Merrick Festival comes back to hamlet

The annual Merrick Fall Festival was back and bigger than ever.

Cancelled last year due to Covid-19, Merrick’s many businesses once again had a chance to interact with thousands of visitors, and entertainment was again abundant. Over the whole weekend, the foot traffic around the LIRR and up Merrick Avenue was dense.

In addition to the hundreds of vendors, families rode on carnival rides and enjoyed a magic show and a petting zoo.

“We tried to think of any possible way to make this happen,” said Merrick Chamber President Ira Reiter before the weekend, “and we thought outside the box.”

Last year’s festival cancellation was a blow to the chamber and larger Merrick business community, which sees a large influx of cash during the event. The revenues are used to fund the chamber’s holiday lights program, scholarships and other community initiatives.

“We’re very excited to be hosting and to be doing so after many, many years,” said Julie Marchesella, past president of the Merrick chamber and the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce.

The festival will return to Merrick again next year.