It’s a perennial favorite in Riverhead — a giant open air market where visitors can enjoy Polish food and music while browsing hundreds of booths featuring every kind of merchandise imaginable.
The 45th annual Polish Town Street Fair takes place this weekend in Polish Town USA, hosted by the Polish Town Civic Association.
The street fair is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Merchandise and food vendors will line the streets in Polish Town, selling clothing, home goods, novelties, arts and crafts and more — plus kielbasa, stuffed cabbage, pierogies and babka.
There will be Polish music at the showmobile stage on Pulaski Street, provided by DJ Janusz and J & R Entertainment starting at noon on both days. On Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. there will be a performance at the showmobile by the St. Isidore’s Polish School. A corn-husking contest is scheduled for Sunday at 5 p.m.
A Polish Mass will be celebrated at St. Isidore R.C. Church on Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by a flag-raising ceremony at 12 noon at the memorial in front of Pulaski Street School.
There won’t be a polka festival this year and the Polish Town Civic Association pavilion site will remain closed during the event. In past years, the polka festival featured live bands and dancing in the paid-admission pavilion area. Interest in the polka festival has dwindled, fair organizer Karen Fleischmann said. But there will be plenty of opportunity to dance the polka to recorded music near the snowmobile, she said.
The weather this weekend should be good for strolling around the fair: partly sunny both days with a slight chance of showers, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.