St. Edward’s Festival Returns for Fifth Year

For 6-year-old Syosset resident Max Falkove, this year’s meant unlimited rides with no height restrictions--finally.

“We were here last year but he wasn’t tall enough for a lot of the rides like the bumper cars,” said his father, Ethan Falkove of Syosset. “But this year he is.”

The bumper cars and crowd-favorite zeppoles returned for the fifth annual St. Edward’s Festival this weekend, held in the parking lot. From Thursday to Sunday, locals could stop by for an assortment of games, rides, live music, food, and even a classic car show.

“I love the fact that it’s a safe, closed-off area where we could go on rides and eat snacks or dinner,” said Plainview resident Danielle Asuncion, who brought her two daughters. “Everyone’s friendly and from the neighborhood. It’s good old-fashioned family fun.”

All proceeds went toward . On average, the four-day festival rakes in about $25,000 each year, said Jeff Zero, co-chair of the St. Edwards Festival.

“It raises money for the church but it also brings the community together,” Zero said. “The money always goes back to the community.”

The festival turned out to be a spontaneous treat for first-time festival-goers Sloane Barrie and her two children.

“We dropped our babysitter off at the train station and we said, ‘Oh! Let’s stay for a bit!’ It’s great. The kids are having fun and it’s local. It’s really convenient,” Barrie said.

The festival continues on Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. There will be a special fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“We were here last night and we had such a good time that we came back for a second night,” Asuncion said. “We’ll probably be back for the next two nights.”