Weekend Events Guide Oct 31th Edition

Happy Halloween! Enjoy the weekend and remember- we get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Turn your clocks back on Sunday!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and most nights through Nov 2nd- The Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns will take place in Old Westbury Gardens. See more than 5,000 hand carved jack o'lanterns created by professional artists and sculptors arranged throughout a scenic trail. Discount tickets available for kids 3-17 and seniors. Kids under 2 are free. Ticket prices range from $18-$28 depending on day/time. 5:30pm-10:30pm. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Westbury. www.therise.org

Saturday- The Lutheran Church of the Resurrections is holding their Christmas Fair. You'll find lots of treasures from Christmas ornaments and decorations to handmade items like scarves and hats, to jewelry, toys, baked goods and more! 10am-3pm. 420 Stewart Ave. 

Saturday- Barnes Gallery hosts GC resident Susie Alvey at the "Meet the Artist" Reception from 5:30-7:30pm. Live music, wine and hors d'oeuvres. Her work will be on display for the month of November. Cost: free. 2 Nassau Blvd, Garden City South.

Saturday- Head to the Lakeshore Learning Store between 11am and 3pm for a different craft every Saturday. 2079 Hillside Ave, New Hyde Park 516-616-9360 www.lakeshorelearning.com

Saturday- Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) at the Long Island Children's Museum. Learn about the customs of this Latin American tradition and create your own sugar skull to commemorate the day.  2pm-4pm. Ages: 2-7. 11 Davis Ave. Garden City. 516-224-5800 http://licm.org/parents.php

Saturday- The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) will be performing at the Tilles Center. The New York Times says the International Contemporary Ensemble is “[t]he new gold standard for new music.” 8pm. Ticket price: $43. http://tillescenter.org/event/international-contemporary-ensemble-ice/

Saturday- Come to Hofstra University's Midnight Movie and see the classic film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Student Center Theater. Admission: Free. 11:59pm.   

Sunday: Hofstra University presents Stars On Sundays. Participants use telescopes for star-gazing while learning about the universe from college astronomers. Hofstra invites kids of all ages to view, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, star clusters, nebulae, & double stars. 4th floor, Berliner Hall, California Ave & Huntington Place, South of Hempstead Tpke. 6pm-8pm

Sunday- Long Island Restaurant Week begins. A great time to visit your local faves and also try some new ones!

Remember- this Sunday, 11/2, clocks go back one hour at 2am and daylight savings time officially ends. 

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Avellino's Voted Best Pizza in Garden City : The Lowdown on the {Pizza} Showdown

What started as a quest of two people to find the best pizza around town became a true "pizza sensation." Thirteen pizzerias were invited to attend. Twelve judges were invited to taste. And the preparation was underway.

The coveted prize.

Pizzerias were notified of their nominations and provided with the contest rules. Judges were given instructions, tasting rules, an explanation of the scoring system and some tasting tips.

Thirteen pizzerias were asked to deliver a pie at 5pm in an unnamed, unmarked box to preserve the integrity of the "blind" tasting. The pie should be cut into 16 slices.

One contestant forgot to cut their pie into 16 slices. Tsk tsk. 

At time of delivery, pizzas were accepted and assigned a random alphabetical letter. Toothpicks with printed letters were then placed into each slice of each pie to prevent confusion of pizza slices once they were removed from the box. Names on the boxes (if visible) were quickly covered.

Before the day of the Pizza Showdown arrived, judges were educated on the scoring system and its categories (crust, sauce, cheese and overall). They were also provided with rules such as- Each pizza must be tasted at least once and labeled toothpicks must not be removed to avoid confusing the pizzas. Lastly, the judges were advised to be decisive and consistent, keep scores private, and most importantly- arrive hungry but not ravenous so as not to confuse really liking something with being overly hungry.

The event went forward with lots of energy and spirit. The judges were dedicated and took their job quite seriously. The pizzerias were equally enthusiactic- some more confident than others ("Just give us the prize; don't bother having the contest") but all in good fun. And they wanted to Bring It. The first annual Inside Garden City 2014 Pizza Showdown was ON.

Pizzas began arriving at 4:50 (Plum Tomatoes, Umberto's GC South, Avellino's). Some arrived exactly on the nose at 5:00 (Rustica and Louie's). A few arrived at 5:05 (Grimaldi's, Gino's). Calagero's arrived late (5:30)... or on second thought... could that have been a clever strategy to show up with a hot pie just as the others had gone cold? On the topic of strategy, Garden City Pizza sent appetizers along with their pie. Nice touch but that did not weigh into the competition. 

The delivery men enthusiastically cheered on their own pies ("This is your winner" or "I've got the best pizza right here!"). Gotta love the enthusiasm. I was impressed that Rustica cleverly folded their pizza box inside out to successfully hide their name. No one else had thought of that (even us). Big kudos to them for thinking "outside the box". Womp womp.

There was no dilly-dallying. As soon as the pies were randomly labeled, tasting began quickly in an effort to eat them hot. And taste we did. The room was quiet and the tone was serious. The judges (all local GC residents btw) took their work seriously. There was tasting, palate cleansing (with beer, wine and water), re-tasting, note-taking and very little talking. This was serious business and the judges obviously wanted to do their best.

At the conclusion, scores were privately and carefully tallied, checked and rechecked. The pizzerias and their corresponding random alphabetical letters were then revealed. Until this point, the judges had been completely unaware of the contestants.

RESULTS:

Avellino's won BEST OVERALL PIZZA. Second place went to Rustica and third place went to Grimaldi's. Congratulations to all of the winners!

The winners of the subcategories were as follows:
The winner of best crust was Grimaldi's, just slightly ahead of Avellino's.
The winner of best sauce was Plum Tomatoes, narrowly beating Rustica.
The winner of best cheese was a tie between Calagero's and Grimaldi's.

A number of pizzerias were neck-and-neck in this competition. For instance, it was a tight race for best sauce with Plum Tomatoes, Rustica, Avellino's and Grimaldi's (in that order) all vying for the number one spot. And while Grimaldi's won tops for crust, Avellino's was a very close second, with Calagero's, Plum Tomatoes and Gino's nipping closely at their heels. In fact, Calagero's, Plum Tomatoes and Gino's all tied for third place in crust. But when it came to cheese, Calagero's and Grimaldi's blew the competition away. However, it was Avellino's that gave the most solid performance throughout and pulled ahead for good down the stretch.

One could speculate as to why four of the thirteen pizzerias were no-shows on the day of the competition: Giaccone's of Mineola, Umberto's of NHP, V.I.Pizza and Gallery Pizza both of GC. Perhaps they didn't want to accept the challenge because they didn't think that their pie would win, perhaps they simply forgot, or perhaps they chose to rest on they laurels (ahem, you know who you are). Whatever the reason, they were missed. Hey guys- there's always next year.

Speaking of, Inside Garden City will be having the second Pizza Showdown next year. We'll meet again and who knows what may happen. Will Avellino's defend the title? Will another dedicated pizzeria take what they learned from these results, tweak their pie and steal the red sauce colored belt? Will a dark horse emerge to prominence? Time will tell. Until then, thank you to all of the pizzerias who enthusiastically brought their A game and thank you to the judges who selflessly abandoned their diets and hit the gym double duty.

Please support all of the contestants and remember- even bad pizza is good pizza!

Here's the contact info for all of the participants:

Avellino's- 279 Nassau Blvd, GC South. (516) 307-1313
Rustica- 1 Nassau Blvd, GC South. (516) 292-2197
Grimaldi's- 980 Franklin Ave, GC. (516) 294-6565
Calagero's- 919 Franklin Ave, GC. (516) 294-2922
Plum Tomatoes- 228 Old Country Rd. Mineola. (516) 248-6390
Gino's- 1113 Jericho Tpke, New Hyde Park (516) 488-1366
Louie's- 39 Old Country Rd, Carle Place. (516) 248-2676
Umberto's GC South- 361 Nassau Blvd, GC (516) 481-1279
Garden City Pizza- 670 Franklin Ave, GC (516) 294-2929


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Best Pizza in Garden City 2014- The Results Are In!

The First Annual Inside Garden City Pizza Showdown took place Sunday, October 26th and the results are in! Nine pizzerias delivered and 12 tasters judged. A more in-depth analysis of the competition will be published tomorrow. Here's a quick synopsis of the results:

First Place: AVELLINO'S, 279 Nassau Blvd, GC South

Second Place: Rustica, 1 Nassau Blvd, GC 

Third Place: Grimaldi's, 980 Franklin Ave, GC


SUBCATEGORY WINNERS:

Best Crust: Grimaldi's

Best Sauce: Plum Tomatoes

Best Cheese: A tie between Calagero's and Grimaldi's

The competitors included:
Avellino's
Calagero's
Garden City Pizza
Gino's
Grimaldi's
Louie's
Plum Tomatoes
Rustica
Umberto's (GC South)

Four others were asked to participate but did not deliver a pie: Gallery Pizza, Giaccone's, V.I.Pizza, Umberto's of New Hyde Park. Stay tuned for a more in-depth analysis of the outcome. 

Congratulations to Avellino's and thank you to all entrants!

Weekend Events Guide- October 24th Edition

This weekend promises beautiful weather and and lots to do. Whether you choose to join in on a Halloween hike or celebrate GC Homecoming, it will be pretty tough not to have any fun this weekend! 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday- Join an escorted hike at The Garden City Bird Sanctuary. Choose from spooky and not so spooky walks. Fri and Sat 6-10pm, Sun 8pm. 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and most nights through Nov 2nd- The Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns will take place in Old Westbury Gardens. See more than 5,000 hand carved jack o'lanterns created by professional artists and sculptors arranged throughout a scenic trail. Discount tickets available for kids 3-17 and seniors. Kids under 2 are free. Ticket prices range from $18-$28 depending on day/time. 5:30pm-10:30pm. 71 Old Westbury Rd., Westbury. www.therise.org

Friday, Saturday and Sunday (and every day until Halloween)- Walk through Otto the Ghost's animated story at Hicks Nursery: Otto is tired of being the 'same old ghost' every year and tries on some new costumes. His experimenting leads to a pleasant discovery. Six animatronic scenes run continuously during store hours (9am-6pm) and have read along cards. 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday (and every day until Halloween)- The Unitarian Universalist Congregation on the corner of Stewart Ave and Nassau Blvd presents 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 11am-7pm until Halloween. 

Saturday- Garden City's Annual Fall Festival Street Fair will take place on Seventh St from 10am to 3pm. For the kids, there will be bounce houses, trackless train rides, the money cube and face painting. You can also catch the Broadway Bound dancers performing, as well as the band Fivestone which so many of us enjoyed during the Seventh St Promenades this past summer. 

Saturday- Support your home team by cheering them on at the Homecoming Parade at 1pm on Seventh St. followed by the Homecoming football game at 3pm at GCHS.

Saturday- Halloween Fest and Costume Parade 3-5pm at the GC Bird Sanctuary. Enjoy crafts, games, face painting, prizes and more. Tickets $10. Entrance gate is opposite 181 Tanners Pond Rd., Garden City. www.gcbirdsanctuary.org

Saturday- The Ghostly Gala at the Long Island Children's Museum takes place from 6-9pm for all ages. Wear your costume and be prepared for face painting, trick or treating, live animals and creepy crafts. 

Sunday- Capo Ristorante on Covert Ave will host Pumpkins and Panini from 10am-3pm. Decorate pumpkins, indulge in delicious panini and don't forget your costume! All kids in costume will receive a special treat. $10 per person. Reservations required. 516-216-5177. 49 Covert Ave, Floral Park

Sunday- Would you enjoy opera on a Sunday afternoon? The Garden City Historical Society will hold a performance by Opera Night, Long Island. 3pm, doors open at 2:30. $30 per person. Light refreshment will be served. 109 Eleventh St., Garden City. Tickets on sale at the AT Stewart Exchange on Eleventh St. 


Enjoy the weekend and remember to like us on Facebook!

Sur La Table? Yes, Please!

Where can you get a fantastic meal, with fantastic wine, shared with a group of friends- cooked by... yourselves? {And trust me, it will still taste good.} Sur La Table in Manhasset!

Having never been before I didn't know what to expect. Basically all I knew was we were to cook the meal ourselves. I was game. Tucked in next to Vera Wang in Americana Manhasset and underneath Sur La Table's beautiful culinary store, hides a beautiful professional kitchen fully equipped with every cooking essential you can imagine. For the anti-chefs... have no fear because it's also staffed with a few professionals to guide you along your culinary adventure.

We arrived at Sur La Table around 7:30pm and were greeted by Chef Jordan Carfagno, his assistants and an attractive table of tasty hors d'oeuvres to get us started. We supplied the wine and they supplied the glasses and everything else. 

First we were given a brief introduction of what we would be cooking- Spanish tapas tonight. No complaints here! We were then whisked over (pun intended) over to the professional grade work stations and stovetops which were already prepared and waiting for us with the proper pans, tools and ingredients for our meal. We cooked under the guidance of Chef Jordan and enjoyed our wine throughout the meal preparation. Of course, the chatting and drinking took over occasionally and our group had to get back on track, but all in all, I'd say we did a great job. Chef Jordan instructed us step by step but we did the majority of the work. Everyone was involved and excited. With a delicious menu planned, fresh ingredients set up and ready to go, the right environment and friends- how could you not have a good time?

On our menu included a delicious seafood, chicken and chorizo paella, garlic-seared shrimp with sherry, chorizo-stuffed baby red potatoes and my favorite- dates stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in Serrano ham and drizzled with a sherry reduction. Chef Jordan and his staff took care of setting out the prepared food when it was ready while we all headed upstairs to Sur La Table's amazing cooking store that basically has everything you could ever want in your kitchen. After a little shopping came the best part. Having worked up an appetite, we were ready to sit back and enjoy the product of our labor! The meal was fabulous and there was plenty of it as well.

I highly recommend Sur La Table for a night out with friends or a birthday celebration. You will leave with some delicious recipes (perhaps some kitchen goodies if your shopping was successful), more cooking skills and knowledge than you came in with and the experience of turning out a delicious, professional quality meal with your friends. Food, wine and friends. Really- who could ask for more?


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Garden City Insider of the Month: Andrew Karen

Inside Garden City is proud to present a new feature- Garden City Insider of the Month- where we will spotlight a different person each month who we deem to be a GC Insider and get their scoop on the town and what they do. This inaugural post features Andrew Karen, a familiar face to many of you. Be sure to tell Andrew you saw his Inside GC debut when you see him around town!

What is your job title? Recreation Attendant  

How long have you worked in this position? I started part time in September 2002 and went full time in October 2008. 

What are your general work duties? Run the Roller Hockey Program, Pee Wee Sports Sampler, as well as supervision of the parks and St Paul’s Recreation Complex. 

How did you end up doing what you are doing? When I graduated high school I had no idea (like so many young ones) what career path I wanted to take. So I decided to go to Nassau Community College where I focused on my basic core requirements while experimenting with different things from public speaking to acting. During this whole time I was working part time for Garden City Recreation having a good time, but it wasn’t until a very good friend of mine was like- ever think of making this your career? He then told me about a school out on the island (St Joseph College) where I could obtain my degree in Community Recreation and well, here I am today loving every minute of my job. 

What are your interests outside of work? When I am not working I enjoy running, as well going to Islanders Games (Go Islanders!) and of course spending time with my friends & family. 

What inspires you? What inspires me is the fact that the services I get to provide bring joy and laughter to all.

We couldn't let Andrew get away without answering our Garden City Qs:

1. What is your favorite restaurant in Garden City? Wild Fig (If you haven’t visited it, you don’t know what your missing) Try the moussaka.

2. What is your favorite store in GC? TCBY Yogurt

3. What do you love most about GC? How the entire town is one big family.

4. What is your favorite thing to do in GC? Other then makes dreams come true through work….. go running

5. What is your favorite outdoor place to hang out in GC? The Roller Hockey Rink @ Community Park & St Paul’s Recreation Complex of course!

6. Where is your favorite place to go out for a drink in GC? Wild Fig once again. 

7. Do you have any advice for our readers? Enjoy all that Garden City has to offer!!!  

http://gardencityrecreation.org/Community_Park.php

Facebook message us or email insidegardencity@gmail.com if you want to nominate someone to be a Garden City Insider of the month. 

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Weekend Events Guide: Oct. 17th Edition

Enjoy this beautiful fall weather while it lasts. Check our events guide for some fall fun in and around Garden City! 

Friday- The Not So Scary Halloween Ghoulish Glow Jump takes place at Pump it Up in Great Neck. Glow lights and special effects turn the inflatables into a ghoulish glow! Wear your costumes and come for some Halloween fun. 7pm-8:30pm. 225 Community Drive. 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and most nights through Nov. 2nd- Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns will take place in Old Westbury Gardens. See more than 5,000 hand carved jack o'lanterns created by professional artists and sculptors arranged throughout a scenic trail. Discount tickets available for ages 3-17 and seniors. Kids under 2 are free. Ticket prices vary from $18-$28 depending on the day/time. 5:30pm-10:30pm. 71 Old Westbury Road, Westbury. $18-$28. www.therise.org.

Saturday- Come to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on the corner of Nassau Blvd and Stewart Ave to help unload the newest truckload of pumpkins that's just arrived from New Mexico. 9am-10am

Saturday- Car need a wash? Bring it down to Team Donnelly and The Miracle Group at Garden City High School at 11:30am. All proceeds go directly to the Miracle Group and the fight against cancer. 

Saturday- Hope your costumes are ready for the Halloween Spellabration sponsored by The Welcoming Club of Garden City. It will be at the Nassau County Bar in Mineola and promises to be a great time with lots of Halloween surprises, games and raffles. Click here for more information. 11am-2pm. Suggested ages: 2-7

Saturday- The Garden City PTA will beholding a sportswear clothing sale outside of the gym at St. Paul's. If you don't have any GC merchandise to sport around, head over there and pick some up while supporting our kids! 9am-3pm

Saturday- See The Wizard of Oz at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. Showtime: 11am. www.thetheatreatwestbury.com

Saturday and Sunday (and every day until Halloween)- Walk through Otto the Ghost's animated story at Hicks Nursery: 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. 9am-6pm.

Saturday and Sunday (and every day until Halloween)- The Unitarian Universalist Congregation on the corner of Stewart Ave and Nassau Blvd presents 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 11am-7pm until Halloween.

Saturday and Sunday- See Betty Buckley, better known as the voice of Broadway, at the Tilles Center at  7:30pm and 9:30 pm. Go to http://tillescenter.org/event/betty-buckley/ for more information and to purchase tickets. 

Sunday- Support the Andy Foundation at their biannual yard sale. You'll be sure to find a treasure or two. There will be jewelry, furniture, handbags, holiday decorations, china, lots of household items, clothing, toys and much more. St Paul's Fieldhouse. 10am-2pm. 

Sunday- Head to Eisenhower Park for the Nassau Barkfest- Long Island's largest pet costume contest and parade. Bring a pet food donation to help feed pets in need. 12-3pm. Judging takes place at 1pm. Parking in Field 6 and 6A.

Sunday- Froyo isn't just for summer! Head to the Grand Opening of 16 Handles on Nassau Blvd. in Garden City. From 12pm-4pm, there will be prizes, a balloon artist, face painter, magician plus 16% off frozen yogurt. 

Sunday- Catch a performance of The Boy Who Would Be Captain Hook at 2pm. Ages: 5 and up. http://www.licm.org/EventRegistration.php


Have a great weekend and remember to like us on Facebook! 

LI Game Farm- A Must Miss

Trying to take advantage of a bonus day during Columbus Day weekend, I decided to venture outside of my usual go-to spots and took the approximately one hour drive out to the Long Island Game Farm.  I had never been there before and it sounded fun—and WOW what an experience it was.  A GC friend recommend this place saying it was worth checking out—yeah, if you’re into dirty, smelly, germ infested, poorly maintained, broken down... everything.

Now I don’t typically make a habit of panning places in this blog (well, maybe a mini egg skillet now and again) but I’m breaking out the Thanksgiving-turkey-sized roasting pan for this one.

Pulling into a parking lot that was barely at one-tenth capacity on a beautiful, long weekend afternoon should have been the first red flag, but an easy one to rationalize away. When I got to the front gate, I wished I had my calculator (and my high school algebra skills) because the menu of options was pretty confusing. Thank goodness I didn't get talked into buying the 12-pack entrance pass at the door because I can say with absolute certainty that I won't be back.

The euphoria of being at a game farm started to wear off as soon as I walked in and saw the animal-less cages. Well… maybe they are hiding? Or being fed? Then there was what appeared to be a small house that might contain some animal, but instead it contained garbage cans and some old rusty tools. In “Bambi Land” the deer basically nosebutt you into a corner when you walk in. This only worsens after you purchase the $6 cup of food. Once they smell the food in your hand, you’re lucky to get out alive. After a bunch of deer gathered around and sneezed, pooped, peed and spit on or near us, we headed for the caged animals. This was more the experience I wanted- animals behind fences. But the conditions of the pens and cages were far from anything that would give you that warm, fuzzy, cute-little-animal feeling. They seemed pretty dirty with little provisions. Didn't look like much had been tended to at the LI Game Farm in quite some time. I'm sure they once had their heyday, but it wasn't today.

After we cleared the flying gnats out of our nostrils, we lucked out with seeing the feeding of the one lion. This entailed a game farm employee bent over on the ground with a paper cup of hot dogs. I realized that there were a lot of solo animals- one lion, one giraffe, one kangaroo, one bison, etc. If a world flood came along, we'd be out of luck.

The merry-go-round was next on the list. Seemed harmless enough right? The slain horses lying on the ground in a carnival horse mass grave and the plastic trash bags on half of the remaining horses should have given a rational person pause, but I persevered. So I got my recycled tickets (I'm all for saving trees but old, crumpled, recycled, germy tickets... really?) and half way though the ride, the carousel came to a very abrupt {sputtering, spitting, bumping, screeching, kids crying, parents yelling, employees panicking} stop... All in a day's fun!

For the safety conscious among you, you'll be happy to know that the employees were able to jerry-rig the merry go round within about 15 mins, granted there were a few more dead horses lying on the ground. The panel of experts consisted of the kid who ran the tea cup ride, leaving the train ride guy to do double duty running back and forth between his train ride and the teacups. So that left us waiting on line at a vacant train ride while we watched the train guy book to the tea cups, run that ride for a few mins and when that was over, run back to the train ride to give it a spin around. If you're someone who worries about Americans and their wastefulness, this is the place for you! Any corner that could be cut was cut and any penny that could be pinched, was pinched.

Sadly, the reptile exhibit was more like an exhibit of toxic waste. The poor animals trying to swim here would be better off in the Hudson River or maybe an outhouse.

This place was already well into the unsatisfactory category with regards to hygiene and the “hand washing station” didn’t disappoint on that front. When the faucet handle turns the actual faucet right out of the sink basin, you start to channel your inner MacGyver as you figure out how you're going to successfully wash your hands while repairing the plumbing at the same time.

Boy, was I happy to get back home and showered. Hand sanitizer can only do so much.

Weekend Events Guide: Oct 10th Edition

Inside Garden City's Weekend Events Guide is here- letting you know what's going on in and around Garden City for this wonderful three day weekend!

Saturday- Enjoy traditional German food, beer, music and more at Oktoberfest at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. 12-5pm. Ages: all. Kite Field. 

Saturday- Catch the Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest at Hicks Nursery on Jericho Tpke in Westbury at 3pm. Bring your own carved and decorated pumpkin creation or just come to check out the contestants. Categories include: funniest pumpkin, scariest pumpkin, best decorated pumpkin, best carved pumpkin and best pumpkin carved by a child. Entrants must register at 2pm. The winner of each category will receive a $20 gift certificate to Hicks Nurseries.

Saturday- Enjoy a performance by The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. This orchestra consists of fifteen of the finest soloists, ensemble players and arrangers in jazz music. Ages: all. 8pm. Tickets: $48 and up. www.tillescenter.org

Saturday and Sunday- Stop at Hicks Nursery for some fall fun! Come by anytime on Sat and Sun (they're open from 9-6) to see a 3-D Pumpkin Carving Demo with Artist Andy Gertler. Observe how a professional artist carves 3-D images into pumpkins and pick up some tips on how to carve your own pumpkin! 

Also on Sat and Sun and Mon (and every day until Halloween) at Hicks- walk through 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. 9am-6pm.

Saturday and Sunday- Come on down to the Street Fair at Eisenhower Park. Enjoy live entertainment, delicious foods, crafts, vendors and much more. 

Saturday and Sunday (and every day until Halloween)- The Unitarian Universalist Congregation on the corner of Stewart Ave and Nassau Blvd presents 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 11am-7pm until Halloween.

Sunday- See Cinderella at Broadhollow Theatre on Hempstead Tpke in Elmont. Ages: all. 12pm. http://broadhollow.org/children-s-theatre/broad-hollow-elmont.html

Monday- Visit the Long Island Children's Museum to see 'Colorsong' presented by Dance Visions NY. This multidisciplinary dance work is based on themes from the book Colorsong by Susan Cohen. Shows at 11:30 and 2pm. Ages: Toddlers. 11 Davis Ave, Garden City. 

Monday- Hop on the LIRR for the Columbus Day Parade in NYC. The parade will travel along Fifth Ave from 44th St. to 72nd St. 


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Halloween 101

A really good Halloween is something every great, family-focused town should have mastered. There are no presents to buy, relatives to visit, fancy dinners to host. Halloween is all about the kids and having fun and you could say the same thing about Garden City.

Therefore, I wasn't surprised when I spent my first Halloween as a GC resident here last year and it pretty much rocked. For instance, I was given red wine (in my own real glass- not a plastic one!) on the trick or treat route. I never had that happen to me before. I'm looking forward to seeing what GC has to offer again this year, and the first stop on my list is the annual Halloween Bash. 

If you're looking for some fun for the family, I recommend you bring your ghosts and goblins to the Welcoming Club of Garden City's Spell-a-bration on Saturday, 10/18 from 11am-2pm. Inside Garden City chatted with the event's chairperson, Joeleen Tepper, for the inside scoop on the festivities. 

Inside GC: I've been hearing a lot about this year's upcoming Halloween party.
Ms. Tepper: It's going to be great! This is an annual tradition in Garden City and the Family Committee of the Welcoming Club is excited to be organizing it. This year, we are expecting 100+ people. 

Inside GC: That's a big crowd. Why should families make their way to the party this Halloween?
Ms. Tepper: There will be lots of fun surprises. To start, we'll have dancing, a DJ to provide live entertainment (www.outrageousproductions.net) and there will be lots of games (like Candy Corn Bowling) and crafts (such as mask-making) for the kids. 

The Welcoming Club of GC's Family Committee

There will be a special craft run by Kidville. We'll also have raffles and even a character appearance. Like I said... lots of surprises! We will also have a photographer on hand, a story time area for little ones and of course... Halloween goodie bags.

Inside GC: What types of raffles will there be?
Ms. Tepper: Our raffle includes a semester free class at Kidville valued at $500, a $250 photography package to Alexis Hardy Photography, gift certificates to Saf-T-Swim, Lil' Athletes, Gymboree and many more.

Inside GC: Please tell us the specifics of the event.
Ms. Tepper: It will be Sat., 10/18 from 11am-2pm. The cost is $25 for members, $30 for non-members, $15 for kids and children under 2 are FREE. All proceeds are donated to the Pediatric Cancer Center at Winthrop Hospital. We chose the Nassau County Bar Association (near the Nassau Police Dept on the GC side of Old Country Rd) as the venue. It's practically in Garden City. 

Inside GC: What made you choose that location? 
Ms. Tepper: The building has a quaint Tudor feel which will be perfect for Halloween with its vaulted ceilings and fireplaces. Our decorating committee has been working hard on creating a spooky, festive atmosphere inside complete with witches, pumpkins, spiders and ghouls! There will also be photo op stations set up throughout to allow partygoers to capture the excitement of the day. 

Inside GC: How about costumes?
Ms. Tepper: Children are encouraged to come in costume. They will play games to earn Halloween candy. All kids should come with their trick or treat bags handy and be ready for some serious fun!


Ms. Tepper reports that checks have been steadily coming in to reserve spots for the bash and space is limited! They do not want to have to turn people away at the door so please don't delay. Believe it or not, Halloween is just two weeks away! Inside Garden City will definitely in attendance. 

Mail your check payable to Welcoming Club of Garden City and mail to Joeleen Tepper at 85 Kensington Road, Garden City. If you need additional information or would like to donate to the event, please contact Joeleen at joeleen_smith@yahoo.com.  



Nassau County Bar is located on the corner of 15th & West Streets in Mineola. For GPS - Use 1 West Street, Mineola as point of destination.


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Weekend Events Guide: Oct. 3rd Edition

Here's what's happening in and around Garden City. Pick up a pumpkin spice latte and enjoy the weekend!

Friday- Listen to live music by Mike Barry at Doc O'Grady's. 9:30pm. Nassau Blvd, Garden City South.

Saturday- 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- Third Annual Oktoberfest at the Resurrection Lutheran Church. Enjoy live German music, German beer, German wine and German food! 420 Stewart Ave from 4pm-10:30pm http://www.resgc.org/oktoberfest

Saturday- Head to Grimaldi's for a pizza eating contest at 1pm. Register in advance if you want to be one of the eaters! 980 Franklin Ave.

Saturday- Catch some live music with Mike Volpe and Friends at Doc O'Grady's. 9:30pm. Nassau Blvd, Garden City South. 

Saturday and Sunday- Hick's Nursery on Jericho Tpke in Westbury. 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. 9am-6pm.

Saturday and Sunday- You know its officially 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 11am-7pm until Halloween.

Sunday- Head to the Annual Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Hick's Nursery in Westbury. Judging begins at 11 AM. Everyone who has grown a pumpkin – no matter what the size – is encouraged to bring it! In addition to awards for the three heaviest pumpkins, they will also award prizes to the ‘Rookie of the Year’ and ‘Best Pumpkin Grown by A Child’ under the age of 15.

Sunday- The Wiggles: Ready, Set, Wiggle Tour. The Wiggles will perform two shows - 1pm and 4pm at the NYCB Theatre at 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury. Cost: $22.50-$69.50. Ages: 2 + http://www.thetheatreatwestbury.com/



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