The Taste of the Seaport Arrived Again with Much to Savor

Nicole Schwerner, from Westchester, and Dave Magill of Philadelphia, memorialize their tastes before consuming them. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib

Photos and Text by Carl Glassman

“Oh, my gosh. It is perfection!”

So exclaimed Emily Hellstrom, president of the Peck Slip School PTA, as she stood on Front Street Saturday afternoon amid the swirl of crowds at the eighth annual Taste of the Seaport. Made-to-order weather, the participation of more than 40 restaurants, a Kidzone buzzing with more than a dozen free activities and two stages alive with entertainment added up to just the kind of day that the organizers—from the Peck Slip and Spruce Street Schools—had wished for.

The two schools sold 1,450 tickets, according to Tami Kurtz, who has been involved in the event from the beginning. “Our largest crowds were in 2015 (too many) and it brought us the most financially successful year,” she said in an email on Sunday. “We loved the size of yesterday’s gathering and think we may match or exceed the 2015 net proceeds.”

More than a fundraiser for the two schools, the event “has such a positive spirit of neighborhood unity that it’s really heartwarming,” said Peck Slip Principal Maggie Siena. “Because this is a developing neighborhood, these kinds of events still feel small town—like a family event.”

Department of Education funding “is really tight this year,” she added. “So we are very dependent on parents doing this kind of work.”

Nancy Harris, on sabbatical this year from her job as principal of the Spruce Street School, recalled how the event had grown from the first year, in 2010, when “it was just like 10 parents who helped do all the folding tables and there was just a handful of restaurants.” And she was reminded of how the school has grown as well, now with its first graduating class of middle schoolers.

“It’s amazing. We have three 8th graders performing Nirvana over there,” she said, referring to musicians Ilan Kahanov, Charlotte Beslow and Rafael Torres who had just ended a set on the Taste of the Seaport stage. “So, talk about how far we’ve come. They were in kindergarten when we started.”

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The 8th Annual Taste of the Seaport in New York City. - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA