Bay Day Features Transportation Fun In Boats, Cars, Kayaks, Trains, Trolleys

Mini-Oyster Festival event showcases waterfront events and street fair June 2 and 3

Bay Day, June 3, the annual festival to promote environmental awareness and stewardship hosted by the WaterFront Center, is a great day for the community. It’s a free event that strengthens the connection between Oyster Bay and the marine environment by providing exciting, water related activities at the Western Waterfront enriched by a street fair and auto show in the hamlet. Live music will be on the showmobile stage throughout the day and food and refreshments will be available.

The WaterFront Center organizes the activities at the Western Waterfront on Sunday, such as the Anything That Floats Race (ATFR), free harbor tours on the Christeen, free sails aboard their Sonar sailboats, free use of their kayaks and touch tanks with local marine life.

The Chamber’s Role

The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce coordinated with local businesses and organizations to add to the Bay Day fun events. Several streets in the hamlet will be closed for the day. Audrey Avenue, the Audrey Avenue extension, Spring Street and Shore Road, the extension of Audrey Avenue, will be closed. “Shore Road leads right to the Theodore Roosevelt Park entrance and the Western Waterfront. This is actually the WaterFront Center’s Bay Day that the chamber is adding on to. It’s really Dave’s event,” said Mr. Imperatore. Dave Waldo is the WaterFront Center executive director.

A car show will take place along the “main drag” and there will be a street fair on the Audrey Avenue Extension by the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum area.

There will be an event companion guide to help you find all the many things offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Bay Day Kickoff

Walter Imperatore, co-chair of Bay Day events for the chamber, along with Michele Browner, said, “The Bay Day events start on Saturday, June 2 with the annual Hamlet Cup Regatta sailing race held at the WaterFront Center from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Annual Oyster Bay Hamlet Cup Regatta takes place in the West Harbor starting off at Beekman Beach. Boat sponsorships are $500/boat. Sponsors can have up to three people on their boat. The boat and a “captain” is provided by the WaterFront Center. No experience is required. Last year’s winner was a family with no sailing credentials. It’s a fun, good natured competition. “We encourage people to bring family, friends and business associates,” said Mr. Imperatore.

All day Saturday, there will be sports teams from the OB-EN Youth Athletic Association playing at the new Theodore Roosevelt Park fields. The Oak Cliff Sailing Center will be hosting events on the Eastern Waterfront from 1 a.m. to 11 p.m. and a sunset sail from 9 to 11 p.m. The WFC offers a Sunset Kayak Tour from 6 to 8 p.m.

June 3 Is The Big Day

Sunday, June 3 will also be a big day for the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. there will be an automobile show called New York AutoFest on Audrey Avenue. There will be free shuttle service between the car show and all the Bay Day events at the WFC. The cost for vehicles to compete is $20 per car, with trophies in more than 30 classes. For information and registration call 882-5022.

Teams will be playing again on the TR Park Fields from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The street fair includes morning yoga by Bliss Studios from 11:30 to 12:30.

The Sagamore Yacht Club will have its annual classics display including antique cars and motorcycles, as well as food and a tiki bar with live music from noon to 5 p.m.

“On Bay Day there’s going to be a dog parade at the Derby-Hall Bandstand. There will be dogs in costume. It’s going to be a great day,” said Betty Tiska, WFC volunteer. Registration for dogs starts at 11:30 a.m. for a $10 suggested donation to the WFC. Dogs and owners meet at the Derby-Hall Bandstand opposite the post office. The Pooch Parade takes off at noon. There will be prizes for best-dressed dogs. For more information call 277-2371. The event is sponsored by Engel & Volkers Locust Valley and For Pets Only of Oyster Bay.

Walking tours offered by the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site take off at noon from the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum. Along Audrey Avenue you can visit The Chocolate Lady for a Celestial Celebration; Buckingham Village to see Chef Fran’s Kitchenware; Canterbury Ales, Periwinkle Catering, Al Dente, Jack Halyards, Sweet Tomato, will be offering great food. The Centro Cultural Hispanic will be selling food at the street fair. The New York Islanders will be out there with a team representative. Local artists will be exhibiting, the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum will be open and Oyster Rides will be offering their trolley rides of cultural sites.

Just think of what you want at a street fair and it will be there. A visit to the Western Waterfront where the marine activities will be taking place will make it an even better day for the family. The Theodore Roosevelt Bird Sanctuary will be there as well as Coastie, the Coast Guard’s educational boat; marauding pirates and at noon, the annual Blessing of the Fleet.

For more information please call the chamber at 922-6464 or at obenchamber@gmail.com for more information.