Italian celebration a go despite conflict

By MARTIN WILBUR

Mount Kisco officials granted the Italian American Club of Northern Westchester a permit to operate its three-day heritage festival the first weekend of October despite concerns over a conflict with the Hispanic Heritage Festival.

In a 4-1 vote, the Village Board’s action last week allows the Italian American Club to hold its festival from Oct. 2 to 4. The event will include a carnival with rides in a portion of the South Moger parking lot, outdoor food, vendors and music in Kirby Plaza during all three days. There will also be a car show on Sunday in the lot.

The Hispanic Heritage Festival, shown above, will share Saturday, Oct. 3 with the Italian Heritage Festival this year, which is taking place the same weekend. Concerns were raised by Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer who contended the two events should not overlap. RECORDER FILE PHOTO

The Hispanic Heritage Festival will take place in and around Fountain Park between the library and Village Hall on Saturday, Oct. 3, from noon to 6 p.m. 

During the nearly one-hour discussion, Mayor J. Michael Cindrich asked the Italian American Club to delay the start of the carnival rides until 4 p.m. on Oct. 3 to limit overlap. The festival’s other activities will begin at its requested time of noon.

Despite the approval, there was debate about whether the celebration would be too much for the village to handle, particularly with parking. The dissenting vote was cast by Deputy Mayor Karen Schleimer who argued that not only could the activity near the train station impede commuters but that the downtown parking could be overloaded with the simultaneous events.

She mentioned that approving the Italian Heritage Festival on Saturday during the day would be unfair to the Hispanic Heritage Festival. Schleimer said the Hispanic festival organizers made their request for Fountain Park early in the year, as opposed to the Italian American Club, which forwarded its request for consideration in late June.

“The problem that I have here, and I think no one would have had a problem had you come forth and had requested the date of Oct. 3 in February,” Schleimer told Filippo Simone of the Italian American Club and Locali Pizza Bar & Kitchen owner Ben Meluzio, two of the event’s organizers. “The Hispanic festival group had requested this date in March. The fact that you have retained vendors without approval from this board as to a date is not our problem, and I think we have never had village-sponsored events that conflict with each other.”

Mayor J. Michael Cindrich and Trustee Tom Luzio pushed back, pointing out that there have been numerous instances where events occurred at the same time. It happened most recently on Aug. 6, when the Mount Kisco Arts Council’s concert series at Fountain Park conflicted with the annual National Night Out where Westchester County police officers interact with community members for several hours.

“I think both of these events could feed off of each other,” Cindrich said of the two heritage festivals.

Luzio reiterated that it’s not unprecedented that there are two events in one day.

“I would just implore everybody that put out these events to work with their partners and work with other individuals that are putting on other events,” Luzio said.

Meluzio said set up for the carnival will begin in a portion of the South Moger lot during the day on Thursday, Oct. 1, and will be removed by Monday morning, Oct. 5. The carnival will take up 16 parking spaces in the lot and another four that are leased to Mario’s Pizza & Pasta for its customers after receiving permission from that establishment’s owner, he said.

With the Hispanic festival and the second day of the Italian Heritage Festival occurring on Oct. 3, visitors could take in both, Meluzio mentioned. He also said that their ownership group is one of the largest employers of Hispanic American employees in Mount Kisco with its six restaurants.

“Most of our employees live in Mount Kisco and I’m sure they’re not going to have an issue with going to our event as well as the Hispanic Heritage event,” Meluzio said. “Mount Kisco is a very large town. We’ve hosted events like this in much smaller towns where you had two events that have gone on. So, if we need to push the carnival four hours ahead that’s not an issue. But to shut everything down and to open at a later time, logistically it’s an issue.”

Mount Kisco resident and business owner Miguel Duarte said he doesn’t see a problem with simultaneous events. If anything, it would likely benefit both festivals, he said.

“I think it will drive more people to Mount Kisco and we’re not talking about the same place,” Duarte said.

Schleimer also noted that Sunday’s activities could interfere with the Mount Kisco Farmers Market, which is now at Kirby Plaza. However, farmers market director Nicole Sturomski said there would be “nothing but positive impact” from coinciding with the Italian Heritage Festival.

While Trustee Tammy Brown had some reservations about the scheduling of both festivals for Oct. 3, she supported the resolution to grant the permit for the Italian Heritage Festival.

But Schleimer, who suggested a first-come, first-served policy to reserve dates that was dismissed by the board, said the scheduling sends the wrong message.

“I think we’re setting a precedent and I think it’s unfortunate, and I don’t think people who follow the rules should be disadvantaged,” she said. 

The Italian American Club’s festival will also be held Friday, Oct. 2, from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday, from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.