Greenlawn fair fires up tonight

By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com

If you live in or around Greenlawn, then you know all about the fireman’s fair, says John McKenna, chaplain of the Greenlawn Fire Department.

“It’s a big time tradition for everyone who lives here,” said an animated McKenna earlier this week. “People know it’s coming each year, and they really look forward to it.”

This weekend is no different. Starting tonight, the Greenlawn Fireman’s Fair invites families to enjoy rides, prizes and live music on the firehouse’s 3-acre parcel across from the Greenlawn Railroad Station on Boulevard Avenue. In its 105th year, the end-of-summer celebration is considered the oldest and largest fireman’s fair in New York State history.

As always, a colorful parade of Huntington firefighters, fire trucks and bagpipe and brass bands will kick off the four-day festival. The procession begins tonight at 7 p.m. (Show above is a previous parade.)

“Our fair committee has been hard at work all summer,” explained Scott Demarest, chief of the Greenlawn Fire Department. “This year’s grand prize is a 2008 Pontiac Solstice.”

According to McKenna, the annual fair has operated continuously since 1906, when Teddy Roosevelt was U.S. President. In those days, most prizes were homegrown vegetables donated from local family farms or livestock, chickens, ducks and rabbits. At today’s fair, he says, all the bunnies are now “multi-colored and stuffed.” In addition, a merry-go-round has replaced pony rides.

The latest addition to the fair will be a Child Identification Program (CHIP) booth, operated by the Grand Lodge of New York Masons. The program will provide parents with a DVD containing their child’s photograph, fingerprints and other vital information, which is a critical resource should their child ever go missing.

“The fair is a great opportunity for us, because it’s well-attended and full of kids,” stated Roy Puckhaber, a mason member, who hopes to ID over 1,000 children at the fair. “The more children that participate, the more chances we have of making a difference. If we help only one child, that makes it all worthwhile.”

The fair is open through Saturday (closed on Sunday), then wraps up on Monday. Other events at the fair include a performance by Time Was, a 1950s doo-wop quartet. There is no admission charge to the fair.