The Town of Hempstead Department of Parks and Recreation 2002 fall schedule of events and programs, highlighted by the Family Festival and the Rock Hall Country Fair, is now available on www.townofhempstead.org.

Town Park Lido Beach is the site for the Family Festival, a two-day, fun-filled event, featuring savory seafood dishes, children's activities and live music. The festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. One of the new features at the festival this year is the New York Islanders Community Patrol (Sunday only).

On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19 and 20, the 17th Annual Country Fair will take place at Rock Hall Museum in Lawrence. Enjoy live country music, make your own scarecrow, stop by the animal farm and much, much more. The fair is open 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days.

Create harmony and balance in your life by attending the Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") workshop at the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion in Hempstead on Fridays, Oct. 4 and 11 from 8 to 10 p.m. Feng Shui is translated as wind and water, which are the forces that shape our existence, and is best viewed as a science and interpreted as an art. This series will help create surroundings that uplift your mood, boost your energy and increase your prosperity.

Guardino mentioned, "There are plenty of fun activities planned for the kids this fall at our town parks and facilities. We have scheduled Halloween and holiday shows and CAP (Children and Parents Working Together) programs, as well as our popular arts and crafts sessions, which run throughout the fall at various parks."

Anna Epstein Kravis performs an entertaining show of Halloween songs and stories in "Spooky Tunes" for two shows on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Levittown Hall and Echo Park. The children's holiday shows come into Hempstead Town in late December. The Magic Al Garber Show entitled What A Knock Out will take place on Friday, Dec. 27 at Echo Park for two shows. On Saturday, Dec. 28, Peter and the Wolf appear on the stage at Levittown Hall for a pair of shows.

On Oct. 19, CAP will feature a special afternoon of magic with popular Long Island magician Vincent "J". December's early holiday CAP project will feature the creation of a beautiful household decoration.

An important program that the town provides year-round is the Safe Child Program. "This fall the Safe Child Program will occur on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at Levittown Hall and Thursday, Oct. 24 at Echo Park," said Guardino. "Sponsored free of charge, our workshops offer a unique approach in teaching youngsters and parents side-by-side about safety."

The Town Hall Concert Series features three Sunday shows this fall at the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion. All shows begin at 3 p.m. Hear world-class bluegrass and acoustic music as Orrin Starr and The Sultans of String perform on Oct. 6. Celebrate Veterans Day Weekend at the Pavilion with the New York Brass Choir concert, From Bach to Broadway and America on Nov. 10. The Goldspiel/Provost Classical Guitar Duo brings their mix of baroque, opera, pop and jazz to the Pavilion on Dec. 8. For ticket information by phone, call 292-9000, ext. 382.

Supervisor Guardino added, "This season, we will continue our popular Adventure Tours, offering three bus trips. On Tuesday, Oct. 8, visit the Mohonk Mountain House in Duchess County. A trip to the Metropolitan Museum is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 29. On Wednesday, Dec. 4, enjoy a holiday excursion on Long Island, featuring a stop at the Three Village Inn at Stony Brook."

Also, check out www.townofhempstead.org for information on Everybody Dance, a fun-filled evening of ballroom dancing at Levittown Hall on Saturday, Nov. 23 and for important dates for those interested in participating in the many programs and classes offered at Town of Hempstead parks.

"Town residents have the opportunity to choose from a variety of classes and programs taking place throughout our parks system," said Councilman Anthony Santino. "Lessons are offered in swimming and diving, golf, tennis, Tai Chi, karate/self-defense, yoga, and various cultural arts classes, including dancing, drawing, stone and wood carving, bridge playing, quilting and clay modeling."

The highly acclaimed ANCHOR program continues its fall program for residents with disabilities, five years of age and older. Also, you can find information at our site on how to become an ANCHOR volunteer.

For classic music, opera and art enthusiasts, the town offers the popular Town Hall Lecture Series in music history and art history. Programs begin on Oct. 1.

"To get more information on all our parks activities, hyperlink to: www.townofhempstead.org/home/tohrc/reparkrc.htm or call the Department of Parks and Recreation at 292-9000. In addition, get the latest town news and view our calendar of town events," concluded Guardino.