Merrick Fall Festival

The 20th annual Merrick Fall Festival put on by the Merrick Chamber of Commerce is set to draw about 20,000 people to town over the weekend. 

The street fair begins at the the intersection of Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue and runs north on Merrick Avenue to Loines Avenue.  Parking and admission are free to the public.

The festival runs officially from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, but carnival rides and games are open from 11 a.m.- 11 p.m. both days. 

The grand opening ceremony is on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Proceeds raised at the fair go toward many of the chamber's projects in town, including holiday tree and menorah lightings and providing $2,000 scholarships each year to one student at each of the three local high schools. 

The festival is expected to have about 200 vendors selling everything from crafts to candy apples, according to Randy Shotland, a chamber vice president.  There will also be plenty of entertainment options–an Elvis impersonator, a "Sukkot Celebration Under the Tracks" put on by the Chabad Center for Jewish Life on Sunday, as well as a petting zoo.

"We really want the local stores to understand we are there to help," Shotland said of the chamber's role in the community.

Merrick Avenue north of Sunrise Highway to Loines Avenue will be shutdown from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Vendors are encouraged to arrive early as parking will be at a premium as the day progresses.

At last year's Fall Festival, chamber vice president Ira Reiter proposed to his girlfriend during the opening ceremony. Shotland said it will be tough to top that kind of excitement this year, but with sunny skies forecasted all weekend, it's certainly a Merrick tradition not to be missed.