Saturday, October 3, 2026
Nearly three decades after it first captivated the world in 1996, Pokémon is proving its staying power with fans of all ages.
That enduring popularity was on full display at the North Merrick Public Library on July 18, where a lively Pokémon Carnival recently brought together children, parents, and longtime enthusiasts for an afternoon of games, crafts, and fun.
This year’s event was called the “Team Rocket’s Pokémon Carnival,” which honors the fictional criminal organization in the brand’s universe. They are known for stealing other people’s Pokémon and their pursuit of world dominance.
Over 260 children and their families from Merrick, Bellmore, and beyond registered for the event, which featured coloring activities, a scavenger hunt, a tattoo station, a Meoweth-themed Plinko board, dice and ball games, and fishing for tickets that can be redeemed for prizes. There was also a inflatable pool filled with hundreds of Pokémon cards that the children used to fill their canisters and binders.
“I came here a few years ago and I met with these wonderful moms and we started a club and it snowballed from there,” said children’s librarian Brittany Georgalas. “It’s actually open to everybody, so our kids get to meet kids from other libraries. It brings everybody together.”
The Pokémon tradition has been passed down many times from parents to their children, but in the case of the Martin family of North Merrick, sisters Mickalina and Mariella, ages nine and eight, respectively, taught it to four-year-old younger brother Pauly.
“I showed him these books and he liked the cards,” Mickalina Martin said. “He wanted to collect them like I did.”
Meanwhile, six-year-old Joseph Tusa of North Bellmore was wearing a shirt of his favorite character Eevee and was trying to find as many “Eeveelution” cards as possible. He found four.
“I like Eevee because she can turn into eight things,” he said.
