by David Cruz 

For the past eight months, the Jerome-Gun Hill BID has been gearing up for the Fall Festival, the biggest event for the BID. But even as the 12th annual Fall Festival was under way in September 2013, BID Executive Director Marcia Cameron had early thoughts of what to do about this year.

“I look at this from a project management perspective,” said Cameron. “We break it down to our expenses, what sponsorships we need, entertainment, lineup, and everything that goes into that.”

The fruits of her labor, along with her staff, will be in full view at the 13th annual Jerome-Gun Hill BID Fall Festival on Saturday, Sept. 20. The portion of Jerome Avenue between Mosholu Parkway and Gun Hill Road will be closed to vehicular traffic to make way for a bazaar-like vibe.

Headliners

Musical headliners for the all-day venue include freestyle artist George Lamond, La Orquesta Jeryco, Candela, DJ Jazzy Jay, Shire, Sarakna, DJ Krazy Rob, 12-year-old songstress Lela Brown, all expected to take to the stage. Brown, discovered by Quincy Jones, has already been making the rounds, having performed on Good Morning America. Several feet away, a Radio Disney road crew will be stationed to broadcast the festival, the only BID event Radio Disney covers.

An organized street basketball game will tip off at a pop-up court by 208th Street and Jerome Avenue, where  players can expect to see former NBA all-star point guard Kenny Anderson showing off his jump shot. “If you think you can dunk over Kenny Anderson, then stop by,” joked Cameron. Families can benefit from other attractions that include rides, giveaways, raffles and a chess tournament.

All the amenities are free. Following the event, revelers will head to the newly opened Escape Lounge for some Latin cuisine and music. For Cameron, yes, the event is intended as a promotional vehicle, luring in a cache of potential customers to the L-shaped BID.

“It’s not just a day where we have a lot of people there, but we want to bring awareness to the area so they can see what’s available in the commercial corridor,” said Cameron, adding that a central theme explored during the planning process involves “community engagement and how do we engage that community.”

The BID, an ad hoc city agency funded through property tax assessments, offers beautification services such as graffiti cleanup and marketing service. It’s home to nearly 200 restaurants, banks, pharmacies and variety stores. Mom and pop shops complement national retailers, with Cameron now setting her sights on lobbying for a Chipotle store throughout the corridor, knowing firsthand how much foot traffic it draws.

One carrot and stick approach involves talking discount merchants into adopting a discount program, so that the foot traffic morphs into buying customers.

Award Ceremony

The event also serves as a thank you to community leaders who’ve been good neighbors to the BID in recent months. Those include Community Board 7 chairwoman Adaline Walker, Councilman Andy Cohen and 52nd Precinct Commanding Officer Inspector Nilda Hofmann.

Cohen recently secured capital funding required for the NYPD to install all-seeing surveillance cameras throughout the BID as a way to deter crime. The installation of those cameras is still pending.

Cameron is especially grateful to city agencies that include the NYPD, FDNY, MTA, and Sanitation Department, along with program coordinators Al Pizzaro and vendor coordinator Mike Debellis for getting the program off the ground. Major sponsors include Montefiore Medical Center, Healthfirst and MetroPlus.