The Friends of RIA’s (FoRIA) second Fall Fest this year eclipsed last year’s inaugural event by double. Not only did the Fall Fest expand to twice the number of booths, but they had added a second stage for live performances and dancing. The event took place between 20th Street NE and South Dakota Street NE along Rhode Island Avenue NE.
The booths included Zeke’s Coffee (which is opening a new coffee roasting shop on the Avenue), Menkiti Group, DC Statehood, Kaaos Gym (opening soon on the Avenue), Rita’s, Rhode Island Row, Curbside Cupcake truck, Fast Signs, and many more. All three of the mayoral candidates (Bowser, Wells, and Evans) stopped by and walked down the Avenue meeting local residents — Evans also had a booth. Kids had a great time getting their face painted and taking turns in the Fun Photo Booth. Rita’s was giving out free ices. All around…great time.
Patrons that attended stopped by the FoRIA booth to pick up their “passport”, which they then had each vendor sign by their business logo to acknowledge they visited the booth. Folks could then turn in their passport for a chance to win one of many giveaways (gift certificates, etc).
All in all, it was a fantastic event. Approximations ranged around the 500 attendee mark. Local business owners and vendors expressed how much they enjoyed the event and continuously expressed how successful the event was for them. We are already looking forward to the next Fall Fest next year!
Check out some photos from the event below.
rhodeislandavene.com 
This was really great this year – I had a great time! It was much better than last year’s and hopefully they will continue to get better and better as this really takes hold!