Larchmont 100 – A Celebration of Larchmont’s Centennial – Planned for Sunday, October 24

The board of the Larchmont Boulevard Association has decided to move ahead with plans to close the street for a 100th birthday party for Larchmont Blvd. on Sunday, October 24, 2021. The decision comes after much back and forth discussion about the viability of planning a large public event in this uncertain lingering pandemic environment.

Officially titled “Larchmont 100, A Centennial Celebration,” and scheduled for late October when the annual Family Fair would normally occur, LBA leaders say this event will be more like a street festival with music, food and community-focused events. Last year, the group was forced to cancel its annual Larchmont Family Fair because of pandemic restrictions.

Larchmont 100 co-chairs Dr. Tim Gogan and Betsy Malloy, veterans of dozens of Larchmont Family Fairs, told the Buzz they plan to make the centennial celebration different because it’s a special milestone in the community’s history. (The Buzz is a member of the LBA and this writer serves on the LBA board.)

“Our plan is to create a festive celebration for the 100th anniversary of Larchmont,” Gogan, a local dentist who also serves a member of the LBA Board, told the Buzz. “We want this to be a true community celebration. It will feel more like a street festival with a jazz concert and beer garden that Betsy’s organizing with her sons Brendan and Emmett Malloy, whose craft beer “M. Special” is a neighborhood favorite.  Another part of the street will have dedicated stage and dance floor for dance performances, a marionette show and a kids’ talent show. We hope to have some favorites like the dunk tank and the pie baking contest, plus some new events like a pancake breakfast and a pet parade. We are inviting schools and other non-profits to set up booths with old fashioned carnival games reminiscent of 100 years ago in the city parking lot. We hope all the shops and restaurants on the street will be open and participate in the festivities, since it’s really a celebration of the businesses on the street and the special community we have created over the past 100 years.”

Tailwaggers,  Chevalier’s Books, Rhodes School of Music, Landis Stationery, Village Heights, and Daas Optique are among the businesses that have told the Buzz they are planning to join in the festivities. Vernetti Restaurant and First In Fire Foundation will be helping the Buzz organize the pancake breakfast, so stay tuned for more details!

Because the event will take place outside, LBA leaders are cautiously optimistic they can recoup their costs, despite the currently rising COVID-19 infection rates among unvaccinated residents. In the next several weeks, LBA boardmember Vivian Gueler will be reaching out to local businesses and others to support the event with sponsorships. All sponsorship funds will be used to underwrite the cost of the tent rentals, city permits, insurance and other costs. Gueler can be reached at [email protected]. Suggested donations for tickets for Larchmont 100 will be $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for kids under the age of 14.

Watch the Buzz for more updates as details become available. We’re excited to be part of Larchmont 100th birthday celebration!