After a successful first year, Mineola’s bringing its Fall Fest back, and due to popular demand, its organizer saidit will be bigger and better than its first run.
“When we had the festival last year, it was a really big success,” said Grace Kelly, the owner of LI PopUP, the organization producing the event. “People came out, they brought blankets, they hung out for the day…It was probably one of the village’s busiest festivals.”
Kelly said this year the free festival will run from noon to 6 p.m. on both Saturday, Oct.18, and Sunday, Oct. 19, whereas last year, it only took over Mineola Memorial Park on one weekend day.
“One of the things we heard the most was that people wished it were a two-day festival. So for this year, it’s a full weekend, Saturday and Sunday,” Kelly said. “We added an extra day this year and we’re bringing in some new attractions.”
New this year, there will be a live wrestling match at 2 p.m. on Saturday along with a Halloween costume contest on the festival stage. On Sunday, there will be a pie-eating contest on the stage for kids, adults and teens.
Both days will feature fall food from a range of restaurants and food trucks, including pumpkin brews from local Lost Farmer Brewery, and over 60 Mineola and Long Island-based vendors selling seasonal handmade items, gifts and other personal accessories.
“The goal, like all of the festivals that Mineola hosts, is really just bringing community and small businesses together,” Kelly said. “This is one of those key ones where we get to highlight some of the staples in the village of Mineola, like Lost Farmer Brewery, and some of the local food establishments.”
Kelly said there will be a family-friendly, fall-themed photo opportunity, a small pumpkin patch, a live DJ and family games, such as life-size chess, battleship, cornhole, Connect Four, and other lawn games, spread out across the park.
Ben & Jerry’s will also be serving up ice cream, classic fair food trucks will offer funnel cakes, fries and lemonade and mobile bookstore The Wandering Page will be parking in the park to share the love of reading.
The festival has a rain date of Oct. 25 and Oct. 26.
