Thursday, October 1, 2026
The village of Sea Cliff was buzzing with food, live music and unique goods on Oct. 5 at the 53rd annual Kiwanis Mini Mart. Thousands of visitors strolled through Sea Cliff Avenue, enjoying live music, delicious food and one-of-a-kind goods at a “festival with a purpose.”
More than 200 vendors lined the street and offered a wide array of items from handmade jewelry and wooden sculptures to gourmet food, vintage finds and early holiday gifts. Organized by the North Shore Kiwanis Club, Mini Mart supports a range of charitable causes. Funds raised from the event help the North Shore Kiwanis Club continue supporting a range of local initiatives.
These include Klothes/Koats/Kicks for Kids, the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Center and Kamp Kiwanis. Proceeds also go toward scholarships for area students and collaborative efforts with community-based organizations.
The Mini Mart also makes a point to include a variety of nonprofit organizations, with groups like the North Shore Soup Kitchen, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island and Nosh Delivers among those in attendance.
Lisa Hill, the president of the North Shore Kiwanis Club and co-director of the event, spoke about the club’s deep ties to the community and the event’s broader mission. “[We] take a look at what ways we can talk to the community, get our name out there and then also make money,” she said. “If you take a look out there, look at how many kids there are … you have varying ages. I think it’s a true community event.”
Event co-director and former president of the North Shore Kiwanis Club, Roger Hill, echoed Lisa’s sentiment. “It showcases the village, the town and the spirit … it’s a very close-knit town [and] a very special place,” he said. They also explained that while planning the event, there must be coordination to ensure a diverse mix of booths and a well-balanced layout for attendees. Roger added that their goal is to bring in a wide range of creative vendors.
“You can’t have that many people in one category so we have to [go] through them and there’s always somebody coming up with something new,” Roger said. Bryan Rabanal, owner of Mabrabs Design, expressed that being a vendor at this event for the cause is especially meaningful to him.
“We like to give back to the community,” he said. “We see and meet people we don’t really know but have seen in passing … it really brings people together.” Rabanal said he has family in Sea Cliff, Glen Cove and surrounding towns, which gives him a strong sense of connection when selling at an event so close to home.
Michelle Grisales is reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism's Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
