Weekend Events Guide: September 26th Edition

Boy, this was a loooonng week! The weekend is finally here (woo hoo!) and it looks like we have a couple of beautiful days ahead of us. Is iced-coffee-drinking weather promising a return for a few precious days? Pick up what will likely be your last one for a while and get outside! 

Quick shout out to the Captain. What a way to end it!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday- Greek Festival on the Harbor. LONG ISLAND’S LARGEST GREEK FESTIVAL. Enjoy authentic Greek food and pastries, live Greek music, traditional Greek dancing, games & rides, market place with vendors & flea market, jewelry, religious items, Grecian art, Greek wines & beer. Fri. 4-11pm, Sat. 12noon-11pm, Sun. 12noon-8pm. 175 West Shore Road, Port Washington. Free admission and free parking. 

Saturday- Hicks Nurseries on Jericho Tpke in Westbury. 9am-6pm. See Otto the Ghost's Animated Story. Otto is tired of being the ‘same old ghost’ every year and decides to try on some new costumes. His experimenting with new looks leads to a pleasant discovery. Six animatronic scenes run continuously during store hours and have read along story cards. 

Saturday- Family Arts Festival on Museum Row in Garden City. 10am-4pm. This free festival will kick off Arts Month and feature the parade at Museum Row, food trucks, a performance stage, a scavenger hunt for kids, raffles, arts & crafts and more. Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City.

Saturday and Sunday- See Cinderella at the BroadHollow Theatre at Elmont. 2pm-3pm. Ages: 3+. 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY. Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 516-775-4420. www.broadhollow.org. 

Saturday- You know its Fall when the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on the corner of Stewart Ave and Nassau Blvd opens its annual pumpkin patch. As in years past, their pumpkins are grown on Navajo Indian Reservations in New Mexico and a portion of your purchase provides education, work and medicine for the Navajos. Open 7 days a week until Halloween.

Saturday- AAA Family Block Party. 1415 Kellum Place, Garden City, NY. This event includes bouncy houses, face painting, photo booths, DJ, magic show, petting zoo, crafts for kids, food trucks, craft vendors and more. 10am-5pm. 212-586-1166

Saturday- Catch the St. Joseph School 2nd Annual Fall Festival. There will be bouncers, delicious food, pony rides, vendors, a plant sale and more! 10am-4pm. St Joseph School, Fourth St., Garden City.  

Sunday- Enjoy a free screening of Disney's Maleficent at Adelphi's Performing Arts Center in Concert Hall. 7pm-9pm. http://events.adelphi.edu/newsevent/maleficent-movie-screening/

Sunday- come out for the Garden City South Street Fair on Nassau Blvd. Enjoy delicious food, live entertainment and lots of great vendors with unique items. Free admission and free parking. Rain or shine! 11am-6pm 

Sunday- Yankees vs Red Sox. Here's what I'm visualizing for Sunday afternoon: Grab a radio (who has one of these?), head outside, fire up the grill and enjoy a dog and a beer while listening to the game as Derek Jeter plays his last at Fenway Park (unless you're one of the lucky ones with actual tickets.)  

Enjoy the weekend! 

Submit your events by Facebook message or send an email to insidegardencity@gmail.com to be included in our weekend events guide. 

Summer {in the Parks} Inside GC

As summer officially ends and fall begins, Inside Garden City checked in with long-time resident and quintessential GC Insider, Maura Liberopoulis for some reflections on summer {in the parks} inside GC. 

School has started and it is a time to reflect on the great places where our kids spent their summer.  Garden City Park system at Edgemere Park administered by the famous Andrew Karen was definitely the highlight attraction of many Garden City kids this summer.  Andrew Karen along with his wonderful staff Gabby Delgado, Matt Haeffner, Zach Bostrom, Mike Lynch, Matteo Lattenzio, Brian Defliese, and Joe Tursi facilitated tons of ongoing fun activities for all the children at the park.  These activities engaged children four to thirteen.  Gabby Delgado began everyday with a great arts and craft activity.  Kids would come from all over on their bikes in all types of weather to find out what the activities would be.  Sometimes it would be world cup soccer, knock out basketball, softball, kick ball, dodge ball, Olympics, park against park softball, and the famous end of the summer scavenger hunt.  The camaraderie between kids of both sexes and all ages is amazing.  It is the classic old time fun.  Although the park opens at 9am, kids show up at any time of day and they go right into any activity that is going on.  Kids also make up games for their own fun and include anyone around. 

It is true old time neighborhood fun.  Mothers and fathers help out to provide lunches, waters and snacks for their kids and newfound friends.  Parents check in with kids periodically throughout the day.  Parents, park attendants and children bring the neighborhood together for free spirited play.  It’s not about making a team or being the best, its just about being a part of a whole bunch of activities and fun. This is truly bigger than the individual.  Doesn’t matter how many times you go, just that you participated and enjoyed!

The amazing thing is that the park system, whether you participate in Grove Park, Nassau Haven and/or Hemlock Park, it is free!  Yes, free!  You can drop and pick up kids at anytime.  This is not a babysitting service but a place where kids can go, be in a safe environment and have their parents check in on them throughout the day.  Activities not run by parents but by kids.

At the end of the summer there is a big party where all the park rats (kids that go to the park regularly) are given awards, created by their peers and the park attendants.  Kids get their neighborhood nicknames.  They may be sweaty, filled with dirt from head to toe, walk around with no shirt on and think they own the place.  At the end of the day you know that your kids learned how to interact with others, gain lifelong memories and friendships and have the summers they will never forget.

Thank you Garden City Recreation Department and Andrew Karen and staff for a wonderful summer!

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Weekend Events Guide: Sept. 19th Edition

Inside Garden City is here to prep you for the weekend in and around Garden City. And what a fun-filled weekend it will be!

Friday, Saturday & Sunday- Fall Festival at Hofstra University. Click here for more information on specific events.  

Friday- Glow Jump at Pump It Up in Great Neck. Grab your glow necklace when you arrive and join the glow in the dark open bounce. Suggested attire for the GLOW Party: white, neon, tie-dye, stripes or glow in the dark clothing. Don't forget your socks! Ages: all. 7pm-8:30pm.

Saturday- St. Anne's Spirit Day in the St. Anne's parking lot. Come for games, bouncers, a dunk tank, food, music and more. Maybe you'll even take home a goldfish! Click here to find out more. 35 Dartmouth St. 1pm-10pm.

Saturday- see the Long Island Children's Museum production of Winnie the Pooh. Ages: all. 11:30am and 2pm.

Saturday- International Music Nights Concert Series at Eisenhower Park presents Latino-American Night. Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater. Ages: all. 7:30pm.

Saturday and Sunday- Fall Family Fun Festival at Hicks Nursery starts this Saturday and runs until 10/31. There will be children's workshops, pumpkin contests, planting demonstrations, hayrides, Otto the Ghost's animated story, farm animals and more. Jericho Tpke in Westbury. Ages: all. 9am-5pm. 

Saturday and Sunday- 32nd Annual Queens County Fair. Enjoy a traditional county fair- think pie eating contests, livestock, pig races, hayrides, corn husking contests, carnival rides, games, crafts and much more. Queens County Farm Museum, Floral Park. 11am-6pm.

Sunday- The West Hempstead Street Fair. Hempstead Ave, West Hempstead. Rare antiques, arts, crafts, food and more. Ages: all. 11am-6pm.

Sunday- Blood drive at St Joseph's School on Fourth Street. 7:45am-1:30pm.


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New{ish} Kid on the Block

If you've been down Franklin Ave recently, chances are you've seen that it has become the home to a few hot {relatively} new openings- The Nail Boutique- which is under new management, a beautiful new Kidville and a boutique called Isabella's- filled with women's contemporary fashions. You might miss it nestled between Cecilia's Hair and The Barber Shop, but Isabella's is here, as well as  in Rockville Center, and worth a peek inside. 

Isabella's is neatly laid out inside- clothes on either side of the store with jewelery-filled tables throughout. The clothing is fun and chic- my fave being this cool but casual look for fall:

There is also a assortment of jewelry that has a slight edgy vibe to it. Here's one bracelet that I absolutely love- being modeled for us by a store employee:

I loved the mix of chic and trendy with casual. Besides clothes, there are also some cute bags in an assortment of colors and styles. Their summer sale is happening now so it's a good time to stop in and check out the goods. 

Isabella's is a lovely store (with a friendly staff) to peruse as you're shopping along Seventh/Franklin. There are casual but hip clothes for a night on the town or a day out to lunch, plus accessories, bags and more. A perfect mix!

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Richen Up and You'll be Golden {Salon Imperiale}

As the iced-coffee-drinking weather slowly turns into pumpkin-spiced-latte-sipping weather, it's natural to want to change up your look a bit (along with your drink) into something more fall-esque.

Look no further for fabulous fall hair color in GC than Salon Imperiale, a local fave in nabe. Their incredible hair design and color specialists will get your locks in shape for flannel + leather boot season. Whether you have blonde, red, or brown hair, can't every shade benefit from a little warming up for the cooler months?

I think the September chill is a reminder to get rid of that salty summer blonde. Gino of Salon Imperiale suggests trying some low lites for fall. Toning your hair by adding beautiful shades of carmel and honeybeige will give it more depth and dimension- sounds just about right for autumn, doesn't it?

And if you're a commitment-phobe like me, you can still dive head first into the autumn shades with no roots or regrowth to worry about. Gino promises that Goldwell's Colorance gives hair shine, depth and richness with no visible dye line or roots because it gradually rinses out. How easy is that?

Now, Salon Imperiale is offering 10% off hair color when you mention Inside Garden City. Once again, a local business owner steps up and offers savings to our readers! 

Like it or not (I choose not), summer is over. So take advantage of this offer ladies to richen up your color... and you'll be golden ; ) 

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Preparations Underway For Pizza Showdown

Ok, guys.... I know you've been reading about the promise of a GC Pizza Showdown and some of you have emailed us about it. So we want to let you know that the wait is almost over as Inside Garden City makes its final preparations for the Pizza Showdown 2014. We've been hard at work fine tuning our scoring system and organizing our tasters. We've also finally come up with two great prizes for the winner- a fab pizza sweatshirt and pizza trophy:

Juuuust kidding. The winner will actually receive a very tasteful banner which they can proudly display inside or outside of their establishment to let the world know that they have been nominated "Best Pizza 2014" and they will also get some good publicity!

Now, we need you, the Inside GC readers, to nominate your favorite pizzerias. Criteria: the pizzeria must be located in, or deliver to, Garden City. Facebook message us (preferred) or send an email with your fave pizzeria to insidegardencity@gmail.com. That's it. Pretty simple. We'll handle the rest and will report back to you as the big day gets closer. Get your pie on!


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Weekend Events Guide: September 12th Edition

Woo Hoo, it's Friday! Here's your go-to list of things to do in and around Garden City this weekend. 

Friday- The last GC Promenade of the season will be held on Seventh St starting at 6pm. Live music by Fivestone, outdoor dining and entertainment for the kids. 6-10pm.

Friday- Molloy College in Rockville Centre is hosting Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney- a Tribute to the Beatles and Paul McCartney. A four piece band and full symphony orchestra led by conductor Martin Herman will perform hit songs like "Hey Jude", "Penny Lane", "When I'm Sixty-Four" and many, many more. 8pm. $45 and up. 516-323-4444

Saturday- Kidville at 960 Franklin Ave will hold it's Grand Opening Weekend. Come and try out the Big Muscle Gym in the Kidville Playspace from 10am-2pm. 516-900-2462

Saturday- The Annual San Gennaro Festival started yesterday and runs for eleven days. Click here  http://www.sangennaro.org/event.htm for the schedule of events. (I know it's not exactly in or around Garden City, but it's not too far either and worth the 30 min train ride IMHO if you're looking for something different to do this weekend!) 

Saturday- See The NY Cosmos vs The Atlanta Silverbacks. 7pm at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.

Saturday- Play It Again, Sam is playing at the BroadHollow Theatre in Elmont on Saturdy at 2pm and 8pm. http://www.broadhollow.org/home/broad-hollow-elmont.html

Sunday- Hofstra's 22nd Annual Italian Festival from 11am-5pm on Hofstra's South Campus. Come for the concerts, dancers, singers, native food, wine tasting, crafts, vendors and more! 516-463-6582

Sunday- The Wizard of Oz is showing at Family Movie Night at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park. 7pm. All ages. Free.516-572-0200

Sunday- The Annual Antique Motorcycle Show will take place from 11am-4pm at the Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park. There will also be historic house tours, music, hayrides and food. Fun for all ages! $5. 718-347-3276

Sunday- Play It Again, Sam is playing at the BroadHollow Theatre in Elmont on Sunday at 2:30pm. http://www.broadhollow.org/home/broad-hollow-elmont.html



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Six Ways to Remember 9.11

13 years ago today, Long Island lost 377 people to the World Trade Center attacks. 23 of those people were Garden City residents. 

Today there is a memorial service taking place on the Village Green in GC at 6:45pm. If you are unable to attend, or even if you do attend but still want to commemorate this day in a special way, think about volunteering somewhere in our community- for just a day or something more long term. You may even want to start an annual tradition- volunteer with a friend or with your children every year on or around September 11th.

Here are six ways to volunteer in remembrance of 9/11:

The Andy Foundation: 

http://theandyfoundation.org/how-to-help/

This fantastic charity was formed by a local GC family to honor the memory of Andrew Patrick Palmeri. Andy's family, young friends and their parents have come together to help less fortunate children. They sponsor various annual events at which you may volunteer. Donations and hands-on assistance are given to worthwhile, child-bases organizations. 

Garden City Community Church Nursery School- 
http://www.gardencitycommunitychurch.org/volunteer/. This organization could use volunteers for office work, assisting with the Thursday senior luncheon group (drivers, hosts, etc), youth groups, church school duties and more. 

Garden City Bird Sanctuary- 
http://www.gcbirdsanctuary.org/volunteering. The Bird Sanctuary needs help in office support, gardening, trail maintenance, carpentry, research, special events and welcoming/docent.

The Garden City Fire Department- 
http://gcfdny.com. The GC Fire Department can always use additional Firefighters. What better way to help your community!

St. Ann's Church- 
http://www.stannesgc.org/cms.cfm?category_id=1&content_id=225
They could use drivers, volunteers for weekly food drive and share-a-meal program and more. 

The Boys and Girls Club of Hempstead- 
http://www.hbgclub.org/volunteer.html. You can volunteer helping youth one time only or find an ongoing volunteer opportunity that suits your needs and schedule.


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The Nail Boutique- 10% off for Inside GC Readers!

End of summer always seems like a good time to treat your feet to something special. Flip flops, heeled strappy sandals, walking barefoot... these all take a toll on our feet (at least that's the rationale I use). So I stopped into The Nail Boutique on Franklin Ave the other day for a quick pedi while I had the time (rare) and I wanted to share my wonderful experience!

Instead of the normal pedicure which I usually opt for, I tried an aromatherapy pedicure and it was great! I didn't know what to expect, having never had one before but my senses were in for a total treat when the aromatic essential oils went in. It was as if an aura of relaxation was created for my feet- more so than from the typical pedi. Of course the comfy spa pedicure chairs didn't hurt either as my lumbar area received a nice massage. 

I went with a bright, summer-y polish color. I figured I may as well try to hold onto summer just a little bit longer before settling into those fall hues.  

Post pedi, I was treated to a nice little shoulder and upper back massage by the very friendly and professional owner, Yumi, while my toes dried. She has the magic touch as she treats her customers to a little acupressure. Ahhhhhh. A very nice perk which a lot of salons are skimping on. 

As another treat, Yumi is offering a 10% discount off of any services (which includes waxing!) to all Inside Garden City readers- and remember they see men and women there. Just mention that you read this article on Inside Garden City and you'll get the discount. We love to see this type of generosity from our local business owners! 

Next time you want to treat someone to an unexpected pleasure, give them an aromatherapy pedicure as a gift or just stop in and get one for yourself!

Nail Boutique is located at 729 Franklin Ave, between Seventh St and Stewart Ave. 516-739-0099. Open every day except Sunday. 


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Art Classes, Art Therapy For Kids

Peggy Leder has been holding children's art classes right here on Nassau Blvd in Garden City for four years. Peggy grew up in Garden City and now lives in Sag Harbor, splitting her time between Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Peggy holds a BA in art education from the University of Vermont and is also a registered clinical art therapist with an MA from LIU, CW Post. In addition to weekly art classes at the studio, she has a private art therapy practice allowing her to work privately in her clients' homes conducting "hidden therapy with art." Peggy believes that all children could benefit from art therapy, especially those facing anxiety, low self esteem, depression, anger management, learning disabilities, autism, trauma, eating disorders, divorce and much more.

Through the process of creating art, which in itself is therapeutic, Peggy notes that a lot is revealed to her that may be difficult for children to verbalize. She creates an atmosphere where children can release much more than they can with words. Peggy has fifteen years of experience working with children and teens and explains that every art therapy session is unique. Sessions are based on each child's individual needs and capabilities. The focus is on the process rather than the finished product and Peggy always keeps it FUN!

Children's Art Classes begin September 17th at 13 Nassau Blvd S., located at FOS Living, in Garden City. The studio is downstairs within FOS. 
6-10 year olds- Wednesdays 3:45-5:00pm, Thursdays 4:00-5:15pm.
3-5 year olds- Thursdays 3:00pm-3:55pm.
516-647-2862. pegleder@msn.com

Feel free to call or email Peggy and let her share her passion with you and your children!



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Weekend Events Guide: September 6th Edition

There's no better way to end the summer than with a fun-filled weekend. There are lots of events going on in and around GC this weekend so there will be no shortage of things to do. Hopefully, this will take away some of your end-of-summer blues. 

Friday- This Friday night will be the second to last promenade on Seventh St. If you haven't been to one all summer, tonight's will be a good one! Fivestone will be performing starting at 6pm. There will be a meet and greet with Queen Elsa at 6:30pm. Following that, Elsa will be singing hits from the movie Frozen. Also, Gina Naomi Baez will perform her own original songs in two sets. Note: This is the last time Queen Elsa will be performing live at the Promenade so be sure to catch it if you haven't already. There will also be activities for the kids such as balloon sculpting, face painting and more. Street close to vehicular traffic at 5:45pm. Come and hang with your friends and neighbors!

Friday- See Eddie Sessa and a 19 piece orchestra perform their Tribute To Sinatra at Eisenhower Park at 7pm. Lakeside Theatre. Parking fields 6 and 6A. Free. 

Saturday- The Covert Ave Street Fair will take place from 11am-6pm. If you haven't heard about it yet, you can find out lots of information here: http://www.insidegardencity.com/2014/09/its-that-time-of-year-again-covert-ave.html

Saturday- See the Cosmos play against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at 7pm. Shuart Stadium, Hofstra University. 

Saturday and Sunday and every day until December 21, 2014- Explorer Family Backpacks at Hofstra University Museum, Hempstead Turnpike. Pick up a backpack and discover the world's cultures through various works displayed at Hofstra and create your own artwork to bring home. Ages 5-10. 10am-5pm. Free. Runs daily with a few exceptions. Check website for the complete list of dates. http://www.hofstra.edu/Community/museum/museum_family_fun.html

Sunday- See a film screening of Shakespeare's The Tempest at Adelphi at 2pm in Concert Hall. Tickets $20. Click here for for info: http://aupac.adelphi.edu/newsevent/the-tempest/

What will you be up to this weekend? 

It's That Time of Year Again... Covert Ave Street Festival This Saturday

There's a street fair coming to town. Well, not to Garden City per se... but close enough! The Covert Ave 20th Annual Street Fair is on Saturday from 11am-6pm. Inside Garden City was happy to speak with the Covert Ave Chamber of Commerce President and owner of Capo Ristorante, Mr. Paul Capoziello, and we got the inside scoop.

As always, this year's fair promises a lot of activities for all ages and interests and a big turnout is expected. According to Mr. Capoziello, the street fair will include lots of family fun- live musical acts and dancing, vendors, raffles, rides, games, a petting zoo, pony rides and the Covert Ave Express- a kids train that will be running up and down Covert Ave. And of course, there will be fantastic food and drinks (my favorite part). 

On an average day, most of us know you don't have to go much further than Covert Ave to find a good cannoli or fresh seafood. So don't be surprised at what you will find there to feast on this Saturday. Capo Ristorante will have a stand outside their establishment where they'll be serving barbecue pulled pork, baked mac 'n cheese, Spanish roast pork with rice and beans as well as some good 'ol chicken strips and fries. Talk about delish comfort food! Try some of their sangria while you're there. That's on Saturday's menu too! Hey- bathing suit season is over, isn't it?

Pellegrini Prime Meats will also have a similar set-up, as well as Manor Fruit Shack and V.I.Pizza. Personally, I believe calories don't count at street fairs.

Mr. Capoziello also shared his secrets for best places to park for the event: "Best parking is on the side streets in Floral Park and Stewart Manor or on the southwest side of the New Hyde Park train station." When I asked him to describe the tasks involved in the planning of the street fair, he said it was way too long to list but he did ensure that this year's event would be a fun-filled day out with family and neighbors. Sounds good to me. Will you be going?



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