How a 1974 trip to Poland inspired Riverhead’s Polish Town Fair

In 1974, 19 Riverhead residents traveled to Poland and came home determined to give Polish Town some of the character they saw in the country’s small towns and villages. A year later, that inspiration helped give rise to the Polish Town Civic Association and its annual fair.

More than half a century later, the annual Polish Town Fair returns this weekend — perhaps bigger than ever.

“This year, we’ve been working probably nine months straight doing this,” committee co-chair Richard Miller said. “We’re trying to bring the culture back.”

That effort follows several uneven years for both the fair and the civic association. The festival missed several years during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning last year for the 50th anniversary of the first fair. A new association board elected in 2023 has also been working to rebuild membership and expand the group.

This year’s fair will feature more than 110 booths, live music, a pierogi-eating contest and even a traditional Polish wedding.

Mr. Miller said the “love and the deep-rooted culture of the Polish people” make each year’s fair special — along with the food.

“The kielbasa sandwich is good, pierogies, and we have these bacon sandwiches that are insane,” he said. “Polish beer is delicious. We sell more Polish beer than domestic beer.”

The fair also acts as the largest fundraiser for the group. The money raised allows the association to complete renovations as well as going toward scholarships at Riverhead High School and supporting the St. Maximilian Kolbe Polish School in Riverhead.

The fair runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ending with a dance party, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“My dad started the civic association 50 years ago,” Mr. Miller said. “Now, at 60, it’s very important for me to continue it for my daughters and my future grandkids.”