The Nassau Dad Drop: July 9th, 2026

Welcome to The Nassau Dad Drop, the free weekly guide to Nassau County family life - written by a dad who got tired of missing stuff.

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One of the things you always hear about having kids is how fun it is to relive your childhood through them. And it's true. Taking Niam to Disney was a blast. So was watching Toy Story with him for the first time.

But what I didn't anticipate was the other thing. Experiencing parts of his childhood that were never part of mine.

There haven't been many yet. I'm sure there will be more (his first AI friend?). But I just hit one this past week: going to summer camp.

I never went to camp growing up. Every summer I had the pleasure of visiting family in India instead. So while I spent my childhood summers eating naan and dodging the monsoon, he's spending his in a temperature controlled pool, eating ice cream at noon.

I'm not exaggerating. They serve ice cream. Every. Day.

He seems really happy though. He's making friends, playing games, swimming twice before lunch, and coming home absolutely wrecked in the best way.

I guess what I'm getting at is even if you can't give your kids everything you had, it feels pretty good to give them things you never got to have either.

This Weekend → 🎨 Long Beach Arts & Crafts Boardwalk Festival Nearly 40 years running, the festival lines the boardwalk with about 200 vendors, artisans and food along the shore. Stroll the boards, grab a bite, and enjoy the ocean breeze - one of Long Beach's signature summer weekends.
💰 FREE (boardwalk)
📅 Sat July 11 & Sun July 12, 10am-6pm
🔗 longbeachny.gov

This Weekend → 🎆 Rockville Centre Fireworks & Music A village tradition since 1993, and this year it doubles as an America 250 celebration. The South Shore Symphony Orchestra plays Broadway numbers, film scores and patriotic standards, then a Grucci fireworks show goes off synchronized to the music. Bring chairs and blankets. Viewing at Pette and Barasch Fields only.
💰 FREE
📅 Sat July 11, 7pm-9:30pm
🔗 rvcny.gov

Next Week → 🎡 Empire State Fair - FINAL WEEK & FINAL WEEKEND! The big one goes out with a bang. Dreamland Amusements' midway is anchored by The Wheel, a 110-foot Ferris wheel with 24 gondola cars (six riders each) that Dreamland calls "one of the tallest traveling wheels on the east coast."
💰 $10 gate | kids under 36" FREE | parking FREE | unlimited-ride wristband $42 gate
📅 Now through Sun July 19
🔗 empirestatefair.com

Next Week → 🎬 Movie Night: Paddington in Peru at Cedar Creek Park Part of Nassau County's free neighborhood movie series - bring a blanket and watch under the stars at Cedar Creek.
💰 FREE
📅 Tue July 14, at dusk | Seaford
🔗 nassaucountyny.gov/parks

Next Weekend → 🤠 Wild Wild West End at Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center A Western-themed family day of games, crafts and prize coins at the nature center. “Earn gold coins at different activities to redeem for a prize and ride off into the sunset with your loot.”
💰 FREE (vehicle-use fee may apply)
📅 Sat July 18, 10am-3pm
🔗 jonesbeachenc.org/events

🇮🇹 Massapequa Festa del Giglio (Italian Feast) A Long Island summer tradition unlike a standard carnival - the Giglio is a Neapolitan religious procession where an enormous tower is carried and "danced" through the streets, surrounded by music, food, rides, and zeppoles. One of the most distinctive cultural events on the Island.
💰 Free admission (pay for food/rides)
📅 July 30 - August 2
🔗 massapequa-giglio.org

⚾ Doc Adams Old Time Base Ball Festival at Old Bethpage Teams from multiple states compete in a weekend tournament under 1860s rules - the marquee vintage base-ball event of the year.
💰 Village admission $15 adults / $12 kids 5-12
📅 Scheduled Aug 8-9
🔗 oldbethpagevillagerestoration.org

Two Things:

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See you next Thursday,
Akash