The 24th Annual Village of Great Neck Street Fair comes to town Sunday, May 5, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Middle Neck Road, from Fairview Avenue to Hicks Lane. Touted as the ''number one best attended one-day event on Long Island,'' this year, for the first time, the fair will feature a petting zoo and pony rides. And this year, also for the first time, the Village of Great Neck is sponsoring the crafts fair.

For the first 23 years, the crafts fair was sponsored by the now defunct Great Neck Village Business Association, along with the village. When the GNVBA closed its doors this past year, the Village of Great Neck assumed the responsibility for continuing this highly successful crafts fair that is once again expected to attract over 30,000 visitors. David Lurie, former village trustee and owner of Lurie Realty Corp., chairs this year's event.

Mr. Lurie reports that the fair is being run by Showtiques again this year. As always, there will be over 200 ''quality'' exhibits, wonderful food courts, and more children's entertainment than ever before. The brand new pony rides and petting zoo promise a wonderful experience for the little ones, with ''child-friendly'' animals that have lots of experience with children. Just bring the younger set over to the Village Green.

Stilt-walkers, popular children's characters, and clowns will be on hand to greet the crowds throughout the day. And some of the crafts booths will be devoted to the younger crowd, with great activities such as face-painting and sand-bottle booths.

The wide range of crafts vendors include handcrafted pottery, stained glass, art, and jewelry, as well as fiber, wood, metal, and leather crafts. The list goes on and on, with a whole host of unique handcrafted items, perfect for Mother's Day, graduation and just about any special occasion. It's the shopping experience of the year! And admission is free!

Hungry? Just stop in to one of the two food courts, with one food court set up with sit-down dining. For sure, there will be some delicious lunch and snack choices for all tastes on ''fair day.''

Want to know a little bit more about the Great Neck peninsula? Local agencies and not-for-profit organizations will set up information tables right in front of the Village Green.

Oh, and in case of a ''rare'' rain event, the rain date for the crafts fair is Sunday, May 19, same time, same place.

See you at the fair!