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Valley Stream Community Fest seeks to highlight local business, culture

Third annual event expected to be biggest yet

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The Valley Stream Community Fest will be back on Rockaway Avenue for a third year of “food, fun and festivity” on Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event, now in its third year, was conceived by a few active members of the Valley Stream community, according to festival committee chairperson Marie McNair. “The

Community Fest started when a few of us in the community had an idea to hold a festival to bring the committee together to feature and promote local businesses and celebrate the community’s diversity,” McNair said.

Since its inception the fest has grown rapidly and now has corporate sponsors, including the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce, the Green Acres Mall, TD Bank, the Long Island Herald, the Nassau County Baha’i Center, the Village of Valley Stream, Verizon and Astoria Federal Credit Union.

The planning committee has also grown, doubling from six to twelve members. Debbi Gyulay, president of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce and a member of the planning committee, said the committee has also grown in knowledge and experience. “When we first started, we didn’t know anything about running a festival. When we had the first event, we didn’t even know if anyone would show up. Last year was a little better than our first event, and we expect this year’s to be even better,” she said.

This year’s festival will build off the success of previous years’ festivities, organizers said, with live music and entertainment for kids and adults, a car show, and plenty of booths and tables from local restaurants, shops, and community and religious organizations, showcasing all that Valley Stream has to offer. There are also some new additions to this year’s fest, including giveaways for those in attendance, an appearance by the Valley Stream Fire Department, and eight new musicians.

David Sabatino, committee member and president of Envision Valley Stream, said that he hopes the festival will build connections across the Valley Stream Community.

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