NEW ROCHELLE, NY (August 23, 2025) — The City of New Rochelle is hosting the inaugural “Taste of Horton” block festival today from 2 to 7 p.m.
The event will include live music, vendors, and food from local restaurants.
We are interested to receive photos and information about the event from attendees at robertcox@talkofthesound.com.
Horton Avenue, between North Avenue and Brook Street, will be closed to traffic for the day to accommodate the festivities. Parking is available.
Attendees are advised there have been numerous reports of shots fired in the area of Horton Avenue and Brook Street in recent weeks. Shell casings have been collected by New Rochelle Police officers.
“We welcome the community out to Horton Avenue, to enjoy great food and great company,” said New Rochelle Council Member David Peters. “This event gives us all a chance to support local restaurants and businesses, meet new friends, and celebrate the spirit of our neighborhood.”
There are no restaurants at all on Horton Avenue.
Nearby, Mayor Yadira Ramos will hold another of her “Coffee with the Mayor” events where residents can share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas, and ask questions the Mayor about City issues.
The event is set for today at 10 a.m. at City Hall Front Steps, 515 North Ave, New Rochelle, NY.
The City of New Rochelle requested bids from qualified vendors to provide professional staging, audio, and live entertainment services for its “Taste of” series events, including the Taste of Horton.
The bid, listed as Spec #5802, covers the Taste of Horton today.
Vendors must supply live entertainment, including reggae fusion bands for Taste of Horton. Required equipment includes digital mixing consoles, active speakers, subwoofers, stage monitors, microphones, power generators, and a 22’ x 16’ stage with staircases, railings, and skirting. All equipment must be set up, operated, and removed within two hours after each event. Approximate load-in times are 9:00 a.m. for Taste of Horton, with sound checks at noon and load-out by 8:00 p.m.
Bids were due by 3:00 p.m. on June 25, 2025.
The contract was awarded to the lowest responsible and qualified bidder, in whole or in part, based on the city’s best interest. Vendors were required to provide three references for similar services and comply with insurance requirements, including $2 million public liability/property damage and $1 million automobile liability per occurrence.
The city retained the option to award the contract through the City of New Rochelle, New Rochelle Corporation for Local Development, or New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency.
The bid opening on June 25, 2025, the award was based on two events: Taste of Leroy and Taste of Horton:
Taste of Horton Bids (total including Taste of Leroy in parentheses)
- Dynamic Events at $6,960 (total $13,920)
- Suggarplums at $7,750 ($16,000)
- 368 Event Management at $13,325 ($26,650)
- Kingdom Community Consultants at $18,650 ($37,300)
- Big Wave Events at $19,800 ($39,600)
The impact of new competitive bidding for these sorts of events — always required under New York State Law and the City Code but often ignored for CLD-funded contracts —showed here in a big way. Two of the bids were for about three times the winning bid and attempts by two highly-suspect organizations (Suggarplums, Kingdom Community Consultants) to stick their finger in the pie failed.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.