BREAKING: Red Hook Vendors Get 6-Year Permit!

It's nice to be able to report some wonderful news via Eater: the Red Hook Taco Vendors have been awarded a six-year permit to operate at the Red Hook Ballfields. The announcement came this afternoon from the Parks Department. Our friends at Eater have the full text of the press release. Most of last year was overshadowed by the threat to the vendors, and even recently, they have suggested that costs as high as $30,000 for carts could drive many out of business. Of the permit, Parks Commmissioner Adrian Benepe said in a statement: "One of the great New York City pleasures is enjoying tacos, huaraches and other fine Latin American cuisine at Red Hook Park. The Parks Department is happy to keep this longstanding tradition in place by awarding a permit to the Food Vendors Committee of Red Hook Park." Sen. Charles Schumer, who held a press conference last year calling on the Parks Department to allow the vendors to stay said, "I applaud the Parks Department for recognizing the value they bring both to Brooklyn and the New York culinary scene."

Vendors Committee Executive Director Cesar Fuentes, with whom we've spoken many times over the last year, said that "On behalf of the Red Hook food vendors, we are thrilled to be able to continue our 33-year-old tradition. We have the best intentions to create an even better food market with the assistance of New York City Parks and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It is a beautiful thing to be able to combine culture, cuisine and recreation together to enhance the park’s experience which is so vital to an urban center. To be able to get in the city what you would get in a rural area, fresh wholesome food, is really fantastic. Thanks to New York City Parks for being proactive in supporting this type of small affair of artisan vendors."

The season should start in late April or early May.