The Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce hosted the beloved annual event, Summerfest, this past weekend from Friday evening, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 4.
Temperatures soared on Saturday, but crowds still filled downtown Sayville, where carnival rides, foods, and craft vendors were abundant.
Despite overcast skies and changing forecasts, the popular car show went on as scheduled on Aug. 4, with many staying until later in the afternoon when rain started.
Some community members took to Facebook community pages, where they voiced their issues with the new carnival ride payment system, which is set by Newton Shows, that featured a pay-one-price fee of $43 per day (an online offer of $33 per day was available up to the start of the festival). Others stated the heat kept them from attending as temperatures rose to near 100 degrees on Saturday.
Following the negative commentary on Facebook, dozens of community members made posts that garnered hundreds of likes and similar well-wishing comments that praised and thanked the volunteers who put together the festival.
President emerita of the chamber and fairy godmother of the festival, Eileen Tyznar said, “We did not let a little bit of sprinkles damper their spirits and the fun of our annual Sayville Summerfest! ‘The show must go on’ was our mantra! This year we really worked on creating a home-grown music atmosphere, a variety of food vendor choices, and great hand-selected vendors! Our own Main Street stores came outside and braved the heat to also create an incredible outdoor summer market atmosphere in Main Street.”
Tyznar gave special thanks to volunteers who worked in “brutal heat” and said, “I don’t think I ever drank so much water in my life! We kept forging through the heat and the in between sprinkles to continue the tradition we call Sayville Summerfest!”
A special highlight of the three-day festival for Tyznar and volunteers was when Kate Verbarg, one of the owners of The Sayville Chocolatier, gifted Tyznar a white Styrofoam cooler with a sizeable thank-you note for everyone’s hard work.
The cooler was filled with chocolate-covered strawberries and blueberries on ice packs.
“It was such a treat and really kept us going! Kate and the Sayville Chocolatier always think of not only their customers on Main Street, but are also always such a support to our chamber! All in all, it was a great success! We thank the community for coming out and enjoying the weekend! We have a feeling that Sayville Summerfest 2025 will be filled with sunny skies!” said Tyznar.
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