MERRICK, NY — As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, one South Shore institution has announced the latest in a long line of celebrations set to take place across Long Island: The Merrick Public Library, which will host the “Merricka 250” Block Party on June 27.
Kicking off at 11 a.m., the block party is intended to serve a dual purpose: It's the kickoff to the library's summer reading challenge for kids, and a kickoff to semiquincentennial celebrations in Merrick, a week ahead of the 250th anniversary itself.
On the summer reading side of things, Library Head of Community Engagement Christina Bonfiglio-Scali said the program will encourage kids to read all summer long with the promise of a chance at a prize waiting at the end of August.
“Registration starts June 1st. Starting on June 29th, [kids] can begin logging in their reading, and then it's over on August 8," Bonfiglio-Scali said. "So, ages 0 to 5, if they read at least five books each week, they earn a weekly prize. Grades kindergarten through 6, if they read at least 30 minutes each week, they could earn a weekly prize, and top readers over the summer will receive a special end of the summer grand prize."
Bonfiglio-Scali said the final prize details aren't set yet, but that it will be sponsored by local businesses in and around Merrick.
While this isn't the first time the library has held a summer reading program, it's the first time the program is being kicked off with a block party.
“We are so psyched for this because this is the first time we're doing a block party style event,” Bonfiglio-Scali said. “Narwood Avenue is going to be closed off, and we’ll have barbecue, hot dogs, we’ll have popsicles, we’ll have an amazing six-piece New Orleans-style jazz band. They're going to be playing from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We're going to have lawn games. It's kicking off the summer reading challenge, but it's also celebrating America with a big community celebration.”
To that point about celebrating America, Bonfiglio-Scali said the event’s title spawns in part from the history of Long Island. Block parties, she said, feel as traditionally American as baseball and jazz, especially in a county that, as the head of community engagement put it, is “the birthplace of the suburbs.”
“It’s designed as a true block party experience; closing off the street in a safe, festive way, and just [creating] a welcoming space for the whole community to get together and experience something that is truly Americana,” Bonfiglio-Scali said. “What's more American than a suburban block party? That's how we're imagining that this is going to be.
While there’s tie-ins with the summer reading program, the anniversary of the country’s founding, and America’s quintessential music, jazz, Bonfiglio-Scali said the nods to the country’s history don’t stop there. The menu for the event, she said, is as patriotic as its content.
“Honestly, what's more American than hot dogs? I don’t know. Who doesn’t love a hot dog?” Bonfiglio-Scali asked.
The Merricka 250 Festival will be free to attend; Bonfiglio-Scali described it as “real casual,” giving attendees the chance to drop in as they see fit and celebrate. There is also no need to RSVP beforehand.
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