FALL 2012 VOL.

6 ISSUE 3
I N S I D E
YonkersDowntown.com YonkersDowntown.com
Q U E S T I O N S ,
I N F O R M A T I O N ,
I D E A S ?
C O N T A C T
S t e v e S a n s o n e
E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
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1 5 M a i n S t r e e t
Y o n k e r s , N Y 1 0 7 0 1
I n f o @ Y o n k e r s D o w n t o w n . c o m
w w w . Y o n k e r s D o w n t o w n . c o m
Upcoming Events
An Evening with
Annette St. John and
DeForest Raphael
Two acclaimed jazz performers will share the stage during
a re-scheduled Jazz & Blues & More at Dusk concert
Waterfront Amphitheatre
Friday, September 14, 6:30-8pm
87
th
Annual Yonkers
Marathon
Register for the scenic marathon or half marathon and
celebrate during the post-race party down by the waterfront
www.theyonkersmarathon.com
Sunday, September 16, 8am
Stay tuned for
ZUMBA with Retro Fitness
Coming this fall on top of the Buena Vista Garage
onkers Riverfest always brings
excitement to the Yonkers
Downtown, but this year is truly
a cause for celebration. Mark your
calendars for Saturday, September 8
when the downtown will be transformed
into one of Westchesters biggest
outdoor celebrations. There will be
something for everyone at the 20th
Annual Yonkers Riverfest with live
entertainment, interactive childrens
activities and delicious food from local
vendors that will highlight dishes from
all over the world.
This year were putting more river into
our Riverfest, giving us an even bigger
reason to celebrate with the ofcial
opening of the Daylighting at Van der
Donck Park. The ceremony celebrates
the portion of the Saw Mill River that has
been underground since the 1920s and
was recently uncovered and transformed
into a beautiful park with benches,
trees and eco-friendly street lights.
We welcome all vendors and guests to
join in the opening celebrations as the
all-day festival gets underway.
Riverfest, which starts at 12 noon, will
kick-off with a traditional parade of ags
that dates back to the rst Yonkers
Riverfest 20 years ago. The ags will
represent more than thirty cultural
groups in Yonkers as they parade from
the Yonkers BID ofce at 15 Main Street
to Larkin Plaza prior to the opening
ceremony.
Other Riverfest events include music
performed on outdoor stages by some
of the New York metro areas top
performance groups (Rock n Roll, Jazz
& Blues, Latin and more); arts and crafts
displays; international food; classic cars;
face painting; mini golf; street jugglers
and musicians, and many other surprises.
We Thank Our 20th Annual Riverfest Sponsors:
Bennett Kielson Storch DeSantis
& Company, LLP
Chase
City of Yonkers
Collins Enterprises
ConEd
Cross County Shopping Center
Dolphin Restaurant
Domino Sugar
Hudson Valley Bank
Jacobs Engineering
Key Bank
L&M Development Realty Partners
Liberty Lines
McDonalds
Metro Partners - 66 Main
Omni New York LLC
PS&S Engineering
Smith, Buss & Jacobs LLP
St. Johns Riverside Hospital
St. Josephs Medical Center
Westchester Community College
Yonkers Extension Center
Whole Foods
Yonkers IDA
Y
For more details on these and other events, visit www.YonkersDowntown.com.
Antoinette Montague
performs.
Jazz on the Waterfront.
p.2
Time for a change in
Getty Square.
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Guapo is the newest
Mexican restuarant
in the downtown.
Celebrate the 20th
Annual Yonkers Riverfest
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New in Yonkers:
New Quality of Life cameras have recently been installed
at the corner of Prospect Avenue and South Broadway.
YonkersDowntown.com 2 3
Steves Column
By Steve Sansone
Executive Director, Yonkers Downtown BID
Here at the Yonkers Downtown BID ofce
weve been working hard to get ready for
the 20th Annual Riverfest to be held
Saturday, September 8. This year is an
important milestone in the history of this
enormously popular outdoor festival.
As we look back to 1992 when the rst
Riverfest was held, we can all take great
pride in the remarkable revitalization that
has occurred here. Today, we are a thriving
waterfront community that is one of
Westchesters hottest dining and shopping
destinations and home to a new generation
of entrepreneurs, businesses and residents.
The downtowns diversity and creativity
are its enduring strengths and that is what
Riverfest is all about.
This year, were thrilled to include the
Daylighting of the Saw Mill River in Van der
Donck Park as part of Riverfest. The River
will be unveiled along with an amazing park
that will be open for public use. This is a big
step in the right direction for the Yonkers
Downtown and will only help us prosper
and grow in the future. Its an exciting time
for us all and gives us even more river to
celebrate this year.
We also look forward to great performances
on ve stages in the downtown, countless
activities for the whole family and delicious
food from local restaurants. Were planning
even bigger and better activities than weve
had in the past for the 25,000 expected
attendees, which will make this event one
you wont want to miss!
I would like to thank our sponsors for their
support of Riverfest. Without them this
fantastic event would not be possible.
Please join me in thanking them for all they
have done.
We hope to see you there!
Steve Sansone
Executive Director, Yonkers Downtown BID
Welcome Our New Businesses
Summer Fun by the Waterfront
Renowned jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague performed at the Waterfront
Esplanade on August 3 during the Jazz & Blues & More concert series.
The audience was captivated by the original tunes off of her newest album,
Behind the Smile.
The talented Willie Villegas Y Entre Amigos also performed in the downtown
during Jazz & Blues & More on July 13. The band donned matching red shirts
and entertained the audience with their smooth salsa songs.
A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the grand opening of the newest store in the
Yonkers Downtown Waterfront BID on August 17. Reaction Musical is located at 127
New Main Street and offers a wide variety of entertainment products including CDs,
DVDs, musical instruments and related accessories for any musician or music lovers
needs.
The renovations are continuing in Getty
Square as we make room for the newest
addition to the downtown a new city
clock. The clock will add to the
revitalization of the downtown and Getty
Square will look better than ever as we
continue to grow and change. Expect to
see the new clock in place in early Fall.
From L to R: Jason Baker, representative for Mayor Spano; Councilman Christopher
Johnson; Steve Sansone, BID Executive Director; Rafael Romero, Manager; Yudelmis
Romero, Owners cousin; Maria Torrealba, Owners mother; Diego Torrealba, Reaction
Musical Owner; Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins; and Torrealbas daughters, Andrea
Ortigoza and Alejandra Ortigoza.
Time for a Change
in Getty Square
3 New Businesses:
Guapo Cocina Mexicana
10 Warburton Avenue
Reaction Musical
127 New Main Street
Yonkers Fine Jewelry, Inc.
98 New Main Street
N
o
w
O
p
en
fo
r B
usiness!