Year in Review: Tucci takes over top Riverhead events
Two highly anticipated downtown Riverhead events got overhauled this year, complete with a new organizer. In 2025, the summer street fair Alive on 25 and autumn Halloween Fest were produced by Diane Tucci of Main Street Agency, who is a former executive director of the Riverhead BID, Riverhead Chamber of Commerce.
This year, Alive on 25 was held on two Fridays, July 18 and Aug. 1. Ms. Tucci said she curated craft vendors, musical acts, food and drink offerings, and other street festival essentials in an effort to create a reimagined Riverhead-centric summer block party and downtown crawl — where the fun goes “beyond the street closure.”
Major changes included offering downtown businesses free space to set up in front of their establishments, more live music dispersed along E. Main Street, restricting political and religious outreach and opening the Reflextions immersive art exhibit during the festival to add an extra interactive element.
The biggest changes to Halloween Fest 2025 included the coffin race and store-to-store trick or treating not taking place due to safety concerns, and the addition of the new pumpkin derby, where participants crafted a squash-y vehicle and raced it to win a prize.
The parade remained the highlight of the event, as well as local musicians performing from East End Arts and School of Rock, and performances from the Peconic Ballet Theatre and the Blue Masques.
“We want Riverhead people and the community coming out and just having fun,” Ms. Tucci said.
