New Kensington businesses gearing up for 2nd 'Fridays on Fifth'

Going into the first Fridays on Fifth in New Kensington in July, Sweet Tillies baklava bakery owner Amy Johnson was worried she had made too much and wouldn’t know what to do with it.

Instead, Johnson said, “Within 20 minutes, I was like, ‘Holy crap, I didn’t make enough.’”

Jamie Parker, owner of Sweet Alchemy Bake Shop, also didn’t know what to expect. She had a line of people waiting when the event started at 5 p.m. July 23 and sold out of the peach cobbler she had made for it.

“At one point, when I saw the line starting and couldn’t see the end of it, I was like, my goodness, this is something,” she said. “People were excited.

“There was a buzz and an excitement in New Kensington.”

Both are gearing up for the second Fridays on Fifth, scheduled to run from 5 to 9 p.m. this Friday.

It’s taking place on Fifth Avenue, from 11th to Ninth streets, and on 10th Street, from Barnes Street to midway between Fifth and Fourth avenues.

The event, hosted by the New Kensington Recreation Committee, is meant to showcase the city’s downtown and its businesses.

It’s scheduled to be held the fourth Friday of each month through October.

In addition to businesses remaining open, nearly a dozen food trucks are confirmed to be attending this month and will be stationed along Fifth Avenue, said Nicole Vigilante, owner of Trovo Co., a vintage home decor shop, and who manages social media for the event.

Hip-hop music will be featured at Voodoo Brewery, with David P., Rojo Inferno, I-Shyne and Jerry Jefferson scheduled to perform.

Between 1,500 and 2,000 people were estimated to have attended the first event in July, Vigilante said.

“It was really more than we anticipated,” Vigilante said. “The weather was perfect. We couldn’t have scripted it any better. People were anxious to get out and do something again. Everybody sold out.”

New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said it had probably been two years since the city’s downtown had seen a crowd like that.

“This was something that was planned pretty quickly, and we were pretty pleased with the outcome,” Guzzo said. “We didn’t expect that many people, but it really took off.”

For this month, Parker plans to open a little earlier, have more food on hand and offer drinks. She’ll be making funnel cakes and a chocolate chip cookie/hot fudge sundae.

“We will be ready. We will be prepared,” she said. “We want to make sure we have enough for the community.”

Johnson plans to make more of her baklava, offering a variety box and a new cheesecake flavor.

“I’ll be more prepared and probably make double of what I made (last time) so that I don’t sell out,” she said.

The final Fridays on Fifth of the year is scheduled for Oct. 22. Vigilante said they hope to have it resume in the spring, in April or May.