East Rockaway residents are preparing to celebrate another year of the village’s longtime Huckleberry Frolic on June 6, a tradition that dates back more than five decades and traces its roots to the historic Grist Mill in Memorial Park.
According to historical notes provided to the Herald, the mill’s history dates back to 1688, when the Town of Hempstead granted Joseph Haviland the right to build a tidal mill along what is now Mill River. Over the centuries, the structure changed ownership several times before eventually being preserved and relocated to Memorial Park behind Village Hall in the 1960s.
The Huckleberry Frolic itself began in East Rockaway in 1970 as a fundraiser tied to the restoration and preservation of the historic mill. The event’s name dates back even further, with “Huckleberry Frolics” historically associated with colonial-era celebrations held throughout Hempstead.
Since then, the annual celebration has become a village tradition featuring parades, community activities and historical displays, bringing generations of residents together while honoring East Rockaway’s history.
