Riverhead Polish Hall to hold 1-day festival after cancellation of usual 2-day event
As thousands crowded the streets of Riverhead's Polish Town neighborhood for the annual Polish Festival on Aug. 17, 2019, friends Eric Pilch, left, and Bill Bontempo, both of Levittown, wait in line to order pierogi. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
Despite the popular annual two-day "Polish Town Fair and Festival" being canceled this year, representatives of the Riverhead Polish Hall say they plan on holding a temporary one-day event in August to celebrate the spirit of the festival.
Lisa Dabrowski, president of the Riverhead Polish Hall Ladies Auxiliary, told Newsday on June 22 that the Polish Hall — established in 1907 — will be holding a one-day festival on Aug. 21, the weekend when the decades-old Polish Town Fair normally takes place.
"We have the facility, the Polish Hall, with everything occurring on-site, on the Polish Hall’s property, and we decided, let’s go for it," Dabrowski said.
COVID-19 played a role in canceling the annual street festival, which normally draws thousands to the Polish Town area of Riverhead every August, for the second consecutive year, according to Kay Davis, president of the Polish Town Civic Association, which normally hosts the event.
While Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo earlier this month lifted restrictions on gatherings, Davis said the association would have needed several months to file permits and other paperwork required by Riverhead’s town code on special events. That was time, Davis said, they did not have.
"All of these things we have to have in January and February. There’s just no way we could put this all together," Davis said.
Davis added she had seen negative backlash online from people who were upset the festival had been canceled, which she said was disappointing.
"It’s not fair to us that people are carrying on the way they are when my hands are tied. There’s nothing we could do," Davis said.
The festival will return "bigger than ever" in 2022, Davis said.
Noting the need to have permits for such an event, Dabrowski said the one-day festival will be "a self-contained event" on the Polish Hall’s property, which makes holding the event possible.
Dabrowski said the Polish Hall has no intention of replacing the long-running fair and festival, but rather to present a version of it to satisfy people who wish to celebrate the event.
"And, hey, it’s right in our name, Polish Hall. Who better to have a Polish festival?" Dabrowski said.
More details on the event will be revealed in July, Dabrowski added.
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