The Rockaway East Merchant Association’s (REMA4US) annual Merchant Fair on Saturday, August 15, will feature live performances by rap and R&B artists Kurtis Blow, Fonda Rae and Special Ed, as well as a live DJ set by WBLS radio.
The Merchant Fair, in its eighth year, celebrates the resurgence of the Far Rockaway business district. “One hundred years ago, Far Rockaway Village was beautiful. We are all –the merchants and storeowners– working together to make it beautiful again,” Nancy Martinez, vice chair of REMA4US said. This merchant group is the driving force behind the campaign for a Far Rock Village Business Improvement District.
Several local vendors and city agencies will table at the fair. Businesses from across the peninsula are invited to join the event on Beach 20th Street in Far Rockaway. The fair is a family-friendly event. There will be cotton candy, a bubble blowing machine and bouncy houses.
Kurtis Blow, from Harlem, was the first commercially successful rapper. He made the first certified gold rap song (The Breaks) and released more than 17 albums. Fonda Rae sang major club hits “Touch Me” in 1984 and “Living in Ecstasy” in 1996. Special Ed, from Brooklyn, released his debut album (“Youngest in Charge”) in 1989 at age 17. It sold more than half a million copies. He went on to be a member of the supergroup, Crooklyn Dodgers, that performed songs for Spike Lee movies.
The REMA4US Merchant Fair on August 15 will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Beach 20th Street between Mott and Cornaga Avenues. The rain date is August 22. For more information, contact rema4us@gmail.com
