Saturday, October 3, 2026
Dozens of Elmont residents gathered for a summer concert featuring Skyfire, a Brooklyn-based multicultural reggae band, whose high energy Caribbean beats filled Elmont Road Park with rhythm and culture on July 9.
The evening event, sponsored by the Town of Hempstead, was one of many installments of the Neighborhood Concert Series, which are hosted in local communities within the township throughout the summer.
“It enlightens the community,” said Bob Barker, president of the Locustwood Gotham Civic Association. The civic association has helped organize the event for several years.
Barker said the concert is a great opportunity for families to enjoy an evening out and give kids a safe place to interact with the community.
“We have a beautiful park,” Barker said of Elmont Road. “Actually having a band here to serenade the citizens in the community lets them come out for a day to have some fun and mingle with each other.”
The civic association’s partnership with the town, he said, allows for events like the concert to be planned. He said Locustwood Gotham is constantly communicating with the town and informing them of ways they can best serve Elmont, whether it be through cleanup initiatives, traffic safety improvements, or events that foster cultural representation.
According to Councilman Thomas Muscarella, Barker informed him that Elmont residents wanted musical performances that catered to the community’s rich diversity, especially those with Caribbean roots.
“We try to customize it according to what the community wants,” Muscarella said. “Everything got dialed in as to what’s going to bring the spirit and culture to the neighborhoods.”
Robert Henry, a Jamaican native who eventually moved to Elmont, attended the evening concert with his mother and children. While he now lives in Franklin Square, Henry still returns to Elmont to participate in events that resonate with his upbringing.
“Elmont is such a diverse community,” Henry said. “You could walk five minutes and see one culture and then walk five minutes in another direction and see another culture. It’s one big melting pot.”
It’s important for Elmont and the town to continue hosting events that demonstrate that diversity, he said, because it promotes a sense of unity among residents who share spaces in the community.
“You see a variety of people coming together,” Henry said. “Events like these actually mean a lot.”
Henry’s mother, Claudette Clayton, agreed with her son, adding that Elmont Road Park has served as a hub for community events that give kids a place to relax and play.
“It’s like an outlet,” Clayton said of the park. “It’s something for them to look forward to.”
Aside from support from the town and civic association, local businesses helped sponsor the event, as well. In attendance were representatives from Ridgewood Savings Bank and Maspeth Federal Savings.
“This is something we look forward to,” said Lyndell Senior, branch manager of Ridgewood Saving’s Baldwin location. “We want to help the community become great.”
“We’re very happy to do community-based events to give back,” added Michael Kearns, the branch manager of Maspeth Federal’s New Hyde Park location. “It’s important we know our community and everyone around us.”
Cliffe Small, a good friend of Barker who attended the concert, said embracing community events is a way of showing support for others in Elmont and surrounding neighborhoods, whether or not they are in attendance.
“We need to be here,” said Small, who has lived in Elmont for 26 years. As a comedian, he said, he eventually wants to get on stage and perform.
“I do whatever is necessary,” he said. “I like to bring people together. I like for people to smile. It makes me feel good when people are laughing and having fun.”
To find information about future events, visit TownOfHempsteadEvents.com.
