The Halloween spirit arrived in Woodhaven as Council Member Joann Ariola and the Detective Brian “Smiles” Simonsen Foundation hosted the annual Fall Festival in Forest Park on Saturday, Oct. 25, celebrating the fall season with neighborhood fanfare.
From noon to 3 p.m., hundreds of parents and their children gathered at Victory Field for a joyous afternoon of pumpkin picking, arts and crafts, music sets, bounce houses, sweet treats and free T-shirts and caps.
At 11 a.m., Ariola and the Foundation held a dedication to Detective Brian Simonsen at the baseball field section in his memory. Simonsen served at the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct for 19 years before passing away from injuries sustained during the call of duty on Feb. 12, 2019.
Among the kid-friendly games featured at the community event were life-sized chess and checkers sets, a carnival-style Connect 4 grid and magician performances.
Nearby, at the closed road on Forest Park Drive, the Woodhaven Art Circle also joined the festivities, with local artisans showcasing their handcrafted pieces.
Various businesses and nonprofit organizations made an appearance at the Fall Festival, including representatives from the District Office of Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, The Forest Park Trust, Carrion Accident and Injury Attorneys, a law firm that specializes in personal injury cases led by Dennis Carrion, Esq., the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), The Detectives’ Endowment Association, EmblemHealth and more.
Jillian-Mae Prego, the community and volunteer engagement associate at The Forest Park Trust, discussed the nonprofit’s annual collaboration with the Fall Festival.
“We do this every year to provide our community with a lot of beautiful resources and also just a fun time celebrating the fall season,” Prego shared.
A representative from EmblemHealth, who declined to share their name, asserted that they felt proud to participate in the Fall Festival alongside elected officials, nonprofit organizations and the NYPD.
“Most of all, we want to share information about our health plans, so that people who don’t have health coverage get the coverage that they need,” they said. The representative added that residents can qualify for “free insurance with an OTC [over-the-counter] benefit of $200 a year.”
The representative further added that EmblemHealth recently launched the Community Food Security Initiative. The health plan provider invested $2 million to combat food insecurity in New York City.
The 2025 Fall Festival provided South Queens families with a vibrant seasonal celebration. As organizers plan for next year, there are plenty of upcoming neighborhood events for locals to participate in. For more information about future Forest Park events, click here.
