Port Washington ranks among the best of the best when it comes to community celebrations and one of the most anticipated events each year is Alper’s Karmacue. In its seventh year, this street fair is held rain or shine on Sunday, May 31 from 12 to 4:30 p.m. at the corner of Main St. and Irma Ave., aka Alper’s Corner.
“Karmacue is free to attend,” said Adam Novick, one of Alper’s owners. “There will be five bands playing. It doesn’t cost anything to come and have fun. We ask for a donation to charity and 100% of that money is donated to the Community Chest of Port Washington.”
Nine BBQ teams representing Port Washington’s most enthusiastic backyard grilllers compete on-site to be crowned “Port Washington’s BBQ Champion.” A team of celebrity judges votes for the winner. Judges include Dan Pashman, the James Beard award-nominated host of WNYC’s Sporkful podcast and the Cooking Channel’s You’re Eating it Wrong. Pashman will be signing his book Eat More Better at the Dolphin Bookshop booth from 12 to 1 p.m. The other judges will include Chef Barry Frish, chef and owner of Taquitoria and winner of Food Nation’s Chopped, Chef Trevor McGrath, executive chef at the new Le Bleu Bird Café, on Main St., who made it to the “final four” on Season 8 of Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen, and a final judge from Hill Country BBQ, Manhattan’s go-to for Texas BBQ. Two lucky auction winners will also join the four celebrity judges. Go to Alper’s Facebook page to bid to become a judge.
Attendees can vote for the Karmacue People’s Choice Champion. Team The Picky Pig is the two-time defending Port Washington BBQ Champion while BBQ’s Brothers were the 2014 Karmacue People’s Choice Champion. Both teams are back to defend their titles.
Rounding out the celebration will be delicious food and beverages from CoFEED, iDiner, Yummy Gyro, Port Beer & Soda, Ralph’s Ices and Le Bleu Bird Café, Port’s new farm-to-table restaurant; crafts by SoulShine and Initial Stop, and music by Chuck Idol, Hat Trixx and the students from iSchool of Music & Arts. Completing the BBQ theme, there will be a demonstration of the Big Green Egg, the ceramic outdoor cooker (shaped like a big green egg) that grills, bakes and smokes.
The Town of North Hempstead will co-sponsor the event by closing the street and providing its Showmobile for the afternoon’s entertainment. Other supporters include The Port Washington Crisis Relief Team, Nancy Sinoway Designs, SF Falconer Florist, the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, Robert Ellinger and Baked to Perfection. For information about the event, call Alper’s at 516-767-0508 or the Community Chest of Port Washington at 516-767-2121.
