Greenburgh’s first food festival is brainchild of four local students promoting diversity

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• Greenburgh’s first food festival, “Flavors of Greenburgh,” will be held on June 21st.
• The festival, organized by four student interns, aims to showcase the town’s culinary diversity and promote local businesses.

Four student interns working at the Greenburgh Supervisor’s Office have organized the town’s first food festival highlighting the area’s culinary diversity.

“Flavors of Greenburgh” will run June 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot next to the Hartsdale train station. It’s the brainchild of Yaniv Dardashti-Weisz, a senior at White Plains High School, and Ardsley High School seniors Zymal Baig, Henry Mascia and Dave Palamadai.

The four, who only had a few weeks to put the festival together, were surprised the idea was never proposed previously. “People have been more divided than ever, so a project like this is more necessary than ever,” said Mascia, speaking for the group.

The goal, he said, is to bring the community together by showcasing the diversity of restaurants on East Hartsdale Avenue.

So far, Vega, Gotham Freeze, Maska, and Liebman’s Deli are participating, offering a variety of Indian, Mexican and Jewish cuisine, along with artisanal gelato, although Mascia is hoping others sign on. They are also working on including food trucks.

He said the event is smaller than they’d like but that it’s a start.

“This event is a beginning,” agreed Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. “It’s the first of a series we hope will encourage more people to shop on East Hartsdale Avenue and familiarize themselves with restaurants and food stores.

“We will learn from this event.”

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Mascia added he and his fellow interns hope the festival will become at least annual.

Added Yaniv, who will be studying economics in the fall at Wesleyan University: “Having always loved learning about different cultures, I recognize the importance of having a culturally diverse community that supports and cherishes each other.

“I’m so glad to be a leader in this amazing opportunity of bringing the community an event that celebrates our differences and supports our local businesses.”

Added Feiner: “It’s more than just a food festival — it’s a celebration of who we are.”

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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.