Ethnic Street Fair

Shortly after we moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, the Town celebrated its annual ethnic street fair in honor of Saint Muffy. Saint Muffy, you will recall, is the fourth century martyr who immolated herself rather than wear a toga designed by the heretic, J.C. Penny. She is honored today as the patron saint of basic black.
The main street in Greenwich, Greenwich Avenue, was lined with colorful booths boasting delectable local WASP ethnic dishes such as roast beef sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise, watercress soup, cucumber sandwiches, and asparagus spears in hollandaise sauce.

The Junior League booth was especially notable, manned by Greenwich post debs attired in colorful ethnic costumes designed by Talbot’s. The booth was decorated with a large picture of Calvin Coolidge.

The Garden Club booth featured mostly shrinking violets, while the Bridge Club displayed sections of the New England Turnpike, which collapsed in 1983.

The DAR booth was manned by its chapter president, Betsy (Babs) Jefferson Adams Wentworth, and featured Dolly Madison ice cream, Boston cream pie, and Philadelphia cream cheese.

There was a rumor floating about, on a gaily-decorated float, that the street fair was controlled by a ruthless mob of Wasp gangsters called “the Muffia.” There was no white-collar crime to which these hoodlums wouldn’t stoop, including making a Tender Offer you couldn’t refuse.

A statue of St. Muffy was erected in the center of the Avenue. She looked chic in an exclusive floral silk jacquard dress from Julliard with organza shawl collar, flower at waist, side hook, shoulder pads and full sweeping skirt. Passers-by reverently stopped at the table in front of the statue and donated recipes for asparagus soup and beef wellington.