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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🧔🏽♂️ Dad Thoughts: Did you know…
June is Men’s Mental Health Month. Which makes June 21st Father’s Mental Health Men’s Day 🤯.
So before the BBQs and the bad ties, a few things worth knowing. The good news first.
Fatherhood is core to who men are. 85% of U.S. dads say being a parent is one of the most important parts of their identity. (Pew Research Center, 2023)
And they love it. Most say parenting is enjoyable (81%) and rewarding (79%) all or most of the time. (Pew, 2023)
We are able to show up more than our own dads did. Fathers have nearly tripled their time with their kids since 1965. (Pew, "Modern Parenthood")
And the longest happiness study ever run? After 85+ years, its clearest finding is that good relationships keep us happier and healthier than money, fame, or genes ever could. (Harvard Study of Adult Development)
So family is everything to us. We know this. We feel it. Even at 6am on a Saturday.
But here's the part we don't talk about.
Men die by suicide at nearly 4 times the rate of women. (NIMH, 2023)
The share of men with no close friends has jumped fivefold since 1990, from 3% to 15%. (Survey Center on American Life)
The percentage of men with at least six close friends cut in half. From 55% down to 27%. (Survey Center on American Life)
And 40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health. (Priory Group)
We've never loved our families more, never been more present as dads, never had clearer proof that connection is the whole ballgame.
And yet, we're lonelier than ever. We've quietly let our friendships go. We've stopped reaching out. We're carrying things we never say out loud. The thing we're best at - showing up for the people we love - is the exact thing we forget to do for ourselves.
So this month, right now even, do the dad thing. Be the example. Text the men in your life. Text a friend right now - trust me, they'll be happy to hear from you. I know, because I'm always happy to hear from mine.
Reach out. Because the only thing better than watching the game in silence is watching the game in silence with a friend.
If you’re reading this and have been carrying something quietly, the single most evidence-backed move is to tell one person. Friend, family or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988.
🚗 FAMILY FUN FIELD TRIPS
Dad-approved outings.
This Weekend → Nassau Reptile Expo at the Cradle of Aviation Museum 🦎 Over 175 tables of reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate breeders and vendors take over the museum - snakes, lizards, frogs, the works. Your admission also gets you into the Cradle's aircraft and spacecraft galleries, so you get two museums in one.
💰 Children $11, Adults $17
📅 Sat, June 13 | 9:30 AM-4:00 PM
🔗 nassaureptileexpo
This Weekend → Massapequa Historical Society Strawberry Festival 🍓 An old-fashioned strawberry festival - fresh Long Island strawberries, homemade shortcake, hot dogs, the Banjo Rascals playing live, a kids' table, games, raffles, face painting, and tours of the historic Old Grace Church complex. The first big outdoor event of the Massapequa summer.
💰 Free admission (pay for food/treats)
📅 Sat, June 13 | 10:00 AM-4:00 PM
🔗 massapequahistoricalsociety.org
Juneteenth Jubilee at Valley Stream State Park ✊🏾 New York State Parks' second annual Juneteenth Jubilee, with cultural entertainment, cultural food, information booths, interactive activities, children's games and inflatables. The 2025 inaugural edition drew a crowd with a Long Island Nets dance performance and kids' basketball clinic.
💰 Free (a vehicle use fee may apply at the park entrance)
📅 Fri June 19, 12pm-4pm
🔗 parks.ny.gov
👨🏼 FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND
Beyond the backyard BBQ.
Long Island's Juneteenth Cultural Festival ✊🏾 Long Island's largest Juneteenth celebration, hosted by Black Legacy Partners and the NAACP Hempstead Branch at the Hicksville LIRR outdoor grounds. Expect 60+ vendors, food trucks, live performances and a Father's Day marketplace highlighting Black-owned brands and giftable goods for dads.
💰 Free
📅 Sat June 20, 12pm-6pm
🔗 instagram.com
AutoMat 70th Anniversary Car Show Party 🏁 300+ customs, classics, antiques and exotics in Hicksville.
💰 Free for spectators
📅 Sat June 20, 8am-2pm
🔗 eventbrite.com
Long Island Ducks Father's Day BBQ ⚾ The Ducks host an all-you-can-eat Father's Day Barbecue in the picnic area before the game, plus a pregame Catch on the Field and Kids Run the Bases afterward.
💰 BBQ package $45 adults / $40 kids ages 4-9 (game ticket included)
📅 Sun June 21, BBQ gates 12:05pm, game 1:35pm
🔗 liducks.com
Father's Day Car Show at Merrick Train Station 🚗 THE on-the-day classic car show, right at the Merrick LIRR station - free, easy and very dad.
💰 Free for spectators
📅 Sun June 21, 9am-3pm
🔗 facebook.com
✏️ PENCIL IT IN
Future you will be glad you read this.
SUMMERFEST at Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard 🎶 A high-energy summer kickoff from We Are Live - DJs, vendors, games, and a portion of proceeds going to Tunnel to Towers. Use promo code: NASSAUDADDROP for $5 off your ticket!
💰 Tickets from $24 with $5 off code NASSAUDADDROP
📅 Sat June 27 | 12 PM - 7 PM
🔗 posh.vip/e/summerfest
FourLeaf Air Show and Fireworks at Jones Beach ✈️ The U.S. Navy Blue Angels are joined by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows and the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.
💰 $10 vehicle use fee | Chalet upgrades available
📅 Sun July 5 - Mon July 6
🔗 fourleafairshow.com
🔥 Worth the Scroll
The good stuff buried in the feed.
🍩 Duck Donuts Made-to-order, dipped and topped however you want, and best eaten warm before you even get home.
🔗 duckdonuts.com
🍽️ Sofia’s Empanadas in East Meadow. Family owned and operated, their second location after Brooklyn. Outstanding empanadas with a variety of fillings in white or yellow flour, plus other Colombian specialties.
🔗 sofiasempanadas.com
Two Things:
Forward this to Nassau County parents you think would appreciate it.
Hit reply and tell me anything - what you liked, what you want more of, what I missed. I read every single reply.
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See you next Thursday,
Akash