The fun begins early for the 29th annual HarborFest Dock Day on Sunday, June 2. At 10 a.m, the Parent Resource Center will open the Family Fun Park on the Town Dock, sponsored by Rallye Motor Company.
There will be activities and entertainment all day, plus more fun at the Model Boat Regatta in Baxter’s Pond and children’s workshops at Art in the Park in Sunset Park. The Parent Resource Center will have a train ride and exciting games, crafts and activities in the Fun Tent. PAL will set up a dunk tank and the Science Museum of Long Island will offer hands-on fun with a touch tank. Plus, other local organizations and businesses will have activities, science fun, sports, gymnastics and crafts so the kids will never get bored.
The Fun Park also features free family entertainment all day on the Family Fun Stage. To start the day, Brownie Troop 447 will lead the audience in “Our Pledge of Allegiance” at 10:15 a.m. The children’s entertainment will kick off at 10:20 a.m. with Alexandra Verkowitz singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The Talented Kids of Port Washington show will begin at 10:25 a.m. Voice Academy will perform at 12:30 p.m. At 1 p.m., students from the Olga Berest Dance Studio will perform. At 1:30 p.m. there will be demonstrations by Blue Moon Taekwondo. The Bands of HarborFest will take over the stage at 2 p.m. featuring groups from Bach to Rock and iSchool of Music. The Family Fun Stage is sponsored by Diane’s Place Hair Salon, Healthy Kids Pediatrics, Kornhaber Dental Group, Long Island Boat Rentals and Long Island Plastic Surgical Group.
The unique HarborFest Treasure Hunt, organized by Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and sponsored by Daniel Gale, Mathnasium and the Sid Jacobson JCC, will be back with fabulous prizes from local merchants and special gifts for all. Children can go to participating businesses from May 18 to June 1 and say the “secret message” to get a voucher for a chance to find the lucky key to the Treasure Chest. The secret message is “One if by land, two if by sea, I’ll say ‘please’ for a chance for the key.” They can bring their vouchers to the Treasure Hunt booth on the dock anytime from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during Dock Day.
One of the most exciting things for kids of all ages will be demonstration of the Port Washington Fire Department’s Fire Boat. It will be moored in Manhasset Bay, off the Town Dock, for all to see.
If you want a taste of nostalgia, the whole family can catch a free ride on the North Fork Trolley, sponsored by the Greater Port Washington Business Improvement District. The trolley will serve as one of the shuttles to take people between the train station and the Town Dock.
The HarborFest Model Boat Regatta program has chamber of commerce volunteers teaching third graders from all Port Washington elementary schools how to make pontoon-style boats from recycled materials. Registration for participants takes place at Baxter’s Pond at 9:15 a.m. for Sousa and Daly, at 9:45 a.m. for Guggenheim and Manorhaven and at 10:15 a.m. for Salem and St. Peter’s. The regatta races will take place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Marian Weissman organized the classroom sessions. Mary Lu Dempsey Palafox put the boat kits together. Bill Palafox is organizing all aspects of the event with Laura Silver McGuire organizing crowd control and assisting volunteer recruitment. Other key team members are Alan Bergman, Holly Byrne, Mary Lu Dempsey-Palafox, Dave Franklin, Ronnie Heller, Lloyd Herman, Fred Hsu, Ken Magida, Laura Silver Maguire, Brigitte Mueller, Tom Scalise and Paul Schrynemakers. Additional volunteers support these key team members. The regatta’s T-shirt sponsor is the Port Washington Public Library Foundation Tepper Intergenerational Program. Regatta Benefactors are the Baxter’s Pond Foundation and the Nautical Advisory Council of the Port Washington Public Library. Major sponsors are Atlantic Outfitters, Knights of Columbus Council 1227, Manhasset Bay Sportsmen’s Club, Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, Minuteman Press Port Washington, North Shore Yacht Club, Port Washington Dental, Port Washington Yacht Club and Total Dollar Insurance. Additional financial support is received from many chamber of commerce members.
For budding artists, Art In The Park will have a special free workshop for children called “Fun With Clay” beginning at 12 p.m. They will also have button making all day. Art In The Park is organized by The Art Guild and sponsored by The Art Guild, Sherwin Williams Paint Store and Sandata Technologies.
Kids and their families can go for a sail or take a cruise around beautiful Manhasset Bay. Port Washington’s Water Taxi is offering scenic cruises around Manhasset Bay throughout HarborFest. Children ages 5 and older and their families can board the schooner SoundWaters for a sail around the bay and back in time. Sails leave at 12, 2 and 4 p.m.
Grassroots Environmental Education has organized a timely environmental education project for HarborFest about the problems of single-use plastics. There will be lots of learning opportunities for multiple age levels. Look for their green exhibit in the Enviro-Expo section. The Environmental Education program is sponsored by the Dime Community Bank, Sands Point Preserve Conservancy and Village Dental.
Families can browse the craft and merchant booths and satisfy their hunger at the Fabulous Food Court. HarborFest offers tons of fun for everyone, so come to the Town Dock on Sunday, June 2, and plan to spend the whole day. For more information about HarborFest, call the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce at 516-883-6566, email office@pwcoc.org or visit www.pwcoc.org/events/details/harborfest-dock-day-and-craft-fair-2.
