The Red Hook Ballfield Vendors are almost back. Seriously. We got an email from Cesar Fuentes, who is the group’s spokesperson, that they’ve finally cleared up the mess with the Department of Health and will be back next Saturday, July 19, with a “raindate” of July 26 if all the vendors aren’t ready. Here’s his email:

Upon our last compliance hurdle being met -that is, the vendors food trucks and carts passing DOHMH inspection next week- our affair can finally open its season as early as the weekend of July 19th!! While we are almost certain that most vendors will be compliant & ready to operate by July 19th, we have also set up a ‘rain date’ for the weekend of July 26th in case the majority of our vendors are required to further adjust their mobile food vending units to meet inspection standards. While we will issue an official statement advising the specific start date soon, please feel free to spread word that our affair will definitely start on either date this month.

Even though the game of bureaucratic hopscotch has managed to wipe nearly two months of the vendors’ season and the streets running by the park are now used for access to Ikea, we’re glad to know they’ll finally be back. Frankly, the empty ballfields are depressing.