Special events

The proposed revisions would generally roll back many of the procedural requirements adopted in 2018 and 2019 that were made after various town departments brought complaints about the existing code to the Town Board.

The proposed code amendment, like a proposal before the board a year ago, would eliminate or substantially modify code requirements that have been in place for 20 years as well as roll back others adopted in 2018 on the recommendation of a working group of town employees involved in the permitting process and public safety. 

The Riverhead Town Board gave a unanimous thumbs-down to the application to hold a second "Latin Music Festival" at the 4-H Camp June 12.

Traffic was at a standstill on Sound Avenue Sunday afternoon in the area of the Nassau County 4-H Camp, where a music festival exceeded its maximum permitted attendance. Town police shut the event down for safety reasons, Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said.

The proposed Special Events Law amendments, the subject of a town board public hearing last week, would slash the time town officials would have to review and approve special event applications and drastically reduce the amount and type of information required to be provided by event promoters in their permit applications.

Reminisce with us as we take a look back at annual events that take place in Riverhead. Enjoy these photos we took at past community events. Most were taken in 2019, with a few from a year or two before.

Special events taking place before June 18, like the Riverhead Rotary Club's annual garden festival, will be able to get permits under the old rules, if the town board approves an 'amnesty period' proposed by Councilwoman Jodi Giglio. The plan is set for an April 2 public hearing.

After coming under fire over new rules for special event permits, town board members are scrambling to amend the rules so a popular consignment sale can go forward next month.

The town is assessing the types of events held in Riverhead and their impacts on traffic, and may impose limits on the number of big-draw events allowed to occur simultaneously or on the same weekend. It is also considering a fee hike for the required permit to better cover the town's costs associated with the event.

The North Fork Horseradish Festival will be held in Polish Town this year, if the Riverhead Town Board approves a special event permit application...