The annual Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Festival is a free, early summer event celebrating the diverse immigrant cultures of the Lower East Side and Chinatown communities. In its 22nd year, the street festival will take place on Eldridge Street between Canal Street and Division Street. Enjoy the music, dance, cultural practices, and cuisines of its diverse residents.

The Eldridge Street Synagogue is a significant landmark with a rich history. Constructed in 1887, it stands as the first synagogue built in America by immigrants from Eastern Europe. As a densely populated Jewish community, the Lower East Side attracted a majority of Eastern European Jewish immigrants who sought a new life in New York City. The Eldridge Street Synagogue served as a spiritual home for these immigrants, who proudly embraced their newfound religious freedom. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996, and after extensive restoration, was rededicated as the Museum at Eldridge Street in 2007. The Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Street Festival is an annual event organized by the museum honoring the neighborhood’s past and present. The museum will be closed on the day of the festival, but we encourage you to return on a different day to pay it a visit and explore some of the best spots in the Lower East Side and some of our favorite hidden gems in Chinatown.

When we visited in the past, we recall partaking in mahjongg games, watching demonstrations on how to make empanadas, and decorating a yarmulke. We learned about the Dragon Boat Festival, a Chinese tradition that celebrates a time of protection from evil and disease, and also what it means to hit your dress with a fan at a dance in Puerto Rican culture (“I’m jealous”). And, of course, we ate and drank everything we could get our hands on: egg rolls, egg creams, empanadas, and much, much more (all kosher, of course!). It’s a casual, fun event the whole family will enjoy.