NHP Community Day set for Sept. 14

Tom McCarthy
A girl checks out a toy from one of about 250 vendors at 2017's New Hyde Park Street Fair. (Photo by Noah Manskar)

New Hyde Park Community Day, or what Mayor Lawrence Montreuil calls “party in the park,” is set for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial Park.

While it replaces the traditional New Hyde Park Street Fair, organizer Janet Bevers said that the new event will be “in the same vein and tone.”

Bevers said there is a common theme to the event: “It’s all community. It’s all local.”

Bevers said that businesses and organizations in New Hyde Park will have tables throughout the day. She said that there will be 70 vendors and 20 service organizations.

Northwell Health is the official sponsor of the event. The New Hyde Park Funeral Home and the Katie McBride Foundation are the event’s musical sponsors.

On the village board’s decision to cancel what would have been the 24th fair, Bevers said, “I think they made the right decision.”

When the board voted in the spring to not have the fair because of the LIRR Expansion Project work going on in the area, it was because it was unclear when Covert Avenue would reopen and it would be “irresponsible” for the village to close Jericho Turnpike only two blocks away from LIRR work being done on New Hyde Park Road, Bevers said.

She said the village has always organized the fair with a lot of help from the Greater New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.

As a consolation prize for breaking a two-decade tradition, Bevers said that the 3rd Track Constructors, the company hired by the MTA for the LIRR Expansion Project, will be donating 1,000 cups of free gelato. The gelato will be distributed by local vendor Sweet Passions.

Bevers said that for children there would three inflatable rides, two of which were donated by party planning and rental company Send in The Clowns.

She said that setup for the fair will be done with the help of local Boy Scout troops and the local Fire Department.

Bevers said that Montreuil is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. followed by an 11:30 a.m. performance by Chenda Mela, a drum group originally from Bellerose.

From noon to 3 p.m., local “classic party rock” band His Boy Elroy will perform on the main stage. According to the band’s Facebook page, the band has been together in “one form or another for almost 20 years.”

Visitors can expect to hear an “eclectic musical mix of classic and contemporary hits” coming from the main stage, according to the band.

Bevers said that the fair will also include a second stage that is more for “local performances.” Residents can expect to see a musical performance by the Holy Spirit Players starting at 12:45 p.m., a musical performance by the New Hyde Park Children’s Theatre starting at 2 p.m., and a performance by magician Magic of Amore.

Walking around the park residents will be able to see “welcome banners” crafted by children in the village’s summer recreation programs. Bevers said having banners made by children in the community “emulates the theme of this event.”

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