Port Washington’s downtown will be the fourth one in Nassau County featured as part of an islandwide initiative to promote local restaurants and businesses, helping them recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
In August, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and other Long Island officials announced the Downtown Travel Pass. In Nassau County, the downtowns of Rockville Centre, Farmingdale and Great Neck were chosen by officials to be part of the initiative.
On Friday, county officials and members of the Port Washington business district and community will meet at the Town of North Hempstead’s Dock at 347 Main St. in Port Washington at 11:30 a.m. to make the official announcement.
The pass is a free, contactless phone application that sends its users offers and promotional codes for some of Nassau’s downtown areas that were greatly impacted by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
Residents are able to sign up for free, contactless mobile offerings by visiting www.discoverlongisland.com/deals. A link is sent to the participant’s mobile phone, which opens a “virtual passport” and directs the participant to add an icon to the home screen, easily accessible at any time. A participant ready to redeem a pass can hand the phone over at the checkout counter to access a deal, promotion or special offer.
The new free mobile travel pass was designed to boost economic recovery efforts in the region through incentivized marketing efforts ranging from small businesses to general attractions.
Despite the pandemic’s restrictions, some normalcy has returned to Port Washington in the form of “Port Outdoors,” a pedestrian-only shopping, dining and entertainment experience occurring every other Thursday night.
Following a successful run in the fall, the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, the Port Washington Business Improvement District and the Town of North Hempstead brought back “Port Outdoors” in early May, and it is scheduled to run until Oct. 7, using alternating zones.
“Port Outdoors is a collaboration that is only possible with the support of the Town of North Hempstead,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bobbie Polay said in April. “It is thanks to the Lift Up Local initiative that we are able to bring back and expand this very popular community event.”
Live music and demonstrations from local dance and martial arts studios are featured at the Main Stage each week, and individual restaurants will host musicians on site. Landmark on Main Street has again managed the lineup of artists, with a preference for local musicians.
The upper Main Street zone comprises Port Washington Boulevard from Campus Drive to Main Street and Main Street from Port Washington Boulevard to Belleview Avenue near Carlo’s Pizza, as well as Port Commons. Main Street is closed to traffic from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The upcoming Main Street zone schedule is July 1 and 29, Aug. 26 and Sept. 23.
The middle and lower Main Street zone runs from Central Drive to Shore Road, and is also closed to traffic from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The middle and lower zone’s upcoming schedule is July 15, Aug. 12, Sept. 9 and Oct. 7.
