First Ever "Community Day" Event Coming To Forest Hills In August

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — When a Forest Hills chocolate shop was burglarized during a string of robberies last year, owners Mark Libertini and Rachel Kellner received an outpouring of support from locals — including other shop-owners.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have developed strong relationships with both the business owners of Metropolitan Avenue and the patrons of our store," Kellner told the Forest Hills Post, adding that after the robbery she was especially grateful to receive words of encouragement from other small business owners.

In August of 2020, Kellner, Libertini, and some fellow shop-owners decided it was time to turn their network of support into a formal initiative to strengthen local shops — which is what led them to create Metro Village of Forest Hills (MVFH), a small business collective that's gearing up to host its first event next month.

The event, aptly dubbed Community Day, aims to highlight the small businesses along a stretch of Metropolitan Avenue, from 74th Avenue to Selfridge Street, on August 7.

According to a post from the group, the "long awaited" event will take place from noon to 4 p.m., and include a host of live music shows, food options, and activities — including a scavenger hunt where participants can win prizes.

“Living and operating my business in this community has made me extremely grateful for the relationships and the support that I have received over the years,” said Dee Arabian, who co-owns Dee's Restaurant with his wife Eileen, both of whom are part of MVFH.

"My wife... and I are excited to work with our fellow local business owners to ensure the economic viability of all of the business on Metropolitan Avenue," he told the Forest Hills Post.

Follow MVFH on social media to keep up to date with the event and other happenings.