All Kids Fair has many new attractions

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 on Sunday, April 23, from 10-4:30, 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:

•Over 80 kid-centered exhibitors

•Over 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, rab-

bits, 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.

According to Barbara Kaplan, director of the expo, “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. 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. She continued 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.

2022 attendee Larissa Wright shared

“It was hands down a beautiful event. Plenty for the kids to do...[a] fun-filled day. [We] would definitely come back next year and every year after!”

AA Entertainment & Events, an exhibitor who also acted as DJ at last year’s event, enthusiastically added “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! 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