Second Oyster Bay Day coming to the hamlet soon

The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce which is hosting Oyster Bay Day once again with the Town of Oyster Bay, are guaranteeing it will be a fun event for the entire family. There will be live performances the entire day, games, a kids zone and giveaways on Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The street fair will take place on Audrey Avenue, which will be closed to traffic, from South Street through lower Audrey Avenue to the Railroad Museum and Maxwell Avenue, and on Spring Street, from West Main Street to lower Audrey Avenue.

“Oyster Bay Day is coming back for a second year after a successful first year to benefit local businesses and residents in the community,” said Ryan Schlotter, president of the chamber and co-owner of Oyster Bay Brewing Company. “Businesses have rebounded from the pandemic and new businesses alike have taken the chance to open here in the hamlet after the pandemic. Oyster Bay Day gives everyone a chance to come down to support local businesses.”

These days the hamlet is experiencing a renaissance. Roughly 15 new businesses have opened in the hamlet this past year including a bookstore, restaurants, a sign store, chocolate shop and bakeries.

“Oyster Bay Day is a great opportunity for residents to visit our beautiful hamlet, support local business and enjoy a family-fun day in the neighborhood,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.

Last year, the event was held in October when the Oyster Festival was supposed to take place. Sponsored by the Rotary Club each year, the weekend-long event usually draws 150,000 to 250,000 people, most from outside Oyster Bay. It was canceled in 2020 and again in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The chamber tried to offer an alternative last year with Oyster Bay Day. And it was trying to help local businesses, who were negatively affected by the pandemic.

The hope is that warmer temperatures will draw more people. And by not having it on the Oyster Festival weekend there will be no confusion as to what the event is and who it supports.

“Businesses said they made good money when we had it last year so we decided to have it another day other than when Oyster Fest will take place,” Ravin Chetram, the chamber’s vice president said. “What’s different this year is we have more for children, including a magician, bouncy and arcade with games to play.”