The annual Columbus Day Fair will soon be upon us. The event each year brings hundreds of visitors from all over the island to our fair village. Main Street will be closed on Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7 for the Street Fair enabling the craft vendors to show their wares. I hope you will make time to come this Columbus Day weekend to experience firsthand one of the events that really brings out the best in our community. Many of our merchants will be having special "sidewalk" sales and offering daily specials. Be sure not to miss the highlight of the weekend, the Farmingdale Fire Department parade on Sunday night. It will kick off at 5 p.m. and proceed down Main Street ending at the Fire House. Whether you come for the parade, the rides or the shopping, please plan on making a day or night of it. Our village offers a wide variety of restaurants and eateries featuring a worldwide array of cuisines. From bagels to zeppoles, for breakfast, lunch, dinners or snacks there is a business waiting to serve you. Our shopping district not only offers you wonderful restaurants, but a potpourri of stores for all your needs: hardware, health and beauty, flowers, gifts, baked goods, printing and much more. Please take the time to walk the downtown area and see firsthand what our local merchants have to offer. Our fair town also has a plethora of professionals (doctors, dentists, accountants, lawyers) waiting to assist and care for you. While the majority of the stores and businesses are on Main Street, please remember that there are many other businesses within the village boundaries that will offer you the same savings and values. Fulton Street Plaza, Conklin Street and Route 109 all have a wide variety of stores to assist you with all your needs. Please try and make an extra effort to patronize the special businesses that support our local nonprofit and charitable organizations. To learn more about our local businesses you can visit our website (www.farmingdalevillage.com) and go to the Shop Farmingdale box on the left column. Click on the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce link to see the listings. You can also click on "shop locally" to get money-saving coupons for many of our local stores. Come out and join me and your neighbors and experience what makes our community so special.