First Annual Polish Children's Day Festival in Rockaway Beach on June 1st

Poland celebrated its first Dzień Dziecka (Children’s Day) on June 1st, 1952, as part of an international observance that the Women’s International Democratic Federation had established in 1949. As it takes place near the end of the academic year, the festivities are mostly school-based, and parents often buy gifts for their children. This year the fun heads to “The Peninsula,” as the Beach 116th Street Partnership will launch its first annual Poland’s International Children’s Day this Sunday. Honoring all the world’s youth, this extravaganza will have a distinctive Rockaway style with over 30 food/drink vendors and stalls, live music and entertainment, folk dances, a Junior Miss Polonia competition, face-painting, crafts, rides, carnival attractions, and a petting zoo, among other programming. Expect everything from pierogi to kielbasa to Mazowsze-style dancing.

Details: Poland’s International Children’s Day, Beach 116th Street between Rockaway Beach Boulevard and the Ocean Promenade Walkway, Rockaway Beach, June 1st, 10 am to 9 pm, free.

Photos: Poland’s International Children’s Day