Police Step Up Security for Festival
By: Ashley Zilka
Updated: August 3, 2012
Rochester's 36th annual Park Avenue Summer Arts Fest kicks off Saturday.
It runs from Park Avenue and Alexander to Culver Road. Hundreds of artists and vendors will line the road. The festival will have more police presence this year. Patrols are being stepped up to reduce issues stemming from post-festival gatherings and parties.
In recent years, festival organizers say there's been a decrease in post-festival parties. This year, they want to continue those efforts to benefit neighbors. Festival-goers are reminded that the art fest is an alcohol-free event. Police will be enforcing the city's opener container law all weekend.
Neighbor Penelope Carter makes a point of skipping the festival each year.
"Things have improved in many ways, putting up the signs that tell you where you can park, instead of where you can't park, that really has helped the situation. I think there is a lot more monitoring, but the noise level and the parking on the side streets is still a problem, in fact, I don't think my husband and I have attended the festival for about 20 years," said Carter.
"It's got better in the past few years. Security has got tighter and they changed the drinking laws. You can't just walk around with beer and I think that's a good idea," said Samuel Lovetro of Harlem Street.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
