The street fair hosted by the Hebrew Educational Society (H.E.S.), on Sunday, June 7th, provided an afternoon of pure fun for scores of families and young children.
The H.E.S. Annual Street Fair was not only perfect for friends and neighbors to connect with each other but also for families to enjoy hours of amusement with their children who frolicked unrestrained in the street. There was a bounce house that drew a steady flow of children eager to get in and take a tumble and also carnival games, such as Duck Hunt and Tipsey, which allowed them to win attractive prizes.
There were also fun, educational activities that provided entertainment for all. Many families sat together and participated in arts and crafts projects such as sand art, where they poured layers of different colored sand into bottles and created intricate designs, or focused on assembling building blocks into various shapes and structures. Some children just got their faces painted but they all enjoyed the great food — hamburgers, hot dogs — as well as cotton candy and snow cones.
Throughout the afternoon, a live DJ provided musical entertainment that kept the crowd alive. Families were also delighted with the dance performances of a troupe of young ballerinas as well as a coed team of other youngsters eager to demonstrate their prowess in karate — both trainings offered at the H.E.S.
In addition, there were several information booths where families were able to obtain details about the plethora of programs and valuable resources — early childhood education; sports and fitness; teen programs; aquatics; social services; disability services; afterschool; music school; Jewish Life; NYC Bright Starts (Bright Horizon) summer camp — just to name a few, available at the H.E.S.
There were many other giveaways including hefty food hampers from the community food pantry operated by Met Council, which also offered information on free benefit screenings that determine a person’s eligibility for SNAP, health insurance and other benefits.
There was a Special Street Fair Offer where parents received $200 off full tuition if they registered their children for summer camp, during the street fair. Similar offers of $200 cash and $100 cash were provided for some raffle prizes and to be used toward any H.E.S. program. A large screen TV and JBL speaker were also raffled.
Assemblywoman Jaime Williams praised H.E.S. Executive Director Moshit Rivkin and her team for the phenomenal job they did in hosting the fair and throughout the year. “This community center has been here for decades doing so much great work; that’s why you are here to celebrate today with your family,” Williams stated, as she greeted the gathering. “I am so proud to even say that myself and Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman just launched a free, swimming program here, so if your child is registered for that program, I look forward to seeing you guys,” she added.
Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse also addressed the crowd. “For the parents here, I want to let you know I’m working on your behalf,” Narcisse stated enthusiastically. The councilwoman told them that she gives the children in District 46 her priority to ensure they could “compete with the rest of the world.”
For more information about programs at the H.E.S., call 718-241-3000.
The H.E.S. is located at 9502 Seaview Avenue.
