Polish heritage celebrated in Riverhead

At one of the many kielbasa stands at the Polish Town Fair and Polka Festival in Riverhead Saturday, Michelle Odom was glad to be back amid the smell of grilling sausages, on streets packed with people, many of them carrying mugs of beer.

She and her husband, Gerald, moved to Las Vegas last year. "It felt so weird not being here last summer," said Odom, 29, who was helping out at the stand.

After all, she and her family have volunteered at the annual festival for most of her life. Odom, who is Polish on her father's side, wore the tiara and red velvet sash and cape of Polish Town Queen in 2005.

Though it's a celebration of Polish heritage, drawing thousands of Polish-Americans from throughout Long Island and beyond, the festival, which was first held in 1975, is also part of the summer tradition for Riverhead residents -- Poles and not.

The festival, which runs until 6 p.m. Sunday, takes over six blocks around St. Isidore Roman Catholic Church and Polish stores that have gone up near where Polish farmers settled at the turn of the 20th century.

Nearby is an old house nicknamed "the Ellis Island of Polish Town," where many of the settlers boarded, said Bert Harris, spokesman for the Polish Town Civic Association, which puts on the festival.

Odom said she knows her friends will drop by the stand to visit her.

"All the people you kind of lose touch with because you're too busy doing Facebook will come by," she said.

In a mock traditional wedding, a bride and groom walked through the streets, and a portion of the bride's braids were cut off to signify she was no longer single. A polka dance was also to be held last night.

Though organizers wouldn't give out financial figures, they say proceeds from the festival allow the civic association to hang plants and do other beautification projects in the area, and give indigent families food baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Census Bureau's 2005-2009 American Community Survey shows Riverhead is only about 11 percent Polish, behind people identifying themselves as Italians and Irish.

Tadeusz Osiniak, 43, said he moved to Riverhead from Warsaw 20 years ago. He said he's proud of the role Poles have played on Long Island.

"They settled here 100 years ago," he said. "It's always nice to see the community come together like this, keep the Polish a big part of this town."