In the ’90s, Borough President Ferrer and the Bronx Tourism Council resurrected a previously thought of idea of the Bronx Walk of Fame on the Grand Concourse. The task of funding to maintain the Bronx Walk of Fame since then has been rooted in another staple event of the Bronx Week festivities, which today we call the Bronx Ball.
Dating back to early Bronx Day, then later Bronx Week celebrations, Borough Presidents had their mechanisms for fundraising. Hosting grand formal banquets, for example, was an idea to attract major sponsorships and contributions to pay for the extravagancies of a 4-mile-long parade on the Grand Concourse. Borough President Ferrer applied this fundraising strategy by creating a signature event to honor the inductees the night before their official inductions, while using the event’s revenues to maintain the street signs throughout the year and thus continuing the tradition thereon. Yet, according to borough historian Lloyd Ultan, grand finale events in forms of a gala or any other distinguished events weren’t necessarily viewed as a “Bronx Ball.” It was the popularity of the event as it grew around more popular celebrities and memorable performances that earned the event its own brand.
In June 2007 succeeding Borough President Adolfo Carrión held the 10th annual Bronx Ball at the historic Loews Paradise theater on the Grand Concourse. It was an evening quite reminiscent of the numerous star-studded premiers the theater had seen in its day. By then, both the Bronx Ball and Bronx Walk of Fame induction events have become household names with legacies of their own that are too strong and meaningful not to include. In fact, these culminating events always provides new opportunities for future borough presidents to display their own style and creativity in their tenure, with the intent to make it memorable.
Today, the Bronx Ball continues to serve its potential to create revenue and evolves into greater platforms for our borough’s celebrated figures to share their own Bronx stories of pride and perseverance. Respectively, the Bronx Walk of Fame now has over 125 street signs on the Grand Concourse reflecting the names of Bronx based, world-known celebrities from various fields of professions. It is a renowned tourist attraction and an educational resource of Bronx history for both outside visitor and local resident alike. Yet, this outdoor museum offers new possibilities to improve public engagement with more inclusion and resonance. A major step into this realm of thought is taken by current Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who presented the idea of a People’s Choice Award in 2023 to get Bronxites to vote on local heroes who warrant celebrity status for their impactful work in the community. In 2023 the category was education, and in 2024 the category was healthcare. In 2025, we are extremely excited that the category is media and arts.
To further celebrate the Walk of Fame’s honorees, the Bronx Economic Development Corporation and the Bronx Tourism Council developed an app for the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2025 to further its reach and allow users to virtually “walk” the Walk of Fame.
It is obvious to note that just with a short glimpse of history behind the Bronx Week concept would reveal a collective effort from one borough presidency to the next, and not without the support from other agencies and advisors. This story exemplifies how creativity and innovation accentuates a growing legacy of such a dynamic multi-day celebration like Bronx Week and The Bronx Ball.
Get news from Bronx Tourism Council in your inbox.
Funded by a grant from the New York City Tourism Foundation.
