How Does Smith Street Get Covered In So Much Sand?
By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle BOERUM HILL — It’s the biggest Bastille Day party in the U.S. – and it all hinges on a massive delivery of sand. Brooklyn’s celebration all things French — food, drinks, music – breaks out on Smith Street this Sunday from noon to about 10 p.m. But the most memorable image, for most celebrants, will be the sight of several blocks of the street entirely covered in sand and divided into courts for the annual petanque tournament. Petanque is similar to bocce, but is played with metal balls on a sand surface. This year the street will be covered with more sand than ever, says John Quadrozzi, Jr. of the Quadrozzi Concrete Company, who donates the sand and handles the logistics. The company has several plants around the city, with the closest at Smith and Ninth streets under the train station. “The celebration keeps increasing every year,” he told the Brooklyn Eagle Thursday. “Sand is measured in cubic yards . . . We’re probably sending in 12 yards this yea
