By Bill Landon
Scenes from the annual Greek Festival, held at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, in Port Jefferson. The celebration was held from Aug. 22-25, and was truly a display of great culural pride, as well as the perfect place for some good-old-fashioned family fun!
— Photos by Bill Landon
Long Island’s largest fair heads to Suffolk County Community College, 485 Wicks Road, (Exit 53S off the LIE)
in Brentwood from June 15 to June 25 featuring live music and entertainment for the whole family, exciting midway rides and games, and plenty of tasty carnival eats.
Included with fair admission are tribute band performances and other daily concerts; Saturday night Fireworks by Grucci; the educational Eudora Farms Exotic Petting Zoo; up-close and personal Dinosaur Experience; Houdini-style Escape Explosion; World of Wonders Amazement Show starring sword swallowers, fire eaters, contortionists and other old-time sideshow acts; and the Royal Hanneford Circus featuring edge-of-your-seat high-wire, trapeze and motorcycle thrill shows and more under the big top.
Admission: $5 (free for kids under 36″ tall). Parking is free.
Unlimited ride wristbands (for riders 36″ and taller) are $35 on site Monday – Thursday and $40 Friday – Sunday while supplies last, or online before 5 pm June 15 for $25.
Visit the website for Thursday Carload Nights (admission and rides for $60 per car) and advance savings on ride tickets.
FunFest hours: 5-11 pm weekdays and 3-11 pm Saturday – Sunday. Take Exit 53S off the Long Island Expressway and use the Wicks Road campus entrance. No unaccompanied guests under age 21.
More information: 866-666-FAIR (3247) or LongIslandFunFest.com
Lake Avenue in St. James was packed with hundreds of people on Oct. 3.
The St. James Chamber of Commerce presented its St. James Day along Lake Avenue between Woodlawn and Railroad avenues. Last year’s event was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Attendees enjoyed food, listened to music, shopped for merchandise at vendors’ tables and talked to local elected officials.
Tours were also given of the former Calderon Theatre located at 176 2nd Avenue. The nonprofit community group Celebrate St. James Past-Present-Future hopes to save the building to be used as an entertainment venue in the future.
There was few downcast faces even when the weather was overcast May 4 as the Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted their first annual Sound Beach Spring Festival and Street Fair.
Parents could walk around and visit the many vendors and stalls while kids could get their faces painted, jump around in bouncy castles or pet the calves, Woody and Buzz, provided by Wading River-based Bakewicz Farms. The Sound Beach Civic Association hosted its own scavenger hunt for stuffed animals to win prizes like a four pack to a Theatre Three kids show and tickets to Movieland Cinemas in Coram. Meanwhile the chamber of commerce hosted a “cake walk,” raffle, sponsored by Rocky Point’s Tilda’s Bakery, where people had the chance to snack on a decadent treat from the renowned local bakery.
The Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption in Port Jefferson celebrated its 57th Port Jefferson Greek Festival from Aug. 23 to 26. This year’s event featured carnival rides, traditional dance performances, live music, games and culinary delights.
East Northport residents and their families flocked to the East Northport Fireman’s Fair this past weekend.
The East Northport Fire Department kicked off its annual community fair Aug. 1 with a parade. The four-day festival featured rides, carnival games and live music to entertain all ages. Click through the gallery above to see if TBR News Media caught your family having fun.
The Boater’s Maritime Festival returned to Port Jefferson on Saturday and Sunday, bringing boats of all shapes and sizes as well as fun harborside activities for kids.
In celebration of its rich maritime heritage, the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson in partnership with the New York Marine Trade Association, will present the 5th Annual Port Jefferson Boater’s Maritime Festival on June 11 and 12 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The festival will take place throughout the entire village and will specifically showcase Port Jefferson Harbor, one of the most popular deep-water harbors on Long Island. Boaters appreciate the prime location with easy access, deep draft local shops, restaurants and entertainment just a short walk from the marina docks.
This two-day festival will host the Port Jeff Boat Show with over 50 boats on display and dozens of fishing vendors at one of the island’s only outdoor shows. Sailing demonstrations will take place on the harbor as well as a regatta planned on Sunday afternoon. Maritime-related attractions, museums and organizations will be present along with free open demos of kayaks, inflatable boats and paddle boards.
New this year and kicking off the weekend is an outdoor Crossfit Throwdown sponsored by Crossfit Hidden Pond Park. Crossfit participants will gather for the Throwdown on the Sound scheduled for Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Jeanne Garant Harborfront Park.
Also debuting this year is Chick-Fil-A’s family-friendly addition to the event … the Eurobungy! Up to three participants can experience the thrill of bungee jumping in this ultimate interactive entertainment feature.
Returning this year is the Paddle Battle Long Island Port Jefferson Race on Saturday, June 11. The 2.5-mile recreational race includes kayak and stand-up paddle boards, each in separate categories. This fun-filled day of races helps raise money for not-for-profit organizations such as United Way of Long Island’s VetsBuild program, the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation and the East End Tourism Alliance. Registration will take place at the Village Center on East Broadway from 10 a.m. to noon.
Saturday night offers After Hours at the festival from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., featuring a Sunset Paddle, live music and food and beverage at the Harbor Bistro.
In addition to exhibitors from the Maritime Explorium, Riverhead Foundation and the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center, the festival will feature art and photo exhibits, craft vendors and live music.
Sailing demos (from noon to 5 p.m. on both days) and clam eating contest (on June 11 at 2 p.m.) are among the exciting and interactive events taking place at the Port Jefferson Boater’s Maritime Festival along with food and drink at the Harbor Bistro food court offered by local eateries, Fifth Season, C’est Cheese, Gourmet Burger Bistro, LI Pour House and Junior’s Spycoast. Pirate shows and treasure hunts will round out the entertainment for the entire family. Best of all, admission is free!
For a full schedule of events and more information, visit www.portjeff.com/featured-events.
By Melissa Arnold
There’s something especially memorable about going to a concert. Showing up with hundreds or even thousands of music fans creates an energy that’s hard to find anywhere else, and hearing a favorite song performed live can be pretty emotional and even lead to societal change.
This summer, the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook will celebrate the global impact of music festivals on culture with an exhibit called Common Ground: The Music Festival Experience.
“This is a really exciting opportunity for us here (at the museum),” says Joshua Ruff, director of collections and interpretation. “It gives us a chance to display some material that people wouldn’t normally associate with the museum.”
Common Ground is a traveling exhibit that was developed in 2014 by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. The Long Island Museum will be the only East Coast venue for the exhibit, which will move on to Austin, Texas, this fall.
Visitors will be taken back in time to some of the biggest music festivals in the world, including the Newport Festivals, Woodstock, Live Aid, Coachella and more. Ambient sounds of bands tuning up, people chatting and even radio ads from each era will provide a true “you are here” feel.
Additionally, you’ll be treated to music and video footage from each festival, along with some special artifacts. Some noteworthy items are guitars from Davey Johnstone of the Elton John Band, Muddy Waters and Chris Martin of Coldplay; a guitar pick from Jimi Hendrix; and a corduroy jacket from John Mellencamp.
“The festival experience is one that brings people together from all walks of life. They’re memories that last a lifetime,” Ruff said. “This exhibit has items that will appeal to everyone, from baby boomers to contemporary concertgoers.”
While the exhibit will honor many musical superstars, the LIM is giving special attention to Bob Dylan this weekend as it marks his 75th birthday.
On Sunday, they’ll host musicians from all over the country who will play nearly 20 songs from Dylan’s career, which began in the 1960s and continues today. Dylan’s new album, “Fallen Angels,” drops tomorrow.
The concert is one of the final events for this year’s Sunday Street Concert Series. The series has its roots in a radio show of the same name on Stony Brook University’s WUSB-FM.
Radio personality Charlie Backfish has hosted the show since the 1970s, and was a part of launching similar live events at the university’s UCafe in 2004.
“Dylan is such a monumental figure in the acoustic world — he caused quite a controversy when he used an electric guitar and a full band at the Newport Folk Festival in the 1960s,” Backfish explained. “We thought it would be cool to make our last concert of that first year all Bob Dylan music.”
The Bob Dylan concert has since become an annual tradition for the Sunday Street Concert Series, which relocated to the Long Island Museum in January due to upcoming university construction, but Backfish is thrilled with the move’s success.
“We’ve had a tremendous welcome from the LIM, and we’ve had sold out audiences for most of our shows since we’ve moved there,” he said. “It’s very exciting that we’ll be able to celebrate Dylan’s 75th birthday the same weekend as the opening of Common Ground. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
Backfish hosts “Sunday Street Live” from 9 a.m. to noon each Sunday on 90.1 WUSB. This Sunday’s show will feature all Bob Dylan hits. Listen online or learn more at www.wusb.fm/sundaystreet.
Common Ground: The Music Festival Experience will be on display at the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook, through Sept. 5. For hours and admission prices, call 631-751-0066 or visit www.longislandmuseum.org. The Sunday Street Concert featuring covers of Bob Dylan will be held at the museum on Saturday, May 21, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 and extremely limited. To order, visit www.sundaystreet.org.
What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than with a Tulip Festival? The natural beauty of the historic Heckscher Park will once again serve as the backdrop for the Town of Huntington’s highly anticipated signature spring tradition this Sunday, May 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Now in its 16th year, the event was the brainchild of Councilman Mark Cuthbertson (D).
“From its inception, the Huntington Tulip Festival has been a free, family-oriented, floral celebration held in Heckscher Park. There is live entertainment for all ages on the Chapin Rainbow Stage, dozens of booths with fun activities for the kids and thousands of bright tulips planted in beds throughout the park,” said Cuthbertson in a recent email, adding “So come out, bring your camera, and enjoy the day!”
In addition to the more than 20,000 tulips to admire throughout the park, cut tulips will be offered for sale by The Flower Petaler with proceeds benefiting the Junior Welfare League of Huntington and there will be a student art exhibit on display near the Chapin Rainbow Stage.
Volunteers are needed to distribute festival programs to visitors. Any person or community group is welcome to volunteer by calling 631- 351-3099.
Photo Contest
Since its inception, Huntington’s Tulip Festival has included an annual photo contest. Entries by amateur and professional photographers will be juried to select the images most evocative of the beauty and family orientation of the festival and must be postmarked or received by July 31, 2016. Prize-winning images will be used in festival publicity. For details, visit https://www.huntingtonny.gov/TulipFestival PhotoContest.
Entertainment schedule
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Explore the Heckscher Museum. During this annual collaboration with the Town of Huntington, docents will be in the galleries beginning at 2 p.m.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Student Art Contest: Building up to the festival was an art contest for area students organized by the Huntington Arts Council. Award-winning work will be displayed near the Rainbow Chapin Stage.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Children’s Activity Booths — A diverse selection of free activity booths with creative, hands-on projects for children of all ages will be active in Heckscher Park throughout the festival. Design pasta necklaces, get your face painted, make a windsock, make a handprint Mother’s Day craft, get a tattoo, create a rainbow fish and much, much more.
Noon to 12:45 p.m. — Jazzy Fairy Tales with Louise Rogers on the Rainbow Chapin Stage. The show combines jazz music, storytelling and improvisational theater techniques to teach young children music, literature and social skills.
Noon to 4 p.m. — Mask making art activity at the Heckscher Museum. Children of all ages are invited to create a colorful, mixed media mask to celebrate spring and wear at the festival. Free on Museum Terrace.
1 to 1:45 p.m. — Casplash, a Caribbean splash band with Steelpanist Rudi Crichlow, on the Chapin Rainbow Stage. Casplash, a.k.a. Caribbean Splash, plays music made for dancing — from calypso, soca and reggae to pop, funk, R&B and more. Casplash takes audience members on a fantastic musical escapade via the beautiful sounds of the steel pan, soulful singing and hot tropical rhythms. The band leads audiences in familiar dances such as the electric slide, hokey pokey, conga line and limbo; they also teach a traditional West Indian follow-the-leader style dance called brown girl in the ring.
2 to 3 p.m. — Songs & Puppetry with Janice Buckner on the Rainbow Chapin Stage. Janice has appeared on radio and television, as well as over 4,000 schools and concert halls. She entertains audi.ences of all ages with her voice, guitars, puppets and her knowledge of Sign Language for the Deaf. She is noted for her voice, her creativity and the outstanding quality of her lyrics.
4 p.m. — Festival closes (Museum exhibits on view until 5 p.m.)
