Nautical Mile Festival remains in June

Freeport's popular Nautical Mile Festival will take place in June after village officials reversed an earlier decision to cancel the event that traditionally kicks off the summer, because of what they said were public safety concerns.

Last week, Mayor Andrew Hardwick sent a letter to village residents telling them that due to these concerns, the festival "will not take place this June." In the letter, Hardwick invited residents to a forum last night to discuss possibly having the event at another time.

More than 200 residents showed up at the forum in the Freeport Recreation Center. Some said they supported the warm-weather festival because of its financial boost but others raised concerns about public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Several village officials in attendance suggested moving the festival to September or October.

"We are trying to find a solution that has the least impact on the village," Hardwick told attendees.

After the forum, Hardwick said the festival would go on in June. He didn't say why village officials changed their minds.

The festival draws as many as 200,000 people from all over Long Island and the five boroughs to the South Shore village. But spiraling costs and safety concerns led Freeport to reduce the festival from two days to one in 2010. The event has been around for more than 25 years.

"It's a quality-of-life issue, but it is really about dollars and cents," Hardwick said.

Many residents at the meeting were split about changing the festival date to the fall. Some supported continuing the festival, while others suggested canceling it altogether.

"What is going to make people come to Freeport in cool October?" said Thea Tremsky, a village resident for 25 years. "I just don't see it happening. We just have to find a way to make it work in June."

Some residents supported moving the festival to the fall to cut down on disorderly conduct and intoxication.

"It's too big now," said Eddie Martin, 65, a lifelong resident. "I agree we need to make it smaller."

Freeport's police chief Miguel Bermudez and Fire Department director Raymond Maguire raised concerns regarding public safety. Bermudez, Maguire and the Freeport Chamber of Commerce supported ending the festival in June and moving it to September.

Maguire said he did not want village residents to be burdened with trouble from outsiders.

"We would rather have it turned back into a family atmosphere rather than a fraternity party."