With the colder months — and the 2023/24 tax grievance filing season – behind us, it’s time to look ahead to some summer fun on Long Island. Long Island has many summer treasures – including world-class beaches, charming eateries, museums, street fairs, music concerts and other fun events – making it possible for you to have tons of fun without spending a boatload of money. Here are some of them:
Beckoning Beaches
Last year, many of Long Island’s best beaches were capacity-limited to prevent the spread of COVID, but these restrictions are now a thing of the past. Nassau County is home to the grand-daddy of the great Long Island beaches: Jones Beach State Park (AKA Robert Moses State Park), in Wantagh, which sports six gorgeous miles of oceanfront beach, concerts, a golf course, athletic fields, stargazing, and much more.
You’ll pay $10 per car at Jones Beach, which is very affordable for a full day of sun and surf. However, if you anticipate making repeated visits to this famed beach, pick up a New York State 2022 Season Empire Pass. For $80, you’ll get a pass (good through the end of 2022) that will let you access Jones Beach for free, along with access to dozens of other great New York State parks on and off the island. A complete list of Parks is available at: https://parks.ny.gov/documents/admission/EmpirePassCardGuidelines.pdf
Of course, Jones Beach isn’t the only fabulous beach on Long Island; check out this excellent list of great LI beaches (with links to their official pages) at: https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/travel/day-trips/top-10-long-island-beaches/
Fun for All Ages at Adventureland
Adventureland — proudly supported by Maidenbaum — is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, making it Long Island’s oldest surviving amusement park. It’s great to see that this venerable, beloved Farmingdale institution not only survived COVID, but has emerged better than ever thanks to its management’s decision to use the downtime to invest in the park’s 30 rides and attractions.
BTW, while Adventureland is always a hit with the younger set, adults over 21 can have a blast as well, especially considering that Adventureland serves its own micro-brand beer at Tony’s Tavern, one of several eateries in the 12-acre park.
Racing Action at the Belmont Stakes
On Saturday, June 11th, the 154th Belmont Stakes — the final leg of the Triple Crown — will run at historic Belmont Park — the largest dirt track in the U.S. Whether you like to bet or just like to watch America’s finest thoroughbreds in action, odds are you’ll have a memorable afternoon. For tickets, go to: https://www.belmontstakes.com/tickets/
Summer Strolls at Garden City’s Friday Night Promenades
On Friday, June 10th, Friday Night Promenades will kick off in Garden City. These free weekly events, running each Friday evening from June through September, feature live music, a family-friendly atmosphere, fun giveaways, and plenty of activities for the kids, including balloon art and face painting. Location is Seventh Street, Between Franklin Avenue and Hilton Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530. For more info, go to: https://business.gardencitychamber.org/events/calendar/2022-06-01
Or Take a Long Island 1-Day Micro-Vacation!
Several years back, the Maidenbaum blog wrote an article entitled 7 Great 1-Day Micro-Vacations on Long Island meant to serve as a quick guide for those seeking affordable, time-limited getaways on this great island of ours. While many of these attractions were closed due to COVID restrictions, the good news is that all of them are back in action for 2022.
We hope you have a great Summer 2022 and wish you and your family much fun and many happy memories!