Oysters Rule
This September there will be a new way for Westchester residents to kick off the fall season.
Ever since she attended an oyster festival in Norwalk, Conn., event planner Jacklyn Lim was determined to bring it to Westchester.
Three years later, she has.
“In this economy you kind of have to make your own business and that”™s what we did,” said Lim, co-owner of Armonk-based JADE Creative events. “We brought it to the city of New Rochelle who was interested in working with us and helping facilitate the festival with usage of Five Islands Park.”
Westchester”™s Oyster Festival is being organized by Lim”™s company as well as her husband”™s marketing company, OSM Partners. Lim said OSM Partners is heavily funding the event; JADE is doing all the management.
“Five Island Park’s first Oyster Festival will include rides and games for all, entertainment consisting of local bands and acts, activities for the kids including shows, clowns, live acts, sand art and more,” Lim said. “Vendors will be selling food highlighting their establishment specialties while art, crafts and antique vendors will be able to sell their own creations.”
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One goal for Lim, a New Rochelle native, is to bring visitors from around the county to New Rochelle.
“I don”™t think people realize how wonderful New Rochelle really is,” Lim said. “New Rochelle is one of those cities that has so much potential. Everything”™s done in White Plains; New Rochelle is one of those cities that”™s up-and-coming.”
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Lim said her company does “a lot of work with the city of White Plains and now we”™re moving into the rest of Westchester.”
So far the festival has several sponsors for the event, including Mobile Card Cast, Guinness Diageo and Ray Catena Lexus. New Rochelle restaurants, including Posto 22 and Bella Bella, will provide food and desserts.
Mobile Card Cast has supplied a free mobile ID for the event so that people can text OYSTER to 88500 and immediately receive festival information directly on their mobile phone. They also become eligible for prizes such as free admission.
“We”™re looking forward to this event as becoming a major event for the city of New Rochelle,” said Bill Zimmermann, city commissioner of parks and recreation. “I”™m delighted that we”™re hosting it and hope that we will be quite successful.”
Zimmermann said the city hopes to host the festival on an annual basis if the inaugural event is a success.
“This is an opportunity to showcase one of our signature shoreline facilities and add an event to the calendar that isn”™t going to cost the city any money,” Zimmermann said. “I”™m excited with the potential; I hope the residents agree with me. This is something to look forward to.”
The Oyster Fest will kick off Sept. 25 from 4 to 9 p.m. and will continue Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.