It's party time on Main Street

How about if Long Island's downtown shopping centers threw street parties every once in a while! Would that help merchants challenged by the major shopping malls and the recession regain the upper hand they had decades ago?

In Port Washington village the merchants are giving the party route a try.

Twice in December village merchants, the village Chamber of Commerce, the Business Improvement District and Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, aided by the Town of North Hempstead, threw a street party, replete with music, jugglers, a trolley running up and down Main Street, and the 300 shops on the street staying open late.

They called it "Port Night Out," and it worked, said Mindy Germain, executive director of the residents group.

"These were just beautiful nights," Germain said.

Now the village business officials want to do it all again, on some type of regular basis.

Germain said a meeting is planned for January to decide what to do and how to do it.

"This is not just a one- or two-shot deal," said Dan Donatelli, the residents' groups co-president. "We're hoping to change peoples' mind-sets" and get them shopping in the Port.

Gayle Silver, owner of Painting With Flowers, has been a merchant on Main Street for 24 years and has seen a part of the struggles. "I do think this could be repeated, at least one other time during the year."

North Hempstead town donated the trolley and some lighting equipment.

Town supervisor Jon Kaiman said he understood some merchants might want to throw a party more often. "The residents approached us and asked us if we would support it and help make it come to be," Kaiman said. But can such events turn the tide? Germain said they must try.

"The economy is bad, and the merchants are struggling," she said.

Port Washington is hardly alone in trying to boost its downtown. Some Great Neck Plaza merchants are offering discount gift certificates that can be used after the holiday season, until Jan. 31. To get a certificate, visit shopgreat neck.com.