Long Island Blog

There are a great many events to choose from across Long Island on this Memorial Day holiday weekend.  We list them seperately for Nassau and Suffolk.

Special Events Memorial Weekend in Nassau County

Bellmore
Bellmore Spring Festival
Bellmore Long Island Railroad Station
Arts, crafts, gifts and antiques
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday May 24, 2008 to Sunday May 25, 2008

Levittown
Annual Memorial Day Weekend Festival.
Tri-County Flea Market
A great place for kids and the whole family. This event has a midway, petting zoo, and best of all Grucci fireworks on Sunday.
noon - 11 p.m

Memorial Day Parade
South Hempstead
South Hempstead
Parade begins at 10 a.m. and is sponsored by the South Hempstead Fire Department.
Sunday May 25, 2008

Wantagh
Bethpage Federal Credit Union Air Show
Jones Beach State Park
This is the big event on Long Island this weekend. It feautres  the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and other civilian and military airshow performers. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Saturday May 24, 2008 to Sunday May 25, 2008

Special Events Memorial Weekend in Suffolk County

Bay Shore
Bay Shore-Brightwaters Memorial Day Services amd Parade
The services begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Bay Shore-LIRR Station.  They are sponsored by American Legion Post 365. The parade is at 10 a.m. on Main Street.
Sunday May 25, 2008

Calverton
Memorial Day Ceremony
Calverton National Cemetery
This is also one of the most kwon and well-attended Memorial Day events on Long Island. The ceremonies begin at 1 p.m. in the assembly area.  This year guest speakers include, Cong Timothy H. Bishop (D - NY-1st), Dawn Esposito Gold Star Mother, and Irene Trowell-Harris, Director of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Center for Women Veterans.  Many families attend this event.
Monday, May 26

Centereach
Memorial Day Parade
The parade begins at 1 p.m. at Henry Street.
Sunday May 25, 2008

Deer Park 
Italian Feast by the  Knights of Columbus
This yearly event includes great food, rides, games, live band,  pony rides cannoli eating contestand much more.
2 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Saturday May 24, 2008 to Sunday May 25, 2008

Riverhead
Memorial Weekend Festival
Palmer Vineyards
Wine tastings and live music.
11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday May 24, 2008

Montauk 
Montauk Fine Arts Festival
A juried art event featuring award-winning artists in ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber, glass, graphic arts. It is sponsored by the Montauk Chamber of Commerce.
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday May 24, 2008

Port Jefferson
Port Jefferson Juried Arts Festival
A well-known Long Island art celebration where local artists display their work on East Main St.  - it is hosted by Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council, rain or shine.
noon - 5 p.m.
Sunday May 25, 2008

Janaury is starting out with a bang for us at CitiDexLI, Inc.  Interest in online advertising by Long Island businesses is certainly picking up.  Most of our customers are small businesses that serve customers in a sepcific set of neighboring towns or  across all of Long Island.  These types of businesses realize that advertising in a local online directory are cost effective way to reach customers when they search for local businesses. In this Long Island blog we will be shifting our focus a bit.  We have several bloggers now covering life on Long Island in ways that fit their particular blog.  We hope to add more Long Island bloggers each month.  So please contact us soon. 

Many small businesses would benefit from blogging.  Its a great way to actively engage potential customers and maintain a relationship with your current customers.   In this Long Island Blog, we’ll be shifting our focus to writing about practical online marketing tips and tools for small and meddium businesses (SMBs).

This month’s New York Enterprise Report has a great article by Mithcell E. Tobol, “How do I determine which marketing tols are right for my business?” , that helps you put the options for online advertising in the right context.

Mr. Tobol is president of Tobol Group, Inc., a marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Port Washington, NY.  He offers some great marketing principles and strategies that apply to any sized business. Tobol focuses his advice on practical tactical suggestions that are especially useful for medimum size firms and small businesses (SMBs). 
 
The first prinicple is: get to know your customers.  And just about any business talks that talk today.  The key to success is walking the walk along the path that Mr.Tobol suggests.

The second principle is: develop specific measurable goals for your business.  This second step is more difficult but it is actually the first step in walking the walk.

The next step is make a media list.  Focus on the specific media and marketing tools that best fit your target customers.  And then the hard part - set a reasonable budget that you can afford and a budget that is realistic for your specific business goals.  In future posts we will focus on how business blogs can be used as force multipliers.  They can magnify the effect of your advertising placed in print, radio, TV and other media.

Mr. Tobol suggests using multiple media for both major types of small business marketing goals: lead generation and brand awareness.  And he ends with a focus on timing.  Timing really is the key to any marketing campaign. 

When a small business takes control of its own online content development, either through website copywriting, search engine optimization techniques or blogging, it can maximize the effects of timing in any marketing campaign.  We will be exploring these issues in details in future posts.

If you want to get direct assistance from us please review our Long Island advertising soultions.  We know our limits and our target market - we focus on Long Island’s small businesses.  If you are a large company or medium enterprise we suggest you review our full page for one of the leading advertising and public relation firms on Long Island.

Back at the end of 2007 the Long Island Business News announced their list of Long Island influentials. The LIBN staff issued their annual presentation of Long Island’s most influential people in business, government, education, philanthropy and civic life. The people on the list may not have a formal role or position in a business organization or public institution but they are seen as the local movers and shakers.

Katherine Heaviside, President of Epoch 5 Public Relation, was recognized among the leading figures in media and public relations firms on Long Island.  The LIBN staff described her accomplishments through the company she keeps:

“Look at the client list of Huntington’s Epoch 5 Public Relations and it seems every single organization, either for-profit or not, is represented by the firm Katherine Heavisde founded. In 25 years, Heaviside has been in the hunt, bagging big game such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, King Kullen, Cablevision, HIP Health Plan of New York and too-many-to-list power packed law and accounting firms. “

Anyone who knows business here knows that Heaviside has guided and influenced the most prominent corporations and institutions on Long island.  LIBN  also praise her service to local nonprofits and community organizations.

Epoch 5 Public Relations, located in Huntington NY, is Long Island’s largest public relations firm.  They provide a full range of media relations and PR services.  Epoch 5 represents leading firms in health care, real estate, energy, media, education, nonprofits, and professional services.

It is no doubt getting late for making your plans to go out to New Year’s eve parties.  Here are a few choices to consider on the north shore of Long Island in the Port Jefferson area.

One of the outstanding Port Jefferson village restaurants, 25 East American Bistro at Danfords on the Sound, is hosting a special New Year’s eve event. Visit the Danford’s website for more information. 

If you are  looking for an event featuring formal attire you should consider the  New Year’s Eve Black & White Gala.  It is being held at the Port Jefferson Country Club at Harbor Hill’s Lombardi on the Sound. 

The Three Village Inn in Stony Brook NY is offering a special dinner for their New Year’s eve celebration.  There are two seatingson December 31st.  The first is at 5 pm and the second is at 8:30 pm.  Visit the Three Village Inn event calendar for more details.

Many people going out for New Year’s eve celebration also use a limo service. Here are a few companies providing limousines in Port Jefferson for you to consider:

• American Luxury Limousine in Coram NY
• Austin Limousines in Coram NY
•    Harbor View Limousine in Stony Brook NY
• Jennie’s Limousine Service in Port Jefferson Station NY

A list of places to go if you are still making plans for New Year’s Eve at this late date.  Here is our Huntington NY restaurants offering a unique holiday menu:

• Jonathan’s Ristorante
  A great place for a dinner on New Year’s eve.  It receives consistent excellent reviews for its unique northern Italian cuisine.  Visit Jonathan’s Ristorante website for their New Year’s eve menu and pricing.
• Honu Kitchen & Cocktails
  Honu Kitchen is celebrating the New Year with a la carte small plates menu with holiday specials. A DJ will be on hand throughout the evening.  Visit the Honu Kitchen website for more information.
• Besito
  An authentic mexican restaurant.  A great spot for a casual New Year’s eve dinner in Huntington.  Visit the Besito website for more information and their menu.

The whole family can enjoy a NYE event at one of Long Island’s top bowling entertainmnet centers.  It has many of the dinner, drinks and other amenities you might find at a sports bar. It is a great place for the family during the day.  On New Year’s eve starting at 9pm there is an xtreme bowling party, featuring a light show and music videos.  For more information visit their New Year’s celebration website page. 

Senior citizens can enjoy a New Years Eve Party from noon to 3 PM at the Town of Huntington Senior Center.  It is located at 423 Park Avenue near the Cinema Arts Centre.

Well its snowing lightly this afternoon and we  have had a bit of snow this past week.  Winter has come early to Long Island.  But tonight the winter wonderland comes to Long Island - the offical Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Show in Bayport NY.  It is at Camp Edy in Bayport NY.

The event features a 3-D light show with a mile long trail in the woods.  There are themed attractions, holiday lighting, and a gift shop.  There is a $12 fee per car to enter.  The event runs daily from 5 PM to 9 PM.  The event starts tonight and ends on December 23rd.