Northport’s Little Free Flower Stand

Photo provided by the Little Free Flower Stand.

This week, we’d like to spotlight a Mother’s Day inspired delight. For the previous 5 years, a little stand in Northport Village has offered free flowers to any friendly neighbor passing by. Viewable on Instagram here, The Little Free Flower Stand offers a regularly refreshed selection of seasonal blooms. Whether it’s lilacs, daffodils, or anything else, each little bouquet offers beauty and generosity. 

Their Insta account alone is great, and updates regularly with whatever they’re doing at the stand. It’s a nice reminder of how  some Long Island people devote time to adding character to their neighborhoods and giving others a little bit of joy.

The giving often goes farther than flora as they often accept donations for local charities. Right now all donations will go to benefit the Northport Pride Fest.  

 We hope you wander over to their account and take a look for yourself.

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Pal-O-Mine Invites You: “The Mane Event”

Join Pal-O-Mine Equestrian for “The Mane Event” this June, where they are excited to lean into celebrating the Year of the Horse! Ticket holders will get to meet the horses, complete horse themed art projects, and experience education stations and games suited for all ages. Children under 3 get in free. It’s a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon while helping Pal-O-Mine raise funds required to achieve their healing ambitions.

For more than 30 years, Pal-O-Mine Equestrian has been proving the healing power of horses. Their therapeutic equine program, serves children and adults with disabilities, those who have been abused or neglected, the military and the economically compromised. 

Read this article we wrote with Pal-O-Mine some years ago, visit their website to learn even more, then join them for a fabulous afternoon. 
 
What: “The Mane Event” Fundraiser benefiting Pal-O-Mine Equestrian
Where: Pal-O-Mine Equestrian, 829 Old Nichols Rd, Islandia
When: June 19, 2026, 2-6PM
Details: View the flier below, and visit www.pal-o-mine.org
 

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Tomorrow: Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

Photo of Randi Schubin Dresner and Steve Caputo with “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive sign provided by Steve Caputo. 

Island Harvest and our Mail Carriers are Making it Really Easy to Help!

This week, brown paper shopping bags were delivered along with the regular mail. Firefly Steve Caputo, a longtime volunteer for Island Harvest hopes you please won’t disregard it, or throw it away, but will instead fill them with food and toiletry essentials so they may be delivered to Island Harvest tomorrow. 

You see, on Saturday May 9th, 2026, The National Association of Letter Carriers and Island Harvest will carry out the nation’s largest one day food drive. 

It’s a real easy process. No need to go anywhere. No need to make any adjacent donations. All anyone on Long Island needs to do is place a bag of healthy non-perishable goods near their mailbox before their assigned mail carrier makes his regularly scheduled stop. A list of recommended donations can be found below. From there, Island Harvest receives the donation and distributes the food to over 300 food pantries across the island. There is no sign up. The mail carriers will be looking out at every stop to pick up any bagged non perishables

1 in 13 Long Islanders don’t know where their next meal is coming, and that number is growing. Last year over 600,000 meals were given out. According to their website, every donation comes from local and stays local. 

Please be a part of this. They couldn’t make it any more convenient. Just have your bag out by the mailbox by 9AM tomorrow, or at least before the mailman comes. Thanks!

For more information, visit the Island Harvest website.

List of Recommended Donations

– Canned or Dried Beans

– Peanut Butter

– Canned Fruits & Vegetables

– Low Sodium Soups

– Canned Tuna or Chicken

– Whole Grain Pasta & White Rice

– Shelf Stable Milk

– Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruits

Household Supplies, Toiletries, & Pet Food are also welcomed. Please no Glass containers. Do check expiration dates before participating.

About Island Harvest

Island Harvest Food Bank has been leading hunger relief on Long Island since 1992. Founded in 1992, the Island Harvest Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. We distribute fresh produce, meat and non-perishables throughout Long Island and assist thousands of Long Islanders daily through our innovative programming and network of community partners.

Grateful for Neighbors who Care

Thanks to Steve, we at the Firefly were able to deliver over 250 pounds of needed goods to people last winter. This time, folks don’t even need to come to a site like us, they just put their contribution out by their mailbox on Saturday! 

Said Steve, “Fighting hunger and food insecurity is a personal passion of mine. It is hard to imagine that almost a quarter million of our Long Island neighbors are impacted by food insecurity, not being able to afford to feed themselves or their families on a regular basis. Stamp Out Hunger is one very simple way that each of us can help to alleviate that hardship. As a volunteer photographer, I have had the privilege of witnessing the formidable coordination effort that goes into receiving, sorting, repacking and distributing the Stamp Out Hunger donations. Volunteers work over several days to get this food in and out of the warehouse and into the hands of those in need.

So please fill that brown bag (and more, if you can), and be sure to leave it by your mailbox on Saturday to help Stamp Out Hunger!”

Island Harvest Logo

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3rd Annual General Needs Gala

General Needs: People Who Provide the Basics

We remember when Lonnie Sherman was first struck by the number of veterans he’d met who were lacking the most basic items. His first response was to run out and buy a whole bunch of socks and underwear to donate. We met him soon after at a Huntington Rotary Meeting, when he had then committed to sharing his experience and asking others to join him.

That effort has blossomed into General Needs, a Northport-based nonprofit distributing necessary clothing, toiletries and other basic items directly to veterans. Since inception distributions have increased from sporadic to quarterly to monthly. According to the Long Island Times, by March 2025, the organization has donated 9,029 coats, 55,555 pairs of socks, 3,300 pillows and 10,224 boots.

Beyond their direct services, General Needs provides a helpful resources page on their website with links to other public and private organizations designed to help veterans. Check it out, there’s a lot there.

Upcoming 3rd Annual Gala

To support future distributions and to learn more about General Needs, you may join in their Annual Gala happening this June. Honoring Paule Patcher, Navy Veteran Mike Sweeney and giving out The Kathy Gibson youth award, General Needs will offer “an extraordinary dining experience with hand crafted cocktails where you will journey on the path showcasing how we support our veteran’s needs.”

The event will specifically support “The Welcome Home Project,” which provides household supplies and support to veterans. Your attendance helps ensure these veterans receive the stability, dignity, and support they deserve. 

Tickets range from $200 for general admission to $1,750 for a table of ten. Veterans pay a discount price of $150.

 It’s all for an amazing cause. We encourage you to click below and see more.

When: Friday, June 12th, from 6:30-11
Where: Leonard’s Palazzo, 555 Northern Boulevard, Great Neck, NY 11021
For More Information: Click here to visit General Need’s Website
To Purchase Tickets: Click here

Upcoming: Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Game

This June 12-13, look out for the 11th USA Patriots Amputee Softball Team’s, a.k.a. The National Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team game to be played on Long Island. Put on by Long Island local Joe Bartumioli, and split up over 2 days in June, “Impactful Friday,” and “Super Saturday” are all about veteran amputees demonstrating perseverance in action.

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Honoring the 250th Annivesary of the Declaration of Independence

Above, the logo for a Huntington Historical Society Project: “What Liberty Means to Me,” which collected reflections from all willing to offer them earlier this year. We look forward to seeing what they’ve captured. 

250 Years Ago, A Bold and Righteous Proclomation Was Made.

It has been 250 years since America’s lofty revolution and the remarkable war inevitably to follow. This July, we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a mighty document inscribing self-evident truths; truths clear to the enlightened men of the time and truths standing as guiding principles to those living in these United States since. 

In recognizing this arc of freedom, we celebrate words and ideas coming from not only those of the 18th century (who studied hard the thoughts of those who came before), but also the 19th, 20th and 21st.  We think about the creation of our Constitution, and the robust intellects and passionate hearts whose words and deeds have shaped our enchanting, individualist nation. We pray that folks take interest in the noble ideals in which this county is grounded, and give their best to uphold and strengthen them.

We remember Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; these and others who led us to realize the natural rights of millions, who led this body of United States to grow closer to its stated founding principals, and who made the idea of “America” an inspiration worldwide.

As we reflect on this poignant moment and the journey here, we encourage you to check out various ways our neighbors are celebrating the occasion. If you have your own related events to promote, many of these are good places to do that, too!

America 250: Celebrating Huntington, NY

John Daniello has put together a seven-month series that has been unfolding at the Huntington Public Library. It will be on view through July. This website serves as a companion piece, allowing the viewer “to dive even deeper into the exhibit with added details, stories and discoveries.”  It’s a fascinating look at the story of the Revolutionary War, and the particular role the Town of Huntington played in it. Not a bad place to start!

Huntington Historical Society

The Huntington Historical Society website offers a beautiful events tab where you can find tours of historical sites, and events connected to their “Liberty 250: Huntington Celebrates American Independence” project. Accessed directly through their homepage, you can find biographies of Revolutionary War Patriots, and a virtual tour of Huntington’s Revolutionary War Trail hosted by town historian Robert Hughes. We are excited to see the product of their “Liberty 250: What Liberty Means to Me” project, and are thinking a lot ourselves about that. 

We The People: A Conversation About Art & Democracy

One upcoming event will occur at the intersection of civic life and artistic expression: A Democracy Dinner, hosted by The Huntington Historical Society and the Heckscher Museum.
 
When: Thursday, May 14 from 6-8:30pm
Where: Dr. Daniel W. Kissam Property, 434 Park Avenue, Huntington
To Register: Visit The Huntington Historical Society website
 

There will be food, conversation, and human connection. Artists from the Museum’s Just Powers: Long Island Biennial 2026 exhibition will join as special guests, enriching this already ripe conversation. Looks like an interesting night! 

There’s a lot more going on, too! For starters, if you like the art aspect, this Historical Society is also hosting “Revolutionary Incidents in Huntington: Occupation & Resistance” in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial,  the Nassau County Museum of Art and the Long Island Museum each have fascinating exhibitions, and The East End Arts Council is working on a community street mural as part of it’s annual MOSAIC festival. We’re sure there’s more….for artists, historians, folks who care about civics and what it all means today. Lot’s more. Check it out: 

The Town of Huntington's Liberty 250 Page

The Town put together a planning committee of local heritage organizations and museums to plan and coordinate exhibits and programs commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As part of this, they have crafted a web page that offers an app on Bloomberg Connects that provides educational videos, an interactive map of local Revoluntionary War sites, and a calendar of events from organizations such as the Walt Whitman Birthplace, Lefferts Tide Mill & Preserve, Heckscher Museum, and Huntington Historical Society, 

Suffolk250.org

Exploring a little further afield, Suffolk County has worked with a an impressive array of local museums, cultural organizations, and historical societies to assemble Suffolk250.org, a website that invites you to explore and celebrate our region’s pivotal role in the American Revolution. There, you can find an interactive map of events throughout the county, get a passport book to log your own exploration, view a documentary series, and even sign up to plant a legacy tree.

Nassau County

Nassau County Tourism has put together Nassau County 250: It’s Revolutionary. According to the website, “a curated series of America 250 blogs and features, Nassau County Tourism highlights Revolutionary War landmarks, historic estates, presidential connections, and waterfront villages across the county. Each story is designed to inspire real-world exploration, encouraging you to visit the sites where history happened.” The website also lists events and programs occurring throughout the year. 

 

Discover Long Island

Last but not least, Discover Long Island, the full region’s one and only destination marketing organization, has it’s own page, LongIsland250. This, it promotes as “the official guide for commemorating & celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution on Long Island.” Designed to “showcase Long Island’s integral role in the Revolutionary War effort and profound ties to then Gen. George Washington, this site will serve as the ultimate guide for experiencing Long Island’s fascinating wartime history filled with spies and intrigue.”

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The Arts and Culture of Huntington Station

The Underpainting of a Paul B. & Phillip Young exhibition entitled, “CHEER UP” currently on view at Nautilus Roasting Company

Art Across Huntington Station

From the firehouse to underpass murals to the library walls, Huntington Station showcases its local art across places folks drive past and visit every day.

On a warm morning or a beautiful evening, you can grab a cup of coffee or a delicious bite, and see sculptures, murals, gardens, art centers, and gallery spaces. Suite Pieces offers space for local artisans. Nautilus Coffee is a work of art unto itself. More artists live here than we can count. There is history. There is culture. There is civic pride. Tastes of this are shared through public artworks created by folks who call Huntington Station home.

When putting together last autumn’s “Station Celebration of Arts & Culture” with the Huntington Station BID, we were delighted to work with the office of Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin to put together this list of art available to be seen for free across Huntington Station. Now that that we can feel the sun again, it’s a great time to share it!

For more information about great stuff going on in the Station, please join the Huntington Station Business Improvement District (BID)’s email list

List of Arts & Culture Points of Interest

Here’s the list of sites on the flyers pictured here. We know there are more. Let us know of them. Tell us about great places to catch a bite to eat, too!

1. Nautilus Coffee 📍 1249 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 A work of art in itself — owned by a local history enthusiast. Features a rotating gallery space; artist Kristen Memoli (HS resident) is on view through October. Great place to start your walk and grab a coffee!

2. “Generations” Sculpture 📍 Median outside Nautilus Coffee (New York Avenue) Artist: Madeline Wiener Installed: 2012 A public sculpture celebrating the connection between generations and community roots.

3. Suite Pieces 📍 1038 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 📍 1038 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Founded by Amanda Peppard, Suite Pieces is a three-story design showroom and creative hub featuring Long Island’s largest wallpaper library, custom furniture, and The Shops at Suite Pieces — a marketplace of local artists and makers.

4. Huntington Station Library 📍 1335 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Two murals in the front vestibule by the Tiny Arts Council. Splashes of Hope painted a joyful mural in the Young Adult Room. Also features the Old Station Exhibition near the meeting rooms.

5. Assembly of God Church 📍 1700 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Brand-new mural painted by Officer Kent (2nd Precinct), completed last weekend.

6. Gateway Garden 📍 Lowndes Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Community garden space featuring local art and environmental projects. Home to one of Lucienne Pereira’s murals.

7. Huntington Manor Fire Station Statue 📍 1650 New York Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Bronze sculpture honoring the courage and service of local firefighters.

8. Spirit of Huntington Art Center 📍 2 Melville Road, Huntington Station, NY 11746 Inclusive community art center offering programs for artists of all abilities. Exhibitions, art therapy, and classes — a must-see final stop.

9. Murals Along New York Avenue 📍1450 New York Avenue – Mural by Segundo Orellana @orellana_art on Instagram 1705 New York Avenue – “Car Mural” 1548 New York Avenue – Huntington Deli Mural Gateway Gardens – Mural led by Lucienne Pereira Family Service League Mural – Also led by Pereira; focuses on unity and community. 211 Depot Road (B.C. Communications) – Bright community-themed mural.

Signal Box Art Installations Route 110 Corridor 📍 “Check Me Out” Artist: Karmira Mohanty (Farmingville, NY) Location: NE corner of Rt. 110, Seaman Rd. & Jacobson Ave. Medium: Digitally printed vinyl wrap 📍 “Radio” Artist: John A. (Jack) Pierce (Huntington, NY) Location: NE corner of Rt. 110 & E. 12th St. Medium: Digitally printed vinyl wrap 📍 “Rubber Ducky Party” Artist: Roy Biederman (Roy Arthur Photography, Patchogue, NY) Location: SE corner of Rt. 110 & E. 13th St.  Medium: Digitally printed vinyl wrap 📍 “Image of Guitars” Artist: TBD (seeking info) Location: Corner of Rt. 110, E. 15th St. & Railroad St. Medium: Digitally printed vinyl wrap

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day!

Independent Book Store Day logo provided by the American Booksellers Association

With World Book Day happening April 23 and Independent Bookstore Day arriving on Sunday April 26, it’s a good time to remember to shop local. In local bookstores, you often see current events on one side, immortal stories that have entertained for 500 hundred years on another, and in the middle series of books that tell tales of how we got from the old to the new.

At Northport Books, down by the Firefly, they are getting started Thursday night! (See flyer below). At Theodore’s Books of Oyster Bay, another local book store we know well, events will be held with authors from the 26th to the 29th. They will also have a number of exclusive items on sale. Details can be found at their website.

We love watching the extraordinary child of Book Revue, The Next Chapter develop. While sad to see Finley’s gone, we are excited to learn about Published in this great article by Melissa Farrell of Going Local LI 

Below, please see an incomplete list of these and other local book stores. We encourage you to check out their websites and see if they will be hosting events. If not, go check them out anyways. Book stores are a treasure from winter to summer and back again. Some bookstores may not be listed. We’d love to learn about your favorites! 

List of Book Stores, ordered by hamlet: 

16th Annual Huntington Station Spring Clean-Up

16th Annual Spring Clean-Up

The Friends of Huntington Station Latin Quarter is holding its 16th Annual Spring Clean-Up on Sunday, May 3rd. 

Sponsored by Palacios Law Group, Huntington Matters, Quality Island Landscaping, and the Huntington Station Business Improvement District (BID); the flyer states, “Join our efforts to make Huntington Station clean & welcoming. All are invited to help us beautify & instill pride in our community.” 

We are grateful for all the folks who come together each year to make this happen. Those involved say it’s a wonderful way to serve the community, and catch up with neighbors. Not only does it make a tremendous difference at the time, the cleanup effort inspires others to keep things nice throughout the year. 

What: Friends of Huntington Station’s 16th Annual Spring Clean-Up
Where: 1399 New York Ave, Huntington Station
When: Sunday, May 3 at 1pm
For More information: Call 917-836-8772, email info@hslq.org, or visit them on Facebook.

Pal-O-Mine Murder Mystery Dinner Fundraiser

Pal-O-Mine Logo

Here’s a fun way to support an awesome, healing organization: Pal-O-Mine’s upcoming murder mystery dinner. It provides immediate amusement, while giving us an opportunity to provide enduring support. 

For more than 30 years, Pal-O-Mine Equestrian has been proving the healing power of horses. Their mission, which involved healing through their therapeutic equine program, serves children and adults with disabilities, those who have been abused or neglected, the military and the economically compromised. 

Read this article we wrote with Pal-O-Mine, visit their website to learn even more, then join them for a fabulous evening. 
 
What: Murder Mystery Dinner Fundraiser benefiting Pol-O-Mine Equestrian
Where: American Legion Babylon Post 94, 22 Grove Place, Babylon, NY 11702
When: March 28, 2026, Doors Open 6:30, Dinner Begins 7:15
Details: $40 tax deductible ticket includes dinner, An Interactive Murder Mystery Show, Door Prizes, and access to 50/50 raffle baskets.
Contact: Pat Enright 631-428-5407 (Text), Erin Horn 631-807-1549, or stop by the bar at Post 94 and see Margaret.
 www.pal-o-mine.org
 
Please note: Tickets are limited. Early purchase is encouraged.