Sunshine & Good Cheer for Freedom Fest

By Katie McFadden

The sun was shining upon the 4th Annual Fall Freedom Fest on Saturday, October 18. Hundreds of neighbors came out to Beach 129th and 130th to enjoy a beautiful afternoon of live music, good food and drinks, and camaraderie among neighbors, as funds were raised to support a local in need.

The day kicked off at Callie’s with Wine with Sue playing to the crowd enjoying bratwursts, goulash and other German cuisine. Halfway through their set, they took a break as Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa came to address the crowd about his bid for mayor and take photos. Next up, Pete Brady was playing an acoustic set at recently renovated Pico, which was serving up pumpkin beer and frozen apple mules to wash down food specials. Panino Rustico-Baya Bar also joined in the fun with food and drinks specials. Harbor Light brought the crowd back outside as The Knobs took to the backyard stage to entertain while guests enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, and beer and wine specials, and ending the night inside with DJ Poppa D. And Jamesons kept the fun going into the night with the Michael Bruncat and Russell Paccione duo, followed by DJ Jamie.

Freedom Fest bracelets were sold leading up to and on the day of the event for $20 to access all of the music and specials, and as a fundraiser for a local family in need of help paying for medical expenses as a loved one deals with an illness. According to Sean Heeran, co-owner of The Harbor Light, who spearheaded Freedom Fest in 2022, Saturday’s event raised roughly $7,500.

“The event was a huge success. The weather was great, the bands were off the charts, and the people were amazing!” Heeran said. “Days like St. Pats and Freedom Fest, you truly appreciate living here. All establishments are very grateful for the support and the bracelet money raised is doing good things. Thank You!”