The 48th Annual Delray Affair in Delray Beach, Florida! This year marks the 48th anniversary of the largest and oldest free street festival in South Florida, held in Delray Beach the first weekend after Easter. Sponsored by the very active Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce the event relies on its hundreds of volunteers each year to man the booths, direct traffic, and other services that help to make this festival successful.
The event sprang from the Gladiola Festival, which began in 1947 when Delray was the gladiola growing capital of the world. Participation in the event which included floats laden with flowers waned and the event was reborn as the Delray Affair in 1962. Choosing the weekend after Easter is not a random act. It is thought by the merchants and others involved with the Affair, that by choosing the first weekend after Easter, it would extend the tourist season and be an incentive for seasonal residents to stay at least a week longer.
It's estimated that over 250,000 people attend the event, held along a 10 block stretch of Delray Beach's famed Atlantic Avenue. The street is blocked off from vehicular traffic from Swinton Avenue to the West all the way east to the Intracoastal Waterway. As the Affair has grown from its original 24 vendors to now over 800 vendors, the city has made room to accommodate them by opening up side streets and the area around historic Old School Square.
The Festival offers something for everyone: Arts & Crafts, Pottery, plants, fine artwork, sculptures, clothing, natural wood crafts, jewelry, music, food and activity areas for children. As you stroll along the Avenue, you'll see booths with tie-dyed tee-shirts and dresses and yard art from bright pink flamingos to six foot tall tiki-torches. One vendor, Les Sacs Magique, traveled all the way from England with her hand sewn purses and totes. You can "dine" on hot dogs, fresh squeezed lemonade, cinnamon nuts and kettle popped corn. Or, take advantage of one of the many fine restaurants along the Avenue, such as City Oyster, 32 East, or Bru's Room Sports Grill.
Be sure to mark your calendar each year the first weekend after Easter for the
Delray Affair in Delray Beach, Florida!
