By popular demand of the village merchants, Harbor Fest is returning to Mamaroneck Avenue. Formerly known as the Historic Harbor Street Fair, the event will retain the new name and brand even as it returns to its former location.

“We kept the name Harbor Fest because of the beautiful logo and wonderful brand identity,” said Harbor Fest chair Jennifer Graziano. “Ultimately, we are celebrating the Mamaroneck Harbor, and we wanted to avoid continuous changes to the event.”

The event is also being moved back to June because of the inclement weather conditions during last year’s two-day event in mid-May. “Though there’s no guarantee of good weather in June, we thought the chances of having inclement weather in May were even greater,” said Graziano.

The June 6 date will be extended by an hour, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. with no rain date; Harbor Fest will take place rain or shine. As always, the event will pay tribute to the history of Mamaroneck, this year with greater emphasis and an expanded historical photo gallery.

Graziano said that with the street fair, organizers must learn from their mistakes and build a greater event from there. Harbor Fest organizers, including Graziano and her co-chair Lenny Verrastro, are working with Bill Collins of High Road Festival and Events Management for the third year.

The event will be reminiscent of the Harbor Fair of two years ago, said Graziano, with the fair extending from the main event stage at the entrance of Harbor Island Park all the way to the main food court by Halstead Avenue. Commercial, non-profit and arts and crafts vendors, along with two additional entertainment stages, will fill in between.

According to Verrastro, hosting the fair on Mamaroneck Avenue is more logistically involved, as the police must direct traffic on Boston Post Road and Halstead Avenue as well as monitor closed side streets. Additionally, there is more pressure on the Department of Public Works to clean up the streets and get the avenue reopened as quickly as possible. Verrastro said that the move back to Mamaroneck Avenue is possible because the village has committed to restoring funding for the event in the village budget. Though the Harbor Fest Committee is self-sustaining, he explained, “we just can’t generate enough funds to cover the overtime for the police and DPW workers.”

Graziano said that the street fair was originally known for its unique arts and crafts and jewelry and that there is a call this year for local artists and craftsmen. “Harbor Fest presents an unprecedented opportunity to show this stuff to the public,” said Graziano.

There will be a big focus on children at the event, and in the family area at Harbor Island Park attendees will find storytellers, musical performers, interactive events and games.

At the visitor docks, the tall ships exhibit returns, where fair-goers can learn about the historic age of sailing on Long Island Sound.

Graziano called Harbor Fest “the pride of Mamaroneck, the true community event of the season.” As such, event organizers are seeking community input on the event. “We need to learn from everybody,” she said.

The organizational meetings are open to the public, with the next being Tuesday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Village Courtroom.

Volunteers of all ages are welcome, said Graziano, noting that Harbor Fest provides a great opportunity for students looking to fulfill community service requirements.

For more information on the event or to obtain vendor applications, visit the event website at www.mamaroneckharborfest.com.