of the 31st Avenue Open Street Collective, a group of Astoria residents. “The program brings our neighbors together and I’m thrilled for what we have in store this year.”

The collective said programmers, organizations, or community members who are interested in hosting weekend events and activities on the roadway can submit their ideas via an interest form starting Thursday.

Last year, 14 performances, over 40 vendor fairs and markets, 15 classes and workshops, and over 60 community meetups were hosted during the 31st Ave open street season.

The Horticultural Society of New York will head to the avenue each weekend to help with litter removal this year.

A petition to bring back the open street this year garnered over 1,600 signatures.