Hester Street Fair
Hester Street Fair operates curated outdoor and indoor marketplace events in New York City, aggregating 40-60+ independent makers, food vendors, and designers at Seward Park, Bryant Park, and partner venues. It serves small independent businesses seeking retail access and enterprise brands seeking premium urban activation venues.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hester Street Fair does
Hester Street Fair is a New York City-based operator of curated outdoor and indoor marketplace events, founded around 2010 and headquartered on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The company runs rotating weekend markets at Seward Park and the 185 East Broadway storefront, seasonal holiday markets at partner venues including Ace Hotel and South Street Seaport, and a food vendor market at Bryant Park. Its core product is a multi-format, multi-location marketplace platform that aggregates 40-60+ independent makers, designers, food vendors, and small businesses per event, with sub-brand programming including the annual Girl Power Fair, World Pride Market, Music + Food Series, Casual Art Fair, and Special Sunday Events.
The business generates revenue primarily through vendor booth and space rental fees collected via an online vendor application portal, supplemented by rentals of its 1,800 sq ft indoor pop-up venue at 185 East Broadway for brand activations and special events, and modest direct-to-consumer merchandise sales (e.g., $25 silkscreened t-shirts). The underlying technology is minimal: the company operates a website, an Instagram and Facebook presence, an email newsletter, and a vendor self-serve portal for applications and account management; no proprietary technology platform, data products, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
Hester Street Fair serves two primary customer segments. On the supply side, it serves small independent makers, artisans, food vendors, and underrepresented business communities seeking physical retail space and direct consumer engagement in NYC. On the demand side, it serves local Lower East Side residents and NYC visitors seeking curated shopping experiences, plus enterprise fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands (Shiseido, Nordstrom, Union Los Angeles, Eckhaus Latta) seeking premium urban venues for Fashion Week activations and experiential marketing. The company appears to be independently owned and operated, with no disclosed venture or institutional capital, and employs 1-10 people.
Hester Street Fair firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hester Street Fair
- Legal name
- Hester Street Fair
- Website
- https://hesterstreetfair.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hester Street Fair operates curated outdoor and indoor marketplace events in New York City, aggregating 40-60+ independent makers, food vendors, and designers at Seward Park, Bryant Park, and partner venues. It serves small independent businesses seeking retail access and enterprise brands seeking premium urban activation venues.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hester Street Fair industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Neighborhood & Community Markets/Pop-Ups (Community-Led Bazaars) (MPAGAEAJ), Holiday, Seasonal & Christmas Markets (MPAGAFAL), Lifestyle, Home & Garden Shows (MPAGAFAB)
Keywords
Where Hester Street Fair is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Hester Street Fair business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Vendor Booth/Space Rental: Hester Street Fair generates revenue by charging vendors fees to participate in markets and events. Vendors apply through an online application portal and pay for booth or table space at the various market locations including Seward Park, Bryant Park, and pop-up spaces.
- Merchandise Sales: Direct sales of branded merchandise including custom t-shirts ($25 each) featuring silkscreen designs created during live workshops at markets.
- Pop-up Space Rental: Revenue from renting out their 1,800-square-foot storefront at 185 East Broadway for curated pop-ups, brand activations, and special events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Hester Street Fair T-shirts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hester Street Fair product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hester Street Fair operates a portfolio of curated outdoor and indoor markets across New York City where independent makers, artists, food vendors, and small businesses rent booth space to sell directly to consumers. The organization runs recurring weekend markets in Seward Park, seasonal summer markets at 185 East Broadway, and holiday markets at venues including Bryant Park, Ace Hotel, and South Street Seaport. Core offerings also include themed cultural events (Girl Power Fair, World Pride Market, Casual Art Fair), a 1,800-square-foot pop-up space for brand activations, and an online vendor application portal.
Product overview
Hester Street Fair is an outdoor marketplace platform operating primarily in New York City's Lower East Side, offering a portfolio of rotating vendor markets across multiple formats and locations. The core offering consists of Weekend Markets at Seward Park and Summer Markets at 185 E Broadway, supplemented by seasonal Holiday Markets at various Lower Manhattan venues, Pop-Up Space rentals at their East Broadway storefront, and Bryant Park food markets. The platform also includes a Vendor Portal for application management and several branded sub-events including the annual Girl Power Fair, World Pride Market, Special Sunday Events, Music + Food Series, and Casual Art Fair. A live T-shirt silkscreening workshop operates as an add-on service. The company serves independent makers, artists, food vendors, and small businesses seeking retail and event exposure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Featured 60 curated vendors in Season 8 (2017)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Hester Street Fair
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Hester Street Fair technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Hester Street Fair partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.
- Ace Hotel New YorkcorePartnership for 2019 Holiday Market held at Liberty Hall. Hester Street Fair curated 20+ vendors including homeware, jewelry, fashion, CBD, vintage, and more. Ace Hotel provided venue space and promotional support.
- Stonewall 50 & World Pride NYCcoreCo-produced World Pride Market - the first event exclusively featuring LGBTQIA+ owned businesses. Alotta McGriddles served as co-producer. Partnership included charitable component with Trinity Place Shelter.
- Lower East Side Girls Club of NYcoreAnnual Girl Power Fair partnership supporting female-owned businesses and young women through retail booths, DJ programs, and charitable initiatives. The partnership includes the Made By Us booth featuring crafts from after-school programs and Teen DJ sessions.
- Bryant ParkcoreFood vendor partnership for Bryant Park's summer movie nights and seasonal events. Hester Street Fair vendors provide food offerings at the eastern end of the lawn and Fountain Terrace.
- VoguemoderateEditorial coverage and partnership for Fashion Week events including Union Los Angeles x Nordstrom block party collaboration.
- Luaka Bop (David Byrne's Label)minorMusic event partnership for release celebration of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda recordings at Hester Street Fair.
- Cultural TrafficminorLondon-based independent zine fair partnership bringing 40+ exhibitors to Hester Street Fair for combined art and music event.
- 8Ball RadiominorLive broadcast partnership for special Sunday events combining music, readings, and vendor programming.
- WWD (Women's Wear Daily)moderateEditorial coverage partner for fashion events and collaborations including Nordstrom x Union block party.
- Trinity Place ShelterminorCharitable partner for World Pride Market, a homeless youth organization that received sock donations from the event.
- ShiseidomoderateBrand activation transforming Hester Street Fair into all-red Japanese open market during Fashion Week.
- NordstrommoderatePartnered with Union Los Angeles for Concept 005 launch block party at Hester Street Fair.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hester Street Fair competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Eventbrite: Ticketing and event-management platform that supports independent markets, festivals, and pop-ups. Not a direct competitor but a relevant ecosystem peer as Hester Street Fair's vendor portal and event ticketing sits in similar technology territory.
- Chelsea Market: Iconic NYC food/retail hall that hosts permanent and pop-up independent vendors. Comparable as a curated multi-vendor marketplace destination in NYC, though operating at much larger scale and as a permanent indoor venue rather than seasonal outdoor market.
- Grand Central Holiday Fair: Long-running annual holiday market inside Grand Central Terminal featuring independent artisans. Comparable to Hester Street Fair's holiday market series at South Street Seaport and Ace Hotel in format and vendor mix.
Emerging players
- Pop Up Grocer: Pop-up retail concept hosting independent food and CPG brands in temporary storefronts. Directly comparable to Hester Street Fair's new 185 East Broadway pop-up space activation strategy.
- Crafty Fox Market: Independent-maker markets emphasizing curated small businesses and themed programming (e.g., foxes markets). Useful peer comparison for Hester Street Fair's themed-market programming model, though operating primarily in the UK.
Direct peers
- Urbanspace: Operates curated food markets and retail marketplaces in NYC (e.g., Urbanspace Vanderbilt, Garment District plazas). Comparable as a multi-location, venue-partnered market operator serving similar independent vendor and food entrepreneur segments.
- Brooklyn Flea: Operates large-scale curated flea markets across NYC (and weekend markets similar in scope to Hester Street Fair). Directly comparable as another independent-vendor marketplace organizer competing for the same makers, food vendors, and consumer foot traffic in NYC.
- Artists & Fleas: NYC-based curated market for independent designers, artists, and vintage collectors. Directly comparable in mission (supporting independent makers), format (weekend markets), and NYC location overlap with Hester Street Fair.
- Renegade Craft Fair: Traveling curated fair for independent makers and artisans. Comparable as a curated independent-maker marketplace with similar vendor application, themed programming, and community-focused event format to Hester Street Fair.
- Smorgasburg: Large weekend food and shopping market in Brooklyn and other NYC locations. Operates a multi-vendor marketplace with rotating vendors, very similar in operating model to Hester Street Fair but with a stronger food/vendor emphasis.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hester Street Fair social profiles
Digital presenceHester Street Fair financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hester Street Fair leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hester Street Fair funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hester Street Fair M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hester Street Fair
What does Hester Street Fair do?
Hester Street Fair operates a portfolio of curated outdoor and indoor markets across New York City where independent makers, artists, food vendors, and small businesses rent booth space to sell directly to consumers. The organization runs recurring weekend markets in Seward Park, seasonal summer markets at 185 East Broadway, and holiday markets at venues including Bryant Park, Ace Hotel, and South Street Seaport. Core offerings also include themed cultural events (Girl Power Fair, World Pride Market, Casual Art Fair), a 1,800-square-foot pop-up space for brand activations, and an online vendor application portal.
Is Hester Street Fair a public or private company?
Hester Street Fair is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Hester Street Fair founded?
Hester Street Fair was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hester Street Fair based?
Hester Street Fair is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hester Street Fair make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Vendor Booth/Space Rental is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and pop-up Space Rental.
Who are Hester Street Fair's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Eventbrite, Chelsea Market and Grand Central Holiday Fair. Emerging players are Pop Up Grocer and Crafty Fox Market. Direct peers are Urbanspace, Brooklyn Flea, Artists & Fleas, Renegade Craft Fair and Smorgasburg.
Does Hester Street Fair have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hester Street Fair.
What industry is Hester Street Fair in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAFAO, Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs, with a secondary code of MPAGAEAJ, Neighborhood & Community Markets/Pop-Ups (Community-Led Bazaars). Its NAICS code is 713990 and its SIC code is 7900.