2 minute read
Bedford Avenue
Festivals, parades, car shows and more on Bedford Avenue
Every September, Bedford Avenue — Bellmore’s main location for momand-pop shops — is flooded with patrons from all over who come out to shop, eat and play at the annual Bellmore Family Street Festival, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores.
Bedford is not one of Bellmore’s longest streets — in fact it only stretches from Merrick Road to Oak Street, a residential roadway. It is, however, integral to the town’s local commerce, hence why it is so popular for the chamber events it's known for. It holds a lot of history too — back in 2016, the Bellmore Historical Association shared postcards from the 1940s of the street. Cars lined the road, as they do today, in support of Bellmore’s economy
The festival is a major source of funding for the chamber, and allows for it to host other activities throughout the remainder of the year, including the Halloween parade and Holiday Extravaganza.
This year, the Family Street Festival took place as normal, in September. That wasn't the case during the coronavirus pandemic which canceled festivities in 2020 and 2021. But for 2022, the community welcomed the beloved event back with open arms.
Anthony Ricardi, a manager at Climb N Vibe in Bellmore,
Jordan Vallone/Herald photos Top: Bedford Avenue is best known as the site of the Bellmore Family Street Festival, hosted annually by the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores. Last year, the streets were packed with eager shoppers. Bottom: Many of Bellmore’s mom-and-pop shops and community businesses are found on Bedford. Athena Silver and Michelle Vasilescu of Planet Play were at their booth during the street festival last year.
says he looks forward to setting up tables at the festival, which he attends nearly every year. Samantha Devine, a general manager at Crunch Fitness, also said she enjoys taking part in the activities.
Debby Izzo, the street festival coordinator and events chair for the Bellmore Chamber, said they thank all of the patrons and businesses that take part.
The festival this year paved way for other events, including the Halloween Parade in October, a visit from Santa Claus in November, and a Christmas Tree Lighting with the Holiday Extravaganza at the beginning of December. A Menorah lighting is still be to scheduled. Each of these events calls Bedford Avenue home.
Throughout the spring, summer and early fall, the railroad lot adjacent to Bedford is also the location for the chamber’s weekly Friday Night Car Show, which generally wraps for the season in October.
For more, visit BellmoreChamber.com. — Jordan Vallone
Neil Miller/Herald photos Top: Many parades come down Bedford Avenue throughout the year. A fire truck from the Bellmore Fire Department made its way down the street during this year’s Memorial Day Parade.
Tim Baker/Herald photos Middle: On any given weekday or weekend, Bedford Avenue is always bustling with cars and shoppers. Bottom: Bedford Avenue is the site of many beloved Bellmore events.
