The rich history where cultures collide came alive through the aroma of street food, laughter of families and the rhythm of drums and fiddles echoing across Yonkers during the McLean Avenue Fall Festival.

First it was the Irish — bartenders, bakers, and balladeers chasing the promise of community and belonging. By the 1990s, McLean Avenue pulsed with Irish pubs, live music and storefronts that felt like home.

As the years passed, new waves of immigrants — Italians, Latinos, and Caribbeans — brought their own flavors, languages and songs – reshaping the avenue into one of Westchester’s most vibrant cultural crossroads.

For business owners like Tom Niland, who opened The Tavern on McLean, the street is still where dreams take root.

“I’m passionate about Irish culture and heritage — and what better place to share that?” he said.