Mastic Beach Property Owners' To Host 'Fired Up For Freedom - Countdown To 250' On Saturday

MASTIC BEACH, NY — The Mastic Beach Property Owners' Association will kick off a year of events celebrating the United States' birthday next year with a special event, "Fired Up For Freedom — Countdown to 250," on Saturday.

It will run from 1 to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

The event will include food and drinks, entertainment, kids' games with prizes, and a presentation about local history by the Mastic Peninsula Historical Committee. There will also be reenactments, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the country's armed forces, and the Daughters of the American Revolution will in attendance.

In addition to the kick-off, a birthday party in December is planned for Declaration of Independence signer William Floyd, whose former Floyd estate is located in Mastic Beach, an educational seminar on his life and the declaration, a musical celebration in the spring, participation in the Christmas Parade, and the 2026 Memorial Day Parade.

The events will lead up to a grand celebration on 4th of July next year.

Event Committee Chairman William Doyle called the historic milestone is "particularly significant for the tri-hamlet community."

"Floyd was a distinguished member of the community who traveled from the Mastic Peninsula to Philadelphia, to serve in the Continental Congress," he said. "His dedication and bravery led him to risk everything by signing the Declaration of Independence. The William Floyd Estate located in Mastic Beach, stands as the only original home of a signer in New York State, further cementing our community's unique connection to this celebration of freedom.”

The tri-hamlet community of Mastic, Mastic Beach, and Shirley is also home to the Manor of St. George, located on the western section of Shirley along Bellport Bay.

The manor, originally part of a 64,000-acre land tract purchased by William Tangier Smith, which included the William Floyd Estate and the Longwood Estate in Ridge, was occupied by British loyalist soldiers during the Revolutionary War, where they constructed a fort.

It was instrumental in helping American soldiers change the direction of the war, when, in 1780, Major Benjamin Tallmadge and his soldiers raided the manor and captured the fort.

Co-Committee Chair Kevin Collins said he is proud of the tri-hamlet community and the role that it played in local and national history.

“We hope this day will serve as a festive celebration and reminder of what our ancestors sacrificed in pursuit of freedom," he said.

The Mastic Beach Property Owners' Association is located at 31 Neighborhood Road, Mastic Beach.