Bringing together families and friends

Attendees at this year’s Five Towns Community Chest Fair can expect more fun than ever before, according to the organization’s Executive Director Bob Block.

The 28th annual fair, which will be on Saturday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. until closing, at Andrew J. Parise Park in Cedarhurst, is free to the community and boasts an expanded entertainment portion as well as a show mobile showcasing local organizations and businesses such as the Woodmere-based Dance Express and Warren Levi Karate in Lawrence. “They’ll be showing off what you can learn at their schools,” Block said. “And we’ll also have participation from the Lawrence Music Department on the show mobile.”

On Saturday night, community members are invited to an outdoor showing of the movie “E.T.,” also at the park, at 8:30 p.m. “The movie has been a huge part of the fair in the past and hoping to bring back the excitement and ‘E.T.’ can definitely do that for us,” Block said.

The Village of Cedarhurst and the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District (BID) sponsored this year’s outdoor movie. “The Cedarhurst BID has been a sponsor of the Movie in the Park since its inception,” said BID Executive Director Teri Schure. “The outdoor movie and the Community Chest Fair are both wonderful events for a fun, affordable good time, bringing together families, friends and the wider community.”

Food will be provided by Edibles on the Go and there will be kosher food from Mauzone of Lawrence. Toby Tobias and Friends and The Vanishing Cowboys will also entertain. At movie time, a surprise guest from outer space is expected to arrive.

Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew Parise said the village financially contributes and helps the Five Towns Community Chest rent the movie because the fair is a nice event for the neighborhood. “It’s a good cause that goes back to the community,” he said.

Block said he believes the fair benefits the entire community as it has been since the beginning. “This is the twenty-eighth year of this fair and it used to be known as the Cedarhurst fair,” he said. “I remember when I was dating my wife we went to the fair one night and I bought her a vase and we still have it in our cabinet today. That weekend event has been in my blood since the early 1970s.”

He added that he greatly appreciates the support of the Village of Cedarhurst and the Cedarhurst BID. “The Village, mayor and the board of trustees and the BID are very supportive of the Community Chest fair,” he said, “and we greatly appreciate working with them and putting an event together for the community.”