On Saturday, Oct. 11 and Sunday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Mill Neck Family’s Fall Harvest Festival arrives, welcoming returning visitors and new friends, too. This year includes a much-anticipated performance by Sean Forbes, who will take the stage on Saturday at 2 p.m. Forbes, an exciting new hip-hop artist who is deaf, launched his career by making music videos in his basement. Today, he performs and produces professional music videos with a focus toward the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, making him a voice for not only his generation, but deaf culture as well.
Forbes is co-founder of D-PAN, The Deaf Professional Arts Network, a non-profit organization that focuses on translating popular songs into American Sign Language music videos for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. After signing a record deal with Web Entertainment in 2010, Forbes released his debut EP music video titled “I’m Deaf,” which includes the Latin-influenced song “Let’s Mambo.” The stylish video, featuring the talents of Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, as well as more information on Forbes, can be found at www.deafandloud.com.
The Mill Neck Family of Organizations has welcomed visitors to the festival, held on the beautiful, 86-acre Mill Neck Manor campus at 40 Frost Mill Rd. in Mill Neck, for more than 50 years. Many long-standing traditions associated with what was originally known as “Apple Sale” continue today; each year, Mill Neck alumni attend the Fall Harvest Festival as a homecoming, with the event bringing the heart of the Long Island deaf community together.
Mill Neck Manor’s Fall Festival continues to offer a wide variety of foods, including grilled fare, specialty cheeses, assorted baked goods, fudge, roasted corn, a full line of meats at the “Country Store,” New York State apples, and more. Children’s activities, more than 20 craft vendors, sign language items and the latest in deaf technology will be featured throughout the weekend.
A hearing testing van, in addition to health screenings conducted by students from the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, will take place on Saturday. A 50/50 drawing will be available; tickets are only $10 each. The winner, announced on Sunday at 3 p.m., receives half the net profit of money collected. Over the years, winners have taken home more than $10,000.
The festival owes its continued success to the vast network volunteers and the support of civic groups, students, alumni, and parents. Additionally, local businesses contribute to the festival by providing donations, services or products. For more information, including sponsorship opportunities or to volunteer, please visit our website at www.millneck.org or email info@millneck.org.
Proceeds from the Festival benefit the Mill Neck Family of Organizations, which includes Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, founded by Lutheran Friends of the Deaf in 1947, the Mill Neck Manor Early Childhood Center and Mill Neck Services, Mill Neck Interpreter Service, Mill Neck Audiology and Lutheran Friends of the Deaf. For information on any of their programs and services, please call 516-922-4100 or visit millneck.org.
