For many Queen city residents, the Cathedral Village Arts Festival is a staple each year.
The week-long festival celebrated art and culture in Cathedral neighbourhood, drawing crowds of approximately 50,000 people.
This year’s celebrations ended on Saturday with a street fair on 13th Avenue, with 414 spots open for vendors and businesses.
“Every year we wonder how we pull it off, and every year, it just happens, so knock on wood this goes for another 25 years,” said Linda Rattray, street fair coordinator.
READ MORE: Cathedral Village Arts Festival kicks off 25th year
Among the tens of thousands of people was the Kozhisseri family.
Coming from India just two years ago, they’re no strangers to crowds. But what is new to them is a massive six-day festival, simply to celebrate art.
“We don’t have this festival in India,” said Sarath Kozhisseri. “It’s a lot of new stuff that we haven’t seen before.”
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The Kozhisseri family said the experience had been very welcoming, and they enjoyed all the fair had to offer.
The event has grown from roughly a dozen booths a quarter-century ago to now more than 400, closing down 13th avenue and spanning nine city blocks.
It’s a festival that long-time vendors said they wouldn’t miss for the world.
“It’s so much fun, and I wouldn’t fail to come every year because just the people, you meet a lot of people,” explained painter and jeweler Susan Alvarez, a long-time vendor.
On the other end of that spectrum is Desiree Moody with My True Luminosity, a jewelry company that repurposes vintage or recycled items. It was Moody’s first time at the CVAF street fair.
“It’s been good, lots of people, I enjoy talking to all the people, and sales have been good, and the weather is holding out so that’s even better,” Moody said.
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