Next Sunday, July 30th, Montavilla will celebrate its tenth street fair with music, food, beer, and over 140 vendor booths. The event will close SE Stark Street to vehicle traffic from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues, welcoming attendees to stroll the roadway between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. People can sample regional brews at four different beer gardens and listen to a wide range of music performed on three stages. Last year marked the return of the community gathering after a pandemic pause, and now event organizers expect crowds to meet or exceed the 2019 attendance level.
The Montavilla Street Fair had modest beginnings when it launched in 2011. Instead of closing the main street, organizers set up the booths on several side streets and parking lots north of SE Stark. It rained that day but had respectable attendance, including Mayor Sam Adams. The mostly annual event continued expanding, growing into a city-wide attraction in 2019 that brought 15,000 people into Montavilla’s historic downtown. After a two-year Covid hiatus, it returned slightly smaller but still attracting substantial crowds. This year, organizers have positions for more booths than last year but still sold out ahead of the registration deadline. There is a sizable wait list for vendors looking for space, and all signs point to a larger event with an increased community turnout.
People interested in attending should plan on a fair amount of walking, first from their parking spot and then along the 1,500 feet of booths on SE Stark Street. Attendees able to walk, bike, or take transit to the site should allow for easier street parking in the neighborhood. Band schedules and vendor lists are available at the METBA.org website but expect this article to update with additional information on the day of the event.
Update: The street fair exceeded expectations with an estimated 16,000 people in attendance. Many businesses participating in the event reported selling thorough supplies and record setting sales for the fair.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the METBA board and will work in a booth at this event.
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