Though it might have been a spring festival, anyone at Saturday’s event could have mistaken the 80-degree day for a summer celebration.
“I’m so happy about the weather,” said Amy Reilly Hanley, the executive director of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, which co-sponsors the festival with the Town of Oyster Bay. “We’ve got a great assortment of different vendors. Everybody’s been in a good mood, and I’m really glad to see all the people coming in.”
Thousands of people enjoyed the Billy Joel cover band Glass Houses while browsing the 83 business and food stalls that took over a portion of Audrey Avenue and Spring Street near the town’s LIRR station for six hours. Vendors sold the crowds handmade crafts, soap, crocheted animals, jewelry, and heaps of thrifted and upcycled clothing, while food stalls ranged from those with a unique assortment of freeze-dried candy, Sicilian olive oil, rum cakes and fresh baked breads to classic fair fare like cotton candy, funnel cakes and lemonade.
“It’s great to see people in Oyster Bay,” said lifelong resident Chuck Greenspan, who added that he was happy to find new, diverse vendors this year. “It used to be a very sleepy town, and it seems like people are discovering it.”
Reilly Hanley said the festival is important to the town’s business community, not just for those setting up stalls on the street, but also those with storefronts for whom the increased foot traffic provides an uptick in sales and exposure.
“Oyster Bay is not a drive-through area, it’s a destination town” Reilly Hanley said. “You have to have a place you want to go. That’s one of the reasons that we put on these community events. We want to drive people to the area and support these local businesses.”
Many of the businesses on the street were local to the town or the island, Reilly Hanley said.
For some like Evelyn D’Achille of WinesGoneNowWhat, who sells upcycled and repurposed wares made out of empty wine bottles and other household items, it was her first time at the town’s event.
“I’m loving the festival. We’re having a great time,” she said. “I love the music. I have great neighbors. I love the little shops. It’s a really nice vibe.”
“If somebody just comes and appreciates my art, that’s enough,” she added of what she enjoys about selling on the street.”When somebody buys your stuff, it’s an honor.”
A few groups, including the high school’s cheer team, took advantage of the large crowds to fundraise.
“This is our second year working this,” said Holly Janoska, the team’s coach, whose athletes asked for a few dollars per ball to throw at a dunk tank they were sitting in and sold branded merchandise. She said money raised from the event would help the program pay for choreography, tumbling classes, equipment and competition travel.
“It started out so small, and now it’s so crowded every year,” said Ryan Schlotter, the president of the town’s Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a really nice weekend, not only for the business, but also for the local residents.”
“This was a great turnout,” he added. “We’re looking forward to the rest of our events this season.”
Residents who missed this weekend’s festivities and are hoping to take part in the town’s outdoor events can look forward to the town’s Oyster Bay Cruise Nights, a weekly Tuesday car show during the summer which will kick off on May 27.
