The West Manhattan Chamber of Commerce sponsors two major annual Street Festivals on Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues that draw record-breaking crowds of hundreds of thousands of visitors. This year's Festival dates are:

24th Annual Amsterdam Avenue Festival - Sunday, May 18, 2008

32nd Annual Columbus Avenue Festival - Sunday, September 21, 2008

Click here for Columbus Ave. Festival application
(use legal size paper only)(pdf format-2pgs)

Last year's Columbus Avenue Festival had a multi-cultural appeal, featuring everything from Italian sausages to Thai food to handmade sweaters and jewelry. One Ipod accessories booth reported more business than encountered at any other Festival!

These events have a serious purpose as well,  raising thousands of dollars for Grants and Scholarships that are awarded to local non-profit organizations and to students at five West Side high schools through our Murray Siegel Scholarship program. This program has made it possible for over 100 students to afford a college education.

We make an enormous effort to ensure that two vendors selling similar merchandise are not in close proximity to each other, or to a similar merchant store on the Avenue. The Chamber utilizes new computer technology that keeps track of all vendors, merchants, sales tax, and placements and has also been updated to provide the City of New York with all the information they require about participants.

In addition, our Festivals feature first class entertainment, usually with a wide variety of artists, performances, and sometimes some unusual surprises! You may see a performer who goes on to become a huge star!

The organizing, planning and coordinating of both Festivals is done totally in-house by the Chamber staff,  minimizing our costs, and maximizing the amounts we give to Grants & Scholarships. Our Festival Coordinator is responsible for scrutinizing applications, placement of vendors, and overseeing all Festival operations.

Chamber members get 25% off the regular Festival rates, and Avenue Merchants who are members get 25% off the already discounted rates for Merchants. Naturally, you don't have to be a member to participate.

Click above to request a vendor application. (you must print on a legal size paper)

Volunteers from the Chamber and the community join together on Festival Day to produce a symphony of fun and profitability for merchants and vendors alike. To volunteer, please call the West Manhattan Chamber office at (212) 787-1112, or email us at mail@westmanhattanchamber.org.