Sat 10/3 @ noon-7PM
For 50 years, the Hessler Street Fair was a celebration of DIY hippie culture. It was founded in 1969 when the brick-paved street a block north of Euclid Avenue on the Case Western Reserve campus was a counterculture hive where many hippie/creative/artsy young people lived. By 2019, when the organizers pulled the plug (no, it wasn’t a pandemic casualty; they already decided 2019 was the last year), the May festival let people of all ages take a trip back to the 60s, with babies and grandparents alike sporting tie-dye. Its charm was that all the vendors were local and many were neighbors — no professional vendors allowed. The festival had a brief, one-day comeback in October 2023 called the “Hessler Homecoming,” before vanishing again.
But now it’s back. It’s once again a one-day festival featuring vendors, local food and local organizations offering information about a more joust and environmentally friendly way of life. And of course there’s music, including the JiMiller Band: back in the day, they, or Miller’s previous band, Oroboros, closed one day and Carlos Jones closed the other. Jones’ band wasn’t available this year, but a lot of other local musicians in crunchy roots/folk genres were, including folksinger/activist Charlie Mosbrook and friend, American ensemble Hoodoo BBQ, Country Honk, acoustic blues musician Austin Walkin’ Cane, and reggae artist Mss. BBC & DiQueendom.
One thing hasn’t changed: admission is free.