The annual New Hyde Park street fair is moving from Jericho Turnpike to Memorial Park Sept. 14 and will be renamed “New Hyde Park Community Day.”
The change in venue is due to ongoing work for the LIRR expansion project from Floral Park to Hicksville. Despite the end of a 23-year tradition, New Hyde Park residents will still be able to enjoy New Hyde Park Community Day” on Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a rain date set for Sept. 15.
“This will be a day for village residents and merchants, Chamber of Commerce members and service/charitable groups to come together to enjoy all that is great about living and working in New Hyde Park Village,” said Village Trustee Richard Pallisco in a joint statement with event organizer Janet Bevers and Cultural Commissioner Lisa Miranda.
Northwell Health is the official sponsor of the event. The New Hyde Park Funeral Home and The Katie McBride Foundation are serving as the event’s musical sponsors.
Jeanette Frisina, president for the New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, said that despite the move, the new event will have many of the fair’s traditional features at Memorial Park.
Walking through Memorial Park, Frisina said, one will see local bands like “His Boy Elroy” performing, inflatable rides, free ice cream for children, school bands and choral groups, a magic show, cultural dance groups, a children’s art exhibit, and promotion tables from local businesses.
While this year marks an end to a 23-year streak of having the fair on Jericho Turnpike, Frisina said that holding a supplemental community day was a great idea by the village rather than just canceling the community event altogether.
Staging the event on Jericho Turnpike so close to work being done on New Hyde Park Road for the LIRR Third Track project would have been too dangerous, Frisina said.
“People and participation” make a great community, she said, stressing that both the new location and rain date should be publicized as widely as possible so residents do not miss out on the event.
The cancellation occurs in the same year as the death of former Village Trustee Florence Lisanti, who helped start the New Hyde Park Street Fair.
New Hyde Park’s Lawrence Montreuil lauded Lisanti at the July village board of trustees meeting.
“I think it was Florence who organized the first street fair on Jericho Turnpike and did a phenomenal job,” he said. “It astounded everyone on how we could have the New York State DOT close Jericho Turnpike for so many hours on a Saturday every year.”
