Over the weekend, thousands of Long Island residents flocked to the Village of Farmingdale for its 26th annual Columbus Day Weekend Fair and Fireman’s carnival. Running from Oct. 9
to 13, the five-day affair featured live music from Farmingdale’s own Electric Dudes and Long Island party band Superbad, a Fire Department barbecue, food vendors, a street fair, fireworks, carnival rides, games for kids of all ages and, of course, the Columbus Day parade.
“The parade was excellent,” said Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand. “We had a wonderful turnout of marchers and a great crowd.”
Despite a wash-out on the first day of the street fair, the rain cleared up by Oct. 12, providing the perfect setting for local vendors to sell their wares. On Sunday, Main Street was packed as businesses, restaurants and vendors from around the region showcased a multitude of craft and sales items to local shoppers. Most vendors were so busy, in fact, the parade had to start a little later than expected.
“It was one of the largest crowds we’ve ever had,” Ekstrand said. “Everything went well… all our vendors were happy [with the turnout].”
Once the vendors had cleared out, fair-going patrons filled the sidewalks to get a good view of the annual Columbus Day parade. Afterwards, everyone gathered at Howitt Field, at 10 p.m., to watch the fireworks display.
