Long Beach Chamber fair returns this weekend

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The Long Beach Chamber of Commerce will hold a boardwalk fair this Father’s Day weekend, marking its first vendor fair in over a year.

Ian Danby, chairman of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the event is expected to feature close to 75 vendors or full capacity. Clothing, art and crafts, and many other items will be a part of the event. There will be no food and beverage vendors at the event, as there are already many options on the boardwalk, Danby added.

“We can’t wait to get back in the swing of things, “Danby said. “There’s been a lot of things we’ve been advocating for, but throwing an outdoor event that has people walking around and interacting with each other is what we’re all about.”

Danby said that the chamber remains cognizant that local businesses may lose foot traffic and therefore offered a solution.

“A boardwalk fair can bring many people from out of town, but can also pull people away from walking the business neighborhood,” Danby said. “What we do is give any chamber member that is affected by the foot traffic, in the downtown business area, a free booth.”

With Covid still lingering, organizers will have a booth size space in between all vendors. On Tuesday however, Gov. Cuomo lifted state-mandated Covid restrictions across commercial and social settings.

“We haven’t had a boardwalk fair in over a year and it’s always an exciting event because a lot of people come from outside of town,” Danby said. “The boardwalk is probably one of the best places to have a vendor fair.”

The fair is this weekend on June 19-20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the event, visit thelongbeachchamber.com.