It’s back, and it’s crowded!
Unsurprisingly, people were very excited to see that Patchogue’s Alive After Five summer event is back after undergoing a hiatus and then some adaptations due to COVID-19.
As I approached Main Street, I could hear a bass beat blaring from a DJ set up. It was a party for sure, like a block party taken to the next level.
While I did start this post off by saying how crowded the streets were, I don’t want that to deter you. I was equally surprised with just how far the street fair stretched. If you wandered around a bit, it was easy to find less congested areas if you’re not keen on crowds.
One of the main differences from the previous Alive After Five events is that now the alcohol distribution is all contained behind gates at each end of the festival. IDs need to be presented prior to entering these areas (young children are allowed to enter with their parents).
Inside these areas the local restaurants set up tents where they are selling their alcoholic beverages and a few snacks. One of the live-music stages is located within one of these 21+ sections, and the age restriction made it so that it was not too packed in there, which is nice.
Throughout the rest of the street fair there are food trucks, vendors and even some games and entertainment. There was a circus tent where a woman with stilts was ready to pose for photos. The Army tent (and some local gyms) had pull-up bars for competitions and challenges. There was an inflatable mechanical bull, and a reggae band performed in the outdoor seating section of Rhum, a popular restaurant on Main Street.
Down an offshoot of Main Street, there were some more crafty vendors and a young musician performing under the Patchogue Arts tent.
Despite the rainstorm that came in right around 5 p.m., there were still tons of people, from adults to children, roaming around with smiles on their faces (and many with a tasty snack like ice cream or a pretzel in their hand).
If you missed Alive After Five’s 2022 debut, don’t worry. There are three more chances to join in on the fun on Main Street in Patchogue.
Alive After Five 2022
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Thurs. July 28th
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Thurs. August 11th
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Thurs. August 25th
