Town Holds Annual Children's Festival & Safety Day

The Town of Oyster Bay held their sixth annual Children's Festival and Safety Day at this weekend, giving residents an exciting day of food, rides, and up-close and personal fun with police and fire department personnel.

Oyster Bay Deputy Commissioner of Community and Youth Services Patricia A. Beckerle welcomed local families to a day of not only entertainment, but of education as well.

“The turnout today looks beautiful because the weather is perfect...we expect between 4,000 and 5,000 people here today,” she said. “We have displays from the Nassau County Police Department, the some Oyster Bay vehicles, and so much more.”

The grounds of Burns Park were dominated by a score of inflatable rides, games, and crafts. In addition, kids and grown-ups alike were invited to get hands-on with Nassau County Police equipment, such as cop cars, motorcycles, horses, and even a helicopter.

Plus, the was present as well, offering fascinating demonstrations of their ladder trucks and of the Jaws of Life, a hydraulic rescue device they used to dismantle a car – with fire personnel inside posing as “victims” in need of rescuing - in record time in front of the gathered crowd.

The event, which Beckerle said was sponsored by Sloman’s Shield, Steel Equities, and the Disney Vacation Club, offered local families a summer afternoon of fun without hitting them in the wallet.

“Everything we have here is free,” she said. “There’s ices, lemonade, hot dogs, pretzels...there are bouncies on the other side of the park, as well as rides...the kids are having a ball today.”

According to Beckerle, the Children's Festival and Safety Day is just something the Town does to give something back to the families of Oyster Bay.

“Supervisor John Venditto and the Town Board feel that Oyster Bay is such a great place to work and raise a family,” she said. “We like to do these events as services to our residents, who appreciate them immensely.”

was on hand, meeting and greeting residents out for a day of educational fun.

“This is an amazing event,” he said, “It’s a great opportunity for families to come out and ride the rides, see Police equipment, watch the Fire Department carry out rescues...it’s a day of great fun, and the Town of Oyster Bay has turned Burns Park into the ultimate day for kids and families and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

JoBeth Berrison of Massapequa attended the event this year for the first time with her two children, and found herself counting down the days until next year’s event before this one was even over.

“It’s just a great day for families,” she said. “My kids are having so much fun...the rides, and food, and my son especially loved sitting on the police motorcycle and petting the police horse. It’s so much more than just a simple fair.”

Christain Malone of Farmingdale has been coming to the Children's Festival and Safety Day with his family for three years running, and said it never fails to provide a good time.

“I love the food and the Police demonstrations, and my kids really love watching the Fire Department tearing apart cars in their rescue demos,” he said. “Plus, it’s great to let them tear into the inflatable rides and stuff...it tuckers ‘em out, and by the time I get ‘em home, they’re pretty much ready for bed. So it’s a win-win for me!”