Thursday, October 1, 2026
A quarter-century has passed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but across Nassau County, the promise to never forget remains deeply rooted in local communities. As the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks, residents will gather at memorials in East Meadow and Point Lookout to honor those who were killed, recognize the first responders who answered the call and reflect on a day that forever changed Long Island and the country.
The Freeport community will unite at the South Bayview Avenue traffic circle for the village’s annual Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony in honor of the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks. The program will begin at 7 p.m. in front of the Bayview Hose Company 3 firehouse. The names of the Freeport residents and loved ones who were lost that day will be given special tributes, with those who have died since due to Sept. 11 related illnesses being recognized as well, and their names of those not already on the lighthouse will be added and inscribed on the lighthouse.
All residents and others who would like to support the families who lost loved ones and the overall Freeport community who has lost several people since the tragic day. The Freeport Fire Department, Freeport High School National Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps and other members of the community will giving special presentations honoring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of others.
Nassau County will begin its observance of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Thursday, Sept. 10, with its Remembrance and Recitation of Names Ceremony at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. The ceremony, presented by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Lakeside Theatre near Parking Field 6 and will be held rain or shine. Residents will gather to remember those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, with the recitation of victims’ names serving as a centerpiece of the annual commemoration.
The anniversary carries particular significance across Nassau County, where families and communities were deeply affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center. Twenty-five years later, the ceremony offers residents an opportunity to remember neighbors, friends and relatives who never returned home, while also recognizing the first responders and others whose lives were forever changed by that day. Eisenhower Park is home to Nassau County’s Sept. 11 Memorial, giving residents a permanent place to reflect on the attacks and their lasting impact on Long Island. The ceremony is open to the public. For more information, call (516) 571-4050.
As the sun rises over Point Lookout on Friday, Sept. 11, Town of Hempstead residents will gather to remember the lives lost 25 years ago and the courage shown in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. The town’s annual 9/11 Sunrise Memorial Service will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Town Park Point Lookout, 1300 Lido Blvd. Supervisor John Ferretti and the Town Board are inviting residents to join the observance, which will honor those who were killed as well as the first responders and others whose courage and sacrifice helped carry the country through one of its darkest days.
The waterfront ceremony has become a solemn tradition for the town, offering families, first responders and community members an opportunity to gather in remembrance as daylight breaks over the memorial. This year’s ceremony takes on additional meaning as communities across Long Island mark a quarter-century since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. With an entire generation now having grown up without firsthand memories of that morning, ceremonies such as the one in Point Lookout also help carry the stories of the victims, survivors and first responders forward while reaffirming a promise that has endured for 25 years: never forget.
