Thursday, October 1, 2026
The 66th season of the Morgan Park Summer Music Festival came to a close on Aug. 31, marking another summer of music, community, and tradition along the Glen Cove waterfront. The free concert series, held every Sunday evening in July and August at Morgan Memorial Park, once again drew thousands of residents and visitors from across Long Island and beyond.
For many in attendance, the final concert was a reminder of why the festival has become one of Glen Cove’s most beloved traditions. Lauren Mosery, visiting her in-laws from Manhattan, experienced the event for the first time. Sitting on the grass as the sun dipped over the harbor, she reflected on the atmosphere. “I’m loving it,” she said. “It was so pretty, with a beautiful sunset. The bands were great. It was a wonderful family affair.”
The summer’s lineup offered a wide range of performances designed to appeal to all ages and tastes. From the Massapequa Philharmonic performing Gershwin and Bernstein, to a tribute night dedicated to Taylor Swift that drew large numbers of young people, to concerts featuring Broadway, soul, country, and Latin music, each weekend brought something new. “We had a lot of great concerts,” said festival chairman Tom Suozzi. “People really loved the Glen Cove Night, the Country Night, and the Soul Night. The Massapequa Philharmonic was really well received, and the Taylor Swift concert was a highlight. Everything this year was great.”
Suozzi explained that the committee behind the festival carefully reviews each season once it concludes. “We meet at the beginning of the fall with the whole committee, review how we did, rank each concert, and then start talking about next year,” he said. During the winter, the concert selection committee gathers to propose ideas and build a program that balances genres and appeals to a diverse audience.
The festival, founded in 1959 by Suozzi’s parents, Joseph and Marguerite, has grown from a single concert into a full summer series. It has thrived thanks to the dedication of volunteers and the generosity of donors. A major sponsorship from the Terian family, who contributed $1 million to help sustain the event, continues to provide stability. “We try to live off the interest on the money we have saved,” Suozzi said. “The idea is to keep this going forever. We raise money each year and combine it with what we have invested to keep the concerts alive.”
For longtime residents like Evelyn Kandel, a former U.S. Marine sergeant and one-time Nassau County poet laureate, the concerts were an easy walk from home and a highlight of the summer. “I loved coming to the events,” she said, noting the convenience of living just blocks away.
Beyond entertainment, the festival represented something deeper for the community. Suozzi said the gatherings gave people a chance to step away from social media and spend time together.
“So many people came all summer long. They didn’t have to spend a bunch of money or drive into the city. They could just come to their hometown with a picnic and be with friends and family. It was a great community event.”
