Sunday in Mineola featured a sold-out street fair that brought the biggest crowd in recent memory to enjoy food, music, games and support local businesses.

The street fair, hosted by the Mineola Chamber of Commerce, was the first to be held in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the event being rained out in 2021.

There was a risk Mother Nature would intervene yet again, but an unfavorable forecast pushed the street fair back one week, setting it up on a beautiful, picturesque Oct. 2.

“This is what we are here to do — days like today are all about supporting Mineola and Mineola businesses,” Chamber Vice President Tony Lubrano said. 

Attendees were treated to kiosks up and down Jericho Turnpike from Mineola Boulevard to Willis Avenue. 

Kids enjoyed a number of inflatable rides and bouncy houses, an RC car demonstration outside Willis Hobbies, carnival games courtesy of the Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps, a dunk tank with the Mineola Junior Fire Department and a magic show, among other things. 

This year was the second fair under the leadership of Louis Panacciulli, who is the music director for the Nassau County Pops Symphony Orchestra. Panacciulli, who was installed as chamber president in June 2021, took over from Joel Harris, who organized the previous three fairs before Panacciulli took over. 

For car enthusiasts, there was also a car show featuring vintage rides on Willis leading up to the Irish American Society, which had their own music and food as well.

“Personally I was overwhelmed by the response from the community and the way they showed up,” Panacciulli said. “It was a perfect day and I don’t remember seeing that much of a turnout for this event; everything was amazing.”

Panacciulli said he was impressed by the food vendors that had a line of hungry patrons throughout the whole day, including Ardito’s Italian American Deli and Churrasqueira Bairrada, among others. 

In total, there were over 100 businesses and merchant vendors that lined Jericho, Panacciulli said. 

Sunday was the first fair in a few years in which the chamber took over the sole responsibility of organizing everything in order to make the event more of a family fun day and to promote Mineola.

“I think the chamber made a prudent decision.  We were more hands-off in the fair’s organization in past years,” Panacciulli said. “We thought we would give it a try handling it ourselves and everything went very smoothly.”

For musical entertainment, a show mobile was set up and featured 10 acts. 

At 11 a.m., JHL Dance Dynamics performed, then American Theater Dance Workshop at noon, an opening ceremony took place featuring bagpipers, color guards and elected officials at 12:30 p.m., Ariel Loft at 1 p.m., Jason the Clown Magic Show at 1:30 p.m., Portuguese Dancers at 2 p.m., Master Jeon Tai Kwon Do at 2:30 p.m., vocalist Nick Fabiano at 3 p.m., and Jason the Clown Magic Show again at 3:30 p.m. before ending with Herricks musicians at 4 p.m.

For live music, Run for Cover played on the other side of the fair at 11 a.m. and was followed by Perfect Strangers at noon, North American Pandas at 1 p.m., Delusions of Grandeur at 2 p.m., Fuzz at 3 p.m. and Skyward effect at 4 p.m.

The Mineola Street Fair started over 200 years ago but adopted the name “Mineola Fair” in 1899, according to Panacciulli. It was held in Mineola Memorial Park from 1991 until 2013 when it moved to Main Street. It then settled in its current Jericho Turnpike location in 2016.

The decision to move the fair to Jericho Turnpike was made because the chamber’s goal is to help local businesses and it thought the park was too small to help them, said Panacciulli.

Following Sunday, Panacciulli said he was very pleased to receive emails from the vendors thanking the chamber for the event. 

“They were very happy with the way things turned out for their respective businesses,” Panacciulli said. “That’s what it’s all about and what is most important to me.  We helped the community, businesses and vendors. Each had a very good time.”