Families, first-time anglers and longtime fishing enthusiasts will gather at Arthur J. Hendrickson Park Lake on June 27 and 28, when the Village of Valley Stream will host its annual Family Fishing Weekend.
The free event, now in its 12th year, is held in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and coincides with one of the state’s designated free-fishing weekends, when adults can fish in freshwater without a license.
Activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Participants are encouraged to register in advance by calling (516) 821-3786 by June 22.
Rich DeAngelis, the village’s deputy clerk, said the event was established to introduce residents to fishing and provide an opportunity for families to learn the sport together.
“You get a lot of people from all walks of life who never really have gotten an opportunity to, and it’s a great way to learn how to fish,” DeAngelis said. “We’ve had many families that have continued on and made fishing a part of their lives.”
DEC staff members travel to Valley Stream each year to assist participants, bringing fishing equipment, bait and educational materials. They are on hand to provide instruction on such key elements as knot tying, baiting hooks and casting.
A limited number of rods and bait will be available, though participants are encouraged to bring their own rod and reel.
The weekend operates as a catch-and-release program using barbless hooks to avoid hurting the fish. Fish are returned to the water after being caught, photographed and removed from the hook.
Fishing is generally prohibited at Hendrickson Park Lake during the rest of the year, making the event one of the few opportunities for the public to fish there. The lake’s fish population includes freshwater carp, catfish, eels and sunfish. The lake is not stocked with fish, and the species present there have been reproducing naturally for decades.
“There are snapping turtles, and we don’t bring them in,” DeAngelis said. “We just cut the line. We kind of stay away from the snapping turtles; they could be kind of mean and big.”
To accommodate participants, organizers divide each day into three sessions: 10 a.m. to noon, noon to 2 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Fishing locations are marked around the lake, with more than 100 designated spots available. Participants who wish to continue fishing after a session can sign up for another time slot if space is available.
Advance registration helps organizers estimate attendance, staffing needs and the amount of bait required for the weekend. Upon arrival, participants check in, receive information about the event and are assigned a fishing location around the lake.
Accessibility and safety are also part of the event’s planning. Designated wheelchair-accessible fishing locations are reserved, and two lifeguards remain on duty.
“We haven’t ever had any problems, but just in case, we have lifeguards there with a first aid kit during the whole event,” Jimmy Fitanzo, the village’s director of recreation, said.
A shuttle bus also transports participants to fishing locations on the far side of the lake.
On favorable weather days, officials said the event can attract several hundred participants daily. Families often spend hours at the lake, with some remaining for much of the day.
Over the years, organizers have seen the event become a multigenerational tradition. Families return annually, and some participants who fished at Hendrickson Park decades ago, now bring their children and grandchildren to the event.
For DeAngelis, one of the most rewarding aspects of the weekend is seeing participants catch their first fish and watching families share the experience together.
“When Mom or Grandma catches a fish that just charges me up,” DeAngelis said. “Or when a kid catches a fish for the first time, they’ll run up and tell you. That’s the stuff that makes you do it again, and you do it for those moments.”
DeAngelis noted that participants often ask how they can continue fishing after the event, and many go on to make it a regular hobby.
Fitanzo said patience is important for first-time participants, emphasizing that the experience is as much about creating memories as it is about catching fish.
“Every year we see new people coming, people haven’t come before, we talk with them, and some people have never fished before; they just want to come and see what it’s all about,” Fitanzo said. “And then when they get a fish, you can’t even imagine it; it just makes their whole summer.”
Family Fishing Weekend will conclude a busy June of summer programming in Valley Stream, which includes recreational activities, concerts and movie nights. Organizers encourage residents of all ages and experience levels to take part in the village’s activities all summer.
