Farmingdale Celebrates 'Grand Re-Opening' Of Village

FARMINGDALE, NY — Farmingdale Village on Thursday afternoon celebrated its "grand re-opening" with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event, sponsored by the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, marked the "relaxed NYS Covid-related restrictions on our small businesses."

Small businesses throughout the world felt the economic impact of the months-long 2020 shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. But with the low COVID-19 positivity rating on Long Island and many people getting vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted the capacity restrictions on merchants in May.

"Welcome to the official reopening of Farmingdale Village," Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand told those who attended the event. "We are so excited to have some normalcy back."

He was joined by elected officials from the village, Town of Oyster Bay and New York state.

Town of Oyster Bay Councilman Tom Hand expressed the importance of small businesses.

"It's really the backbone of our economy," Hand said. "So we appreciate what you're doing here in downtown Farmingdale."

Joe Garcia, president of the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce, said he is excited that life resembles what it was like pre-pandemic thanks to more people shopping locally.

"We did our job," he said. "It's time to get back into our restaurants, it's time to get back into our bars. We did the hard work. Nassau County has led the way in vaccinations and lowest positivity rate. It just feels safe, doesn't it? So it's time to get back to the things that make life, life."

Ekstrand also announced that Farmingdale's bid to be officially known as the "Culinary Quarter" was approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The village is in the process of putting signage out. Farmingdale first announced its hope to use the nickname in November 2019 as a nod to its growing reputation as a destination for foodies.

The village is currently home to celebrity chef restaurants, ethnic cuisine, a diner, pastries, coffee shops, a pair of speakeasies, a brewery and more.

"We are officially designating the Farmingdale Village downtown area as the 'Culinary Quarter' to commemorate the many years of food excellence and diversity that our village offers," Ekstrand said back in 2019. "During the last few years, the village has quickly gained the reputation of becoming the go-to spot for couples, families and food connoisseurs for dining and nightlife."

Farmingdale Village also announced the launch of its business improvement district to allow merchants to better plan and pay for maintenance and enhancements to the village's downtown.