May 23, 2026 · Updated May 23, 2026
Long Island's June calendar brings a run of outdoor events across Nassau and Suffolk counties, from the South Shore Mall Carnival opening in Bay Shore this week to the Bellmore Fireman's Fair at month's end. Here are five community events worth adding to the calendar before summer fully kicks into gear.
June arrives on Long Island with a full slate of outdoor events running from bayfront carnival grounds to state park woodland tours and the season's first fair circuit. For residents looking past Memorial Day weekend, here are five events spread across Nassau and Suffolk counties worth knowing about as summer gets underway.
Most of these events require no advance ticket purchase to attend, and several are free to enter. The carnival-circuit events open the summer with familiar midway rides and food stands; the Connetquot tour offers quieter guided nature programming for families who prefer a forest walk to a fairground.
Thursday, May 28, through Sunday, June 7 | 1701 Sunrise Hwy., Bay Shore
Dreamland Amusements sets up at the South Shore Mall in Bay Shore starting this Thursday for an 11-day run of rides, games and fair food. The carnival runs daily through June 7. Bay Shore is accessible via the LIRR Babylon branch, and the mall is a 10-minute rideshare from Bay Shore station. Admission to the grounds is free; individual ride tickets and packages are sold on-site. Hours are typically noon to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.
Sunday, June 7 | Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
Connetquot River State Park Preserve in Oakdale runs a guided family tour of its 19th-century historic clubhouse and working gristmill on June 7, with two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The 3,473-acre preserve covers some of the most ecologically intact freshwater habitat on Long Island, with live trout streams, old-growth woodland and a fish hatchery in continuous operation since the 1860s. Registration is required; details and pricing are at parks.ny.gov.
Thursday, June 11, through Sunday, June 21 | Suffolk County Community College
The Long Island FunFest returns to Suffolk County Community College for an 11-day run of rides, midway games and live entertainment. One of the largest county fair-style events in the region, the FunFest typically draws tens of thousands of visitors over its run and anchors the early-summer family entertainment calendar for central Suffolk County. Full hours, pricing and vendor details will be posted closer to the opening date at suffolkcc.edu.
Thursday, June 11, through Sunday, June 21 | 313 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove
Running concurrently with the FunFest, Dreamland Amusements operates a second carnival at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, on Middle Country Road in the Town of Smithtown. The Smith Haven location gives North Shore families a closer option without the drive to central Suffolk. Free parking surrounds the mall; the carnival runs rain or shine with no admission charge to the grounds.
Thursday, June 25, through Sunday, June 28 | Bellmore Train Station, Sunrise Hwy., Bellmore
The Bellmore Fireman's Fair closes out June with four evenings of rides, games, live music and food adjacent to the Bellmore LIRR station on the Babylon branch. The fair is run by the Bellmore Fire Department and draws families from throughout Nassau's South Shore communities. Admission to the fairgrounds is free; ride tickets are sold on-site. The Bellmore train platform is steps from the fairgrounds.
For a full list of Long Island events running through August, including free outdoor concerts, waterfront festivals, farmers markets and beach programs, check events.longisland.com or discoverlongisland.com. The summer calendar is updated weekly, and several community fairs and North Fork concert series have announced their full 2026 schedules in the past two weeks.
