The Oceanside Community Warriors brought a day of family fun, local entertainment and community spirit to Oceanside on Oct. 17 for the organization’s fourth annual Fall Festival.
Held at Parking Field 6, the festival featured food trucks, live music, face painting, games, a beverage garden, a pumpkin patch, local vendors, a food-eating contest and a children’s corner. The event welcomed more than 1,000 visitors throughout the day, according to organizers.
The festival reflects the Warriors’ mission to bring residents together while highlighting the businesses, organizations and talent that make Oceanside special.
“We really want to bring out those mom-and-pop shops, those businesses, to highlight and spotlight what Oceanside has to offer,” said Jeanine Badalamenti, a member of the Oceanside Community Warriors.
This year’s event included 40 vendors, four food trucks, 17 sponsors and four community partners. Guardian Bus Company served as the premier sponsor, while the VFW, the Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Hempstead and Herald Community Newspapers also supported the festival.
Entertainment and activities emphasized the organization’s commitment to an inclusive community. Performers included local talent from Pat’s Dance Studio and Hangout One Happy Place, an all-abilities nonprofit. Lightning McQueen and friends entertained children, and members of the Oceanside Fire Department’s junior program offered young visitors tours of a firetruck. The library also brought its bookmobile.
The festival is one of several ways the volunteer organization works to strengthen the community. Founded in 2018, the Warriors began with neighborhood cleanups after residents raised concerns about neglected public spaces. The group has since expanded its efforts to maintaining memorials and town signs, organizing an annual toy drive, supporting the local VFW and displaying American flags throughout Oceanside.
Although the Fall Festival brings neighbors together for a celebration, organizers said its purpose extends beyond a single day.
“We’re a community-based volunteer organization,” member Brian Driscoll said, emphasizing the group’s goal of involving residents from across Oceanside.
The Warriors welcome new volunteers for the festival and their regular community cleanups. The organization also accepts financial support to help cover the costs of its projects and events.
Those interested in volunteering or supporting the Oceanside Community Warriors can email info@oceansidecommunitywarriors.com.
