Thursday, October 1, 2026
Food and music are going to fill the streets of downtown Bellmore this summer. Local restaurants will have variety of foods available for sale in a central community event to nourish the neighborhood’s spirit.
The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores partnered with local businesses to create the Bellmore Block Party. The first occurred on June 18, and next will come on July 16.
This June, food trucks and musical acts took Bedford Avenue by storm from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The musicians filled the area with 80’s-themed music, the main theme of the event, inviting local adults to socialize with safe and secure fun after working hours.
Robert Saylor is the president of the chamber of commerce and a passionate advocate for community engagement.
“I was born and raised in Bellmore and still reside there,” he said. “We constantly try to find new ways to promote all member’s businesses… we have an Easter parade, we have a Halloween parade, we have a tree lighting, a menorah lighting, all that good stuff.”
An essential part of the event is that it costs nothing to attend, according to Chamber Vice President Joseph LoPresti.
“We’re not having any vendors, no crafting, nothing — it’s just for businesses to come out and get exposed, to eat, drink, listen to the music and just have a good time,” he said. “It’s to give back to the to the community.”
The businesses who contributed to the event are numerous and brought a wide arrangement of treats and meals.
“We have Donna’s Sausage coming down,” LoPresti said. “We have a lobster truck, we have a barbecue truck, and then on top of it, the restaurants: we have Kumo on the block, we have a really good sushi place. The avenue will be out, but seating will be accommodated with food and drinks.”
The two block parties are made possible through a partnership between Bellmore’s chamber of commerce and the Lunchbox Brewing Company, based on Bedford Avenue.
Patrick Campion, Merrick resident and co-founder of the brewing company, is one of the voices who floated the idea of a revamped community party event.
“We saw how all the other towns surrounding us are doing ‘live after five’ summer street shutdowns,” he explained. “We’re trying to add some energy to the town, and it’s to really support all the local businesses in there: the restaurants, the bars, some new shops opening up as well.”
This was the first official Bellmore Block Party, said Campion, an experiment that could become an annual tradition that rounds out the town’s annual calendar by adding appealing things for older demographics.
Local restaurants and businesses sponsoring the event include Avenue Social Kitchen and Cocktails, Twisted Fork Brunch Company, Pierogi Bites and More, Fat Boy’s Burrito Co., Cue Bar, McBride’s Bar and Grill, Chiusano Construction and The Seth Levy Team.
