Save the date of Sunday, May 3 from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m.! Round up the entire family! Put on your walking shoes! The occasion is the 20th Annual Great Neck Village Business Association Crafts Fair, which is literally 'just around the corner' in more ways than one for many of our readers. The fair is sponsored by the Great Neck Village Business Association (GNVBA) and the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), and produced by Showtiques, Ltd., who together have thought of virtually everything to make this the most memorable event ever for visitors and vendors alike. The designated rain date for the fair is Sunday, May 17.

According to Richard Stancati, GNVBA president and event coordinator, "We expect even more visitors than the 30,000 we saw last year." To accommodate the complex logistics of this special outdoor event, Middle Neck Road will be closed to vehicular traffic between Fairview and Hicks Lane from 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

In keeping with tradition, the Crafts Fair's main attraction will be some 260 exhibitors offering handcrafted pottery, stained glass, jewelry, fiber, wood, metal, art, leather and other unique items. Mr. Stancati noted, "This is a wonderful opportunity to purchase a quality, hand-crafted gift in time for Mother's Day, which is the following Sunday."

In addition, the many new features of this 20th Crafts Fair will help make the occasion even more special: enhanced participation, relaxation, refreshments, convenience, entertainment and tributes.

"For the first time ever, we are opening the fair to local residents who specialize in a craft and giving them a 'window' to become exhibitors," said Mr. Stancati. Interested residents should contact Steven Tashman of Showtiques, Ltd., at (516) 681-1176, who will jury their craft to determine if it is appropriate for the fair.

Local merchants in the vicinity of the fair are also being offered the opportunity to obtain booth space this year. They have been notified by mail and requested to keep their shops open that day, as well. Said Mr. Stancati, "It really makes for a community day ­ shoulder to shoulder, you have residents and merchants together."

Since visitors to any outdoor fair naturally work up a good appetite, two food courts will offer favorite fare this year. And, anticipating many fairgoers' need for a respite during their walking tour of the extensive fair, the organizers have arranged for tables and chairs at the food court adjacent to the Great Neck Music Store and The Bahama Shop, "so visitors can sit and relax and enjoy the day," said Mr. Stancati. The other food court is adjacent to The Bank of New York.

For those who are concerned about a scarcity of parking near this popular event, worry not! For the very first time, a free trolley will carry fair visitors from Bruzell's restaurant parking lot on Middle Neck Road near Old Mill Road, up to the southern perimeter of the fair at Great Neck Music. The trolley is being run in conjunction with the GNCC.

And what would an outdoor event be without music? The GNVBA has taken care of this, as well, by booking the Band of Long Island to perform on the stage of the Town of North Hempstead Showmobile on the Village Green at 2:15 p.m. Forty talented musicians will put on a free two-hour concert featuring pops and American tunes. Visitors are asked to bring their own chairs or blankets, so they can comfortably sit on the Green and enjoy the show.

Mr. Stancati has also announced a 2 p.m. puppet show, with free balloons, for children ages three through 10. The show will be adjacent to the official Crafts Fair hospitality tent on the Village Green at Beach and Middle Neck Roads. 'Young at heart' adults are invited to attend the puppet show with their children.

In preparation for this 20-year milestone fair, Richard Stancati recently obtained a reprint of page one of the April 29, 1979 Great Neck Record, which featured a photograph of the original Crafts Fair committee. The caption described the event as "a pedestrian promenade," and listed an array of entertainers, including a local belly dancer, a dance troop from North Shore Community Arts Center, two choirs, a theater troupe from Levels (the youth group at the Great Neck Library), a bluegrass singer and a Japanese dance group.

Mr. Stancati also researched the whereabouts of those who helped organize that first fair. "They have been invited to attend and join us for a photo to help relive the memories of 20 years of Crafts Fairs." An official tribute is planned for 1:30 p.m. in the hospitality tent at Beach and Middle Neck Roads, to recognize local dignitaries and the original committee members, several of whom are expected to attend.

Mr. Stancati participated as a merchant in the first fair, when he and his wife, Lolly, owned two local businesses, Lolly's Catering and Eastern Queens Home and Office Cleaning. The Stancatis went on to open the former, very popular Great Neck restaurant, The Kitchen. He recalls, "I became so involved in the fair that I became the chairperson in 1980 and 10 years later, I was named chairman of the board of the Great Neck Village Business Association."

Irving Zohn, owner of Kings Point Laundry, also remembers the first fair. "The Great Neck Village Business Association was active for a number of years. We thought it was time for us to spread our wings. We had no experience with such a big project. It turned out to be a very successful venture. The community was pleased, knowing that the merchants who made their living here also wanted to be part of the community. We did most of it ourselves. We blew up the balloons, helped mark the street for the crafts booths, and guided exhibitors to their parking spots. From then on, the annual crafts fair has been steadily improving and drawing bigger crowds."

Steven Tashman of Showtiques is pleased once again "to be working with such a fine organization as the GNVBA. This is going to be the best fair ever. We start getting a crowd early and set the pace for a non-stop day of crafts and entertainment."

Richard Stancati credits the assured success of this 20th anniversary fair to the joint efforts of residents, merchants, the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce, Nassau County Police, Alert Fire Company, Merchant Marine Academy and St. Aloysius Church.

"The whole community comes together at the Crafts Fair. This is really wonderful to see. If we had more days like this, I think our social life would be much improved. Great Neck is a high profile, challenged community and we are all working so hard to live here. On a day like this, the fruits of our labor come to fruition. "

"And remember, this is a launching pad for the upcoming summer season in Great Neck," summed up the always enthusiastic Mr. Stancati.