The Mineola Street Fair is fast approaching with Mineola Chamber of Commerce reps in planning mode, outlining the event’s new footprint: Jericho Turnpike. The new fairgrounds will stretch the turnpike from Mineola Boulvard east towards Nassau Boulevard. At the Willis Avenue intersection, the fair will puncture north and south toward Linden Road and Washington Avenue, respectively. Prior to 2011, the fair operated at Memorial Park before moving to the downtown area near the Mineola Long Island Rail Road Station.

“In the beginning years ago when we brought this up, it was an unproven entity,” chamber president and Piccola Bussola owner Tony Lubrano said. “Now that we did it in the downtown area for a number of years, I think when we spoke to [the Village of Mineola] with closing Jericho [Turnpike], they were open to it.”

With the move to Jericho Turnpike, Lubrano said interest spiked because of the prime location.

“It’s almost as if Jericho Turnpike is the major leagues,” Lubrano said. “Last year when we had the bouncy children’s rides, we had five or six. When we told [the ride company] we were moving, they offered to at least double the rides.”

For photos of last year’s street fair, click here.

Fair Features
The main Town of North Hempstead showmobile will sit in front of Bank of America on Mineola Boulevard where opening ceremonies and announcements will take place. Another entertainment stage will be erected north of Willis Avenue.

Mineola Fire Department Chief Jeff Clark, in conjunction with the Irish American Society, will procure a showmobile on Banberry Road west of Willis Avenue, featuring an Irish band and stepdancers. The MFD will showcase its vintage fire truck and demonstrate the Jaws of Life, a hydraulic rescue tool, on a car. A petting zoo is probable, but hasn’t been confirmed, Lubrano said.

Mayor Scott Strauss will serve as the water dunk tank victim on Banberry Road for the second straight year.

“We have a challenge with the relocation to Jericho Turnpike because people are used to going to the downtown area,” Strauss said. “But we want to highlight some of the other areas of the village. We’re going to do that this year.”

Dr. Steve Brooks, a Mineola podiatrist and sponsor for the Long Island Lizards lacrosse team, will bring star players from the squad, along with a lacrosse game that features a net and speed gun that will track how fast fair attendees can throw a ball.

“Because it’s on the turnpike, it’s gotten more attention,” vendor coordinator Linda Doerbecker said. “We’re still far out from September but it’ll be here before you know it.”

Entertainment For All
Entertainment coordinator Sheila Rettaliata will be organizing four auditions in August at the Mineola Village Hall Community Center leading up to the fair. Though, she will not serve on the audition team committee.

“They are people outside of Mineola, so it’s impartial,” she said. “They’re all professional performers. There’s a dialogue that happens.”

Jeremy Villas, a former fair performer and current cast member of the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, is serving on the team on an as-available basis, picking the acts that will rock Jericho Turnpike next month. Ed Dennehy, a local Mineola actor and brother of Chaminade High School graduate and actor Brian Dennehy, had helped out on entertainment panels for past fairs.

Street Fair auditions are set for today from 6 to 9 p.m. in Nick’s Tuscan Grill at 149 Mineola Blvd. in Mineola. Additional auditions are slated for Aug. 18 and 25 in Plum Tomatoes at 228 Old Country Rd. and Piccola Bussola at 159 Jericho Tpke., respectively.

“Jeremy [has] progressed since performing in the street fair,” Rettaliata said. “Jeremy has been accepted at Julliard.

“We’re looking for developing performers,” she said of the acts. “This is a community fair, not a showcase. Practice makes perfect and Jeremy is an example of that.”

Participation Cost
Joining the chamber for $150 allows participation in the street fair and participate in other events including Night on the Town and Movie Night in the Park, among other affairs for free. Non-member street fair setups cost $100.

Showcases for Mineola nonprofits setup for free. Outside nonprofit tables cost $25.

“Most fairs are on a main thoroughfare,” said Bill Greene, past chamber president and Tsontos Furs proprietor. “It’s a new venue, highlighting the businesses more since it’s on Jericho Turnpike. We’re hoping everyone has a good a time than we’ve done it in past years downtown.”

Greene points to the fair as a key point in gaining new chamber members, affirming the new Jericho Turnpike spot adds validity to the annual gathering.

“We’ve gotten a lot of new members because of this; those [businesses] that are on and off the footprint of the fair,” he said.

The Date
The fair is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a rain date of Sunday, Oct. 4.

“I think one of the reasons [for the move] is to offer the ability to retailers all around the community to have this event front and center in Mineola,” past chamber president and current Willis Hobbies owner Steve Ford said.