Families gathered to enjoy the festivities that autumn brings – a week before Halloween – at the Fourth Annual Fall Festival on Sunday afternoon, October 25th, at the Carmine Carro Community Center, 3000 Fillmore Avenue, in Marine Park. The event was sponsored by Assemblywoman Jaime Williams, in conjunction with Marine Park Alliance (MPA), Madison-Marine Homecrest Civic Association and other organizations.
Classic Halloween music played as families and their children enjoyed activities such as face painting, arts and crafts, pumpkin picking and, of course, candy.
“It’s something that the community looks forward to; it’s our biggest event of the year,” Williams said. “As you can see, more than 2,000 people are here today. It’s creating a space where families can come out and enjoy. It gives off that close-knit community vibe because it’s really hard to find places like this in this city.”
Many children dressed up as their favorite characters, such as Captain America, Spider-Man and Superman, while others dressed as Rumi from K-Pop Demon Hunters, Coraline, Harry Potter’s Hermione or a Disney Princess. Bluey was a popular contender for the younger children.
Dancers from Elizabeth’s Dance Image performed two dance presentations, followed by a contest in which winners were given a prize for best dancer and best costume; parents and their children were eager to win.
“It’s a great day for parents and kids to come out, and Jaime always does a wonderful event,” MPA Chairperson Maria Carro-D’Alessandro said. “It seems to get bigger and bigger each year. All the kids having fun, face painting, playing games and the pumpkin patch. It’s always exciting to be here.”
Other sponsors and community partners included Millennium Development, Marine Park Community Association, and the Mill Basin and Bergen Beach civic associations, among others.
