White tents stretched as far as the eye could see, offering arepas, grilled corn, and “key lime pie with Brooklyn attitude.” On a beautiful, sunny afternoon yesterday, thousands crowded the streets for the 30th anniversary of the Atlantic Antic street fair.

“This is the biggest and best in Brooklyn,” said the borough’s historian, Ron Schweiger.

The key lime pies, $3 a serving, were made in Red Hook and served out of a truck decorated with hand-painted key limes. Mango the dog stood guard.

“The whipped cream is my favorite part,” said Emma Morcroft, 9. Simon Bullock, 2 1 /2, of Boerum Hill, took a turn on a drum from the Brazilian percussion group Maracatu New York. Other entertainment included belly-dancing and a big-band orchestra. Sisters Rylee and Brynn Trestrail, 4 and 7 respectively, got colorful at a face painting booth. Crystal river Williams of Park Slope admired the fashions of Idyllbklyn, a label that is opening an online boutique next month.

“The diversity is absolutely wonderful,” said Tony Ellis of Park Slope. Kerry supporters wore pins and carried campaign signs, while the Brownstone Republicans stuck to their booth.

“The Bush campaign hasn’t considered New York in play, so we have no signs or stickers to give out, nothing except our good looks,” said district leader Kevin Breslin. Even so, Mr. Breslin said, lots of people had signed up for more information, including Democrats. Community activists passing out literature included the Gowanus Dredgers, which offers canoe rides on the Gowanus Canal, and DevelopDon’tDestroy.org, a group speaking out against Bruce Ratner’s development plans for Prospect Heights.

Senator Schumer spent a few hours at the fair, and even filmed a statement for the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, which is promoting a bike path between Red Hook and Greenpoint. “As a citizen of Brooklyn, I ride my bike all the time, and I hope the greenway gets bigger and better,” Mr. Schumer said.