Every year, we celebrate the different cultures and countries that make up our town with the Italian and Greek festivals. This September, thousands of people from all over Long Island visited Port Washington for these fun, family-friendly events.
Port Washington celebrated its 43rd annual Italian festival from Sept. 5 through 8 at the North Hempstead Beach Park. This event featured a festive ambiance, traditional Italian cuisine, live music, food trucks, carnival games, and rides. From the delicious homemade pasta and sweet zeppoles to the live Italian music, this festival left nothing to be desired.
There was also a fireworks display on Saturday night along with the beautiful lights.
“I thought it was a really fun atmosphere and it was definitely best at night when everything was lit up,” said freshman Elena Gibbons.
The first Italian festival, or Grande Festa Italiana, was held in 1981. This event has always been sponsored by the John Michael Marino Lodge 1389, which was named after World War I Lieutenant John Michael Marino. He was the first Italian-American from Port Washington to lose his life fighting in World War I. In the early 1900s, he lived on Port Washington Boulevard and attended Port Washington High School.
This event doesn’t just have a rich history, but also a large turnout. Students from Port Washington come to celebrate Italy at this colorful festival with their friends and family every year. Italian Fest is the perfect kick-off to the school year. All attendees get to experience Italian culture through delicious food and fun activities.
“The Italian Fest has always been an exciting tradition for me and my friends at the beginning of every school year. The best parts are the desserts and the Sizzler,” said senior Ethan Restivo.
Restivo explained how the Sizzler, a fast-paced, spinning ride at the Italian festival, is his favorite ride for the thrill, low ticket price, and short line. Along with this, he stated that the fried Oreos, although expensive, were worth every penny.
To get into this event, there was a five dollar parking fee, along with a varying admissions fee providing access to a certain number of rides. So, the more rides that you want to go on, the more you spend. More importantly, most of the proceeds went towards college scholarships for local high schoolers, cultural activities, and youth sports, as well as local charities and national charities such as food pantries and cancer research.
Later in September, Port Washington traded in its cannolis for baklava, celebrating the thirteenth annual Greek festival, which started on Sept. 26 and will run through Sept. 29. Although it hasn’t been around for as long as the Italian festival, the Greek festival is still just as rich with traditions and great food. This event also takes place at the North Hempstead Beach Park and is run by the Archangel Michael Church.
The Greek festival consisted of traditional Greek fare, carnival games, rides, live bands, vendors, fireworks, and so much more.
“At the Greek festival, they make really good Greek dishes. My go-to is the chicken souvlaki with some french fries, tzatziki, and a Greek salad,” said freshman Ana Dilos.
Dilos mentioned how she can’t wait to walk around the different vendors with her friends. When answering questions about the festival, Dilos explained how there were so many things to buy from the booths, such as bracelets, mugs, and decorations.
Hundreds of volunteers from the Archangel Michael Church helped organize, plan, and make food for this exciting event. Just like at the Italian festival, students can take some time off of their busy schedules to enjoy Port Washington and all that it has to offer.
“The food at the Greek festival is so good and the rides are super fun,” said freshman Nicole Princian.
In addition to the rides and food, on Sunday, Sept. 29, the festival will celebrate Special Needs Sunday. They will close the festival to the general public, allowing people with disabilities and their families to enjoy an exclusive event that is less chaotic and less crowded.
The Italian and Greek festivals are two of the many events that take place in Port Washington throughout the year. So, if you missed them this year, don’t be disappointed, since there is always next September, along with several other lively events during the year.