By JENNY SHARP
In what’s considered the biggest celebration showcasing what the Bronx has to offer, officials will be on hand Sunday to mark the start of yet another “Bronx Week,” an 11-day festival of food, music, and art to celebrate the Boogie Down’s culture and entrepreneurship.
The kick-off event, beginning at 1pm on Sunday at the Bronx General Post Office, will host a variety of different attractions. There will be food trucks, local vendors, activities for children and families, and an art presentation from the Bronx Museum. The musical stylings of DJ D-Nice will help lay down the soundtrack for the event.
Although the full schedule of events has yet to be released, the festival concludes when Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, who is hosting the event in conjunction with Youngwoo & Associates, the real estate firm that recently purchased the soon-to-close post office into a marketplace.
One of the event’s biggest hallmarks is the induction of four accomplished Bronxites into the Bronx Walk of Fame–a stretch of the Grand Concourse starting at East 161st. There, the names of inductees will hang from lamp posts, something akin to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
This year’s inductees boast a large range of seasoned actors, activists, sports stars, and businessmen. One of the inductees is Stacey Dash, an actress and TV commentator who is perhaps best known for her role in the cult classic film “Clueless.” In a recent news conference BP Diaz said that Dash, a Bronx native, “represents the fearless spirit of our borough to the fullest.”
Other inductees are Malik Yoba, an actor on the Fox hit drama Empire, NBA all-star Dolph Schayes, and Bronx businessman Alfredo Thiebaud, the owner of Delicioso Coco Helado, who is being honored posthumously.
Schayes, who was named an NBA All-Star 12 times and received the Coach of the Year award in 1966 for his work behind the bench, responded to the news of his induction saying “growing up in the Bronx made a huge impact on my life and made me who I am. This borough is very special to me.”