The 12th annual All Kids Fair is excited to return to Westbury following last year’s enormously successful event. This is the second in-person All Kids Fair since Covid-19.
This year’s All Kids Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on April 23 at Samanea New York Mall, formerly The Source Mall, at 1504 Old Country Road in Westbury. This is the same mall that houses Dave & Buster’s and where Fortunoff’s previously resided.
Since 2011, the All Kids Fair has provided a fun day each April for kids and their families to spend time together and also learn about Long Island-based companies with services and products available to them.
There are many exciting reasons for families to attend each year. While this has always been an indoor event with an outdoor petting zoo, this year has even more outdoor attractions.
Here are some of the things to do and see at the All Kids Fair – indoors and out – all of which are free with admission:
Indoors
- More than 80 kid-centered exhibitors
- More than a dozen activity areas
- Three large bounce houses
- DJ along with Mr. and Mrs. Mouse
- Princesses and superheroes
- Guinea pig and bearded dragons for touching
- Face painting
- Balloon animals
- Cotton candy
- Photo booth
- Child ID cards
- Lego table with sensory play
Outdoors
- Petting zoo with a pig, goats, rabbits and chickens
- A game truck
- A mobile STEAM lab bus
There will be opportunities to purchase food for lunch, indoors and at a food truck, along with pretzels, desserts and Italian ices.
“Building on last year’s success, we decided to have the All Kids Fair at Samanea Mall again because of its spacious layout, high ceilings and excellent parking,” Barbara Kaplan, director of the expo, said. “As a result, we will be able to have many exciting opportunities for Long Island families to enjoy together.”
The All Kids Fair will have over 80 vendors, including camps, places to play, after-school activities, birthday party providers, travel, non-profits, college planning and many kid-centered products.
Kaplan said that she is “excited to have many new offerings, including the mobile STEAM lab bus and game truck in the parking lot near the petting zoo on Merchants Concourse, perpendicular to Old Country Road.”
This year’s list of activity areas has many new choices. There will be more than a dozen, including hip hop, two arts and crafts projects, sewing on a machine and fashion drawing, martial arts, musical chairs and soccer. Most of these areas will operate all day.
This fun-filled event offers exciting educational and leisure activities to interest kids and their families each year. The fair has opportunities for all ages, including kids who have special needs.
“It was hands down a beautiful event,” 2022 attendee Larissa Wright said. “Plenty for the kids to do…[a] fun-filled day. [We] would definitely come back next year and every year after!”
“Mr. & Mrs. Mouse, Alex & Andrea and the rest of our team would like to thank Barbara Kaplan [All Kids Fair Director] for putting together such an amazing event!” AA Entertainment & Events, an exhibitor who also acted as DJ at last year’s event, said. “It truly was a fun time for everyone!”
The All Kids Fair looks forward to seeing AA Entertainment & Events, including Mr. and Mrs. Mouse, again this year.
A charity drive to benefit Giving is Living, a local 501c3 that provides non-perishable food, including formula, to those in need, is a new addition this year. Those who donate boxed and canned food or money will receive raffle tickets to win great donated prizes.
Sponsors for the 2023 All Kids Fair are Saf-T-Swim, Jovia Financial Credit Union, All in 1 SPOT with TheraTalk, Acupuncture Wellness Services, Epic Escape Rooms LI, Clowns.com, Dave & Buster’s, Your Local Kids Source, Blank Slate Media, Litmor Publications/Garden City News, Long Island Media Group/South Bay’s Neighbor, Herald Community Newspapers and 516Ads.com/631Ads.com.
Tickets purchased in advance at www.AllKidsFair.com/Tickets are $5 for children ages 2 and up and adults. Tickets purchased at the door are $10 for children ages 2 and up and $5 for adults. Children ages 1 and younger are admitted at no charge.
Information about the expo is available at www.AllKidsFair.com
About the All Kids Fair
The All Kids Fair is an annual event organized by Specialty Connections. It showcases schools, after-school activities, places for kids to play, camps, childcare centers, kid-friendly products such as toys and books, and health/wellness products and services. For more information about all the events that Specialty Connections produces, visit www.SpecialtyConnections.com. For information about the All Kids Fair, visit www.AllKidsFair.com. Contact Barbara Kaplan at 516-621-1446.
