Three events to celebrate the final leg of the Triple Crown are slated for the coming weeks, beginning in Elmont with the Belmont Stakes Parade on Saturday, June 4 and culminating with Belmont festivals in Floral Park and Garden City on Friday, June 10 – the eve of the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
Belmont Stakes Parade –June 4
The third annual Belmont Stakes Parade will begin at the Elmont Library at 10:30 a.m. and will end at Belmont Park at 11:30 a.m. Elmont Memorial and Sewanhaka High School students will serve as grand marshals of the parade, which will include law enforcement and military personnel, school bands, cheerleaders, Scout troops, clubs, community leaders and fire officials.
Community Day in the Marquee tent at Belmont Park will follow the parade and will include food, games and entertainment. Additionally, the Cradle of Aviation Museum will display a plane for kids to explore, and Elmont residents will receive a voucher from The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) for a free hot dog and drink, as well as gain access to the Belmont Clubhouse and Grandstand.
Floral Park Belmont Festival – June 10
The Floral Park Belmont Festival will take place on Tulip Avenue from 5-10 p.m. and will feature three live bands, traditional Irish dance performances, bouncy rides, face painting, clowns, the Floral Park High School kickline team, and various acts throughout the evening. Festival goers can enter a raffle to win prizes while getting a taste of Floral Park as restaurants line the streets to offer culinary samples.
The Floral Park Belmont Festival is sponsored by the Floral Park Chamber of Commerce and NYRA. For more information about the Floral Park Belmont Festival or to participate in any of its events contact Kathleen Duggan at 516-512-0459.
Garden City Belmont Festival – June 10
The Garden City Belmont Festival will take place on 7th Street from 6-10 p.m. and will feature dance groups, live music, family-friendly activities and a “Wing Off” chicken wing competition. NYRA television analyst and retired jockey Richard Migliore will emcee the festival. Bands scheduled to perform include the Fivestone Rock Bank, Jerry & the Newcomers, New Vintage Swing Band, Speak Easy and the Village Music Makers.
The Wing Off will take place from 6:30-9 p.m. during which local restaurants will compete to be named Garden City’s chicken wing champion. Six restaurants are currently confirmed to take part in the competition: J.P. McGeevers, Murphy’s Bar and Grill, Rein at the Garden City Hotel, Walk Street, Lani’s Marketplace and Pop’s Wings & Grill of Lynbrook. The winner will be announced at 9:30 p.m.
The general public will judge the contest as any passerby can get in on the action for a minimum donation of $5, which includes a plate of wings and a ballot. All proceeds benefit Operation Wounded Warrior, which provides needed items for injured United States military personnel.
Local restaurants wishing to participate should contact Tim Peeples at 516-459-3740.
Garden City children can show their love of horse racing by taking part in a children’s poster contest. Participants must be Garden City residents in grades K – 6. Children are encouraged to submit images of thoroughbred racing on heavy white poster paper, sized 16”x 20.”
Students must print their name, age, grade and school on back of the artwork. Deadline for entry is Wednesday, June 1 at 5 p.m. at Sunflower Fine Art Galleries, located at 172 Seventh Street in Garden City. Entries must be dropped off in person. The top three winners will be awarded cash prizes from Sunflower Fine Art and will be honored at the Garden City Belmont Festival.
All artwork will be displayed in store windows along Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue. The location of each piece will be posted on www. sunflowerfineart.com on June 10.
Longtime public relations practitioner Ed Lewi, founder of the eponymous public relations firm, will also be honored with a proclamation from the village for years of service to the community, including his longtime dedication to spearheading the Garden City Belmont Festival.
The Garden City Belmont Festival is sponsored by NYRA and the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group. For more information or to participate in the Garden City Belmont Festival contact Mary Dolan Grippo at 516-571-1936 or via e-mail at mgrippo@nassauida.org.
Belmont Stakes Information and Updates
Racing fans can enter a drawing to win a prize package for two that includes airfare, hotel accommodations and premium tickets for the Belmont Stakes. Contestants can enter at www.BelmontStakes.com/ contest.aspx. Deadline for entry is Wednesday, June 1 at 5 p.m.
NYRA will provide regular updates on the third jewel of the Triple Crown on the official Twitter page of the Belmont Stakes: Twitter.com/BelmontStakes.
The page is updated whenever a news item, blog post, video or podcast is uploaded to the official website of the race: BelmontStakes.com. NYRA will regularly update the page leading up to the 143rd running of the Grade 1, $1 million “Test of the Champion” on Saturday, June 11 at Belmont Park.
For more information about the Belmont Stakes and the Belmont spring meet, visit www.nyra.com.
About the Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is the third leg of thoroughbred racing’s prestigious Triple Crown, also comprising the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The Belmont Stakes is held on an annual basis at Belmont Park in early June, with the 143nd running being held this year on Saturday, June 11. Only eleven horses have swept the Triple Crown, with the most recent being Affirmed in 1978. Belmont Park is operated by The New York Racing Association, Inc., which also operates Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga. Visit www.BelmontStakes.com, the official online home of the Belmont Stakes, for more information.
