Nassau County Strawberry Festival draws a crowd in North Bellmore

For the past 25 years, the Nassau County Strawberry Festival has drawn crowds of local families to Bellmore for games, fun and, of course, strawberry delicacies. The festival, hosted by the Bellmore Kiwanis and Lions clubs, has grown to attract crowds from across Nassau County, and drew thousands of people last weekend.

Proceeds from the festival go to charities that the Kiwanis and Lions clubs support throughout the year. The Lions Club’s main goal is to end preventable blindness, while the Kiwanis Club helps local children in need and sponsors the Key clubs at Mepham and Kennedy high schools.

“These are two service organizations that donate all of our proceeds to charity,” said Mark Meyerowitz, a Kiwanis past president.

The festival was open to the public for four days last week, but it kicked off with a special, though low-profile, event. On May 31, children with special needs were invited to the festival grounds before the crowds arrived. The children, many of whom would not otherwise be able to attend the event, came primarily from the Jerusalem Avenue School, where the festival is held.

Bill Reiss, the operator of Bly Sky Amusements, slowed down the rides to give the children a chance to experience the thrill of a carnival. “It’s one of the nicest things that we see accomplished,” Meyerowitz said.

Once the festival began, members of Kennedy’s and Mepham’s Key clubs, as well as local PTAs, helped serve strawberry drinks and foods. Meyerowitz, whose family has become a fixture at the event, said he enjoys seeing families return year after year to lend a hand. “The volunteers that come down to help us out tend to come back every year because they love it,” he said.