Tucson’s Fourth Avenue Street Fair returns March 22-24 for the 55th year, featuring artists and makers, food vendors and live entertainment. 

Organizers expect some 350,000 to attend the festival, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and until 5 p.m. Sunday. Booths will be set up along North Fourth Avenue, from Eighth Street to University Boulevard. 

The non-profit Fourth Avenue Merchants Association produces the fair in the winter and spring. Fourth Avenue is blocked off to vehicle traffic.

Parking is available in the Pennington Street, Tyndall Avenue and Plaza Centro parking garages. The Pennington Street Garage has a free shuttle that will run every 15 minutes with two stops. 

“I encourage people to park in the garages,” said Casey Anderson, who does the marketing for the street fair. 

People parking in the Tyndall Garage near the University of Arizona can just hop on the Sun Link streetcar.  

There also is limited street parking; the neighborhood permit restrictions and parking time limits will be suspended during the fair, although Park Tucson will still issue tickets for parking violations including parking in restricted areas.

The street fair will have 450 vendors including Jerry’s Lemonade and Shaved Ice, Giant Baby Bottles, Sonoran Frenzy and Hawaiian Honey Cones.

Cool activities including a contest where participants will have three options of coloring pages to compete for prizes, and an ax throwing competition. There also will be alcohol sampling for those 21 and older. 

Among the 60 food vendors on hand, DF Nigeria Food Truck will make its street fair debut. The  Nigerian family-owned business has been around 15 years, after launching originally in Brooklyn, New York.

DF Nigeria Food Truck serves authentic Nigerian food including jollof rice, egusi soup and fried rice.

 “We will also be selling homemade African hibiscus juice,” said chef-owner Godshelter Oluwalogbon, who goes by the name Chef Divine. 

Tino Ocampo is bringing his 10-year-old Raspados del Sur to the street fair for the third year. He sells fruit cups, fruit water and corn on the cob.  With the weather expected to be in the low 70s, Ocampo might find himself with long lines for his icy treats.  on the days for the street fair will be nice being around the 70. 

As the Fourth Avenue Street fair is going on, businesses on Fourth will be open.

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.