Chamber of Commerce hosts annual Spring Fair

The Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches hosted their annual Spring Fair on Sunday, June 14.

The Spring Fair started at 10 a.m. on Main Street and continued until 5 p.m.  During the event, numerous local businesses and organizations hosted and operated stalls on both sides of the road.  Live music and freshly cooked food were also offered as part of the festivities.

One of the stalls at the Spring Fair was operated by Vintage Mermaid of Long Beach, a local artisan store selling seashells, sea glass and coastal-themed jewelry and decorations.

“[This business] is part of my lineage,” Vintage Mermaid of Long Beach stall operator Lorna Weyant said.  “We grew up on the water.”

Another stall was operated by Only On Long Island, which sold clothing inspired by Long Island.

“My three daughters [make the] designs,” Only On Long Island owner Deb Breheny said.  “They do all the designs, and then we put them on the shirts.”

Breheny also explained how her business contributes to local environmentalism conservation initiatives.

“We donate a portion of our profit back to Relic Design and Coastal Steward,” Breheny said.  “They both do beach cleanups and reseed oysters in the bay.”

Jimmy Osborne Music operated a stall at the Spring Fair as well.  The music school advertised its music lessons to passersby.  The business is owned by Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches president Jackie Osborne.

“We’ve been here going on 29 years,” Jimmy Osborne Music employee Lyn Dalen said.  “Jimmy’s father was the band teacher at Center Moriches High School for [around] 30 years.”

The store Gavin’s Treasures operated its own stall in front of the store’s entrance on Main Street.  According to stall operator Liz Page, “everything” sold at Gavin’s Treasures comes from “Long Island and Long Island artisans.”  The stall was also offering Page’s own products to Spring Fair attendees.

“I personally am selling all [handmade] soy wax candles,” Page said.  “I’m very spiritually aligned, and I really like to spread joy to people.  I make every candle with the intention of bringing self-joy.”

The Center Moriches Free Public Library hosted a stall during the Spring Fair as well.

“We’re promoting our summer reading club, and we brought our book bike down [here], and we’re giving away some free books,” stall operator Dominique Nason said.  “It’s free to sign up [for the summer reading club] with your library card, and you read books and win prizes.  There are reading incentives for all years.”

The Center Moriches Fire Department also held their own annual event, the Strawberry Festival, during the Spring Fair.  Fair attendees could buy slices of freshly made strawberry shortcake from the fire department.  The Strawberry Festival raised funds for the fire department.  Three prizes—a barbecue grill, a tool kit, and $100 worth of New York lottery scratch-off tickets—were raffled at the Strawberry Festival as well.

“[The raffle] tickets are for the Company One fundraiser,” Center Moriches Fire Department volunteer Dennis O’Brien said.  “[The fire department] is [also] selling buckets and quarts of sweetened and unsweetened strawberries.”