Riverhead street festival Alive on 25 poised for summer return

Alive on 25 looks like it’s back from the dead.

The popular Riverhead street festival, which had been in jeopardy this year after town officials questioned its cost and disruption, has tentative dates set for this summer.

Riverhead Town officials unanimously voted Wednesday night on a consultant services agreement with Main Street Agency, headed by Diane Tucci, following weeks of debate over whether the downtown block party and crawl was still worth holding.

The expected dates for this summer’s music block parties will be Thursday, July 9, and Thursday, Aug. 6, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Main Street. Officials previously discussed shifting the festival from Fridays to Thursdays to draw customers downtown on slower nights.

Under the agreement, Riverhead Town would pay Main Street Agency a flat $10,000 fee for its services, split into two phases. The agency would receive $3,500 when the first phase is complete, which involves plan execution, vendor goals, timeline, staffing needs and budget.

The remaining $6,500 would be paid once Phase 2 vendor compliance and other town licensing requirements are achieved.

Earlier this month, Ms. Tucci confirmed in a text to the Riverhead News-Review town officials were working to make Alive on 25 happen. 

In addition to the weekday change, the summer festival will have a “modified, smaller event footprint”  due to downtown construction, according to the Alive on 25 website. The condensed footprint limits the number of vendors Main Street Agency can accept this year. 

The full list of participating performers, vendors and list of downtown businesses has not been confirmed yet. Vendor applications for 2026 close Thursday, June 25.