Mt. Airy USA to Spin Night Market Success into New Festival

For the last two years, Night Market has swung into Mt. Airy filling Germantown Avenue with crowds and delicious, delicious smells.

Night Market isn’t coming to Mt. Airy this year, but that’s okay.

Mt. Airy USA has a backup plan.

“We’re calling it ‘Street Fare,’” said Mt. Airy USA Executive Director Anuj Gupta.   “We’re going to have food trucks come, and we’re going to try to create an atmosphere similar to the Night Market.”

Last year, Night Market jammed Germantown Avenue with people from all over the city and as far away as New Jersey.

Gupta said this new festival has the same goal.

“The ultimate goal is to draw people into Mt. Airy,” Gupta said.  “We have a growing and dynamic business community, and we want to show that off.”

The Street Fare won’t happen until Sept. 19, but Gupta said it’s just one of several efforts to draw people to Mt. Airy.

“We’ve really pushed street festivals,” Gupta said. 

Gupta pointed to Final-ly Friday as an example of the type of event he would like to see more of in Mt. Airy.

“We’ve introduced programming that people want to come out for,” Gupta said.

Gupta said that programming includes events at the park next to Lovett Library. 

“We’ve been doing ‘Moonlight Movies,’” Gupta said.  “But we also had our first simulcast of a Phillies game there the other night.”

Gupta added, “We had 50 people out there with food trucks to see this Phillies team.”

“The diversity of restaurants we have here in Mt. Airy is impressive,” Gupta said.  “Hopefully, the Street Fare can prove that out.”