Getting creative in Lynbrook

Local band, the Sunrise, fuses R&B, jazz, funk, rock and classical music. They will offer a taste of their musical melting pot to visitors at the festival.

Flyin’ Sideways,a local band, will perform an eclectic set of rock ’n’ roll cover tunes from the 1970s to the present day.

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Greis Memorial Park, Lynbrook, NY

It was an idea running through her mind for a long time, inspired by the Newport Jazz Festival, explained Denise Nystrom, administrator of personnel and student support services for the Lynbrook School District.

Envisioning an array of artwork, crafts, bands and other entertainment, Nystrom wanted to bring something different to the village. Thus was born the first-ever Lynbrook Music and Arts Festival, a new feature of the upcoming village Expo at Greis Park on Saturday.

Nystrom said she believes the festival can serve a good cause: helping families in need. “The district had done a lot of fundraising,” she said, “and I saw lots of families struggling. I started thinking how to help the neighbors.”

People have lost their jobs, and others have fallen ill, she added. “That’s why the festival could be the perfect idea to help those families, as all of the proceeds will go to help the community,” she said.

Several residents and members of the nonprofit Lynbrook Community Coalition formed a committee a year ago to plan and organize the event. They put together fundraisers and contacted several musical groups and artists about taking part.

Nystrom said that living locally helped make choosing talent easier. “I am a firm believer that this community is full of talent,” she said. “I know of local talent, and it was a matter of reaching out to them to see if they wanted to get involved.”

There were still loose ends to tie up, like finding a proper venue. Nystrom approached village officials about using Greis Park and joining in the village Expo festivities. “They said we could work together,” she said. The festival will be featured at the Expo, but the goal of the festival is to raise funds, she added.

Attendees can expect not only live music from bands Flyin’ Sideways and the Sunrise, but the event’s master of ceremonies, Doug the DJ, and a brass quintet comprising Long Island music teachers playing a medley of music old and new.