49th annual East Rockaway Huckleberry Frolic set for June 8 and 9

For the 49th consecutive year, the East Rockaway Grist Mill Museum is set to host its Huckleberry Frolic festivities on June 8 and 9 at Memorial Park.
The annual event features fun-filled activities and a host of local vendors to raise money for the museum, but under second-year event organizer Charlene Fried, this year’s Frolic will see major changes to the lineup of events.
For the first time, the Huckleberry Frolic will take place over the course of two days. Typically held only on Saturday, this year’s Frolic will begin the evening of June 8 with an outdoor barbeque. There will also be a concert performed by the group “A Witch’s Brew.”
“We want to build up to the 50th year,” Fried explained. “We’re going to try this out and see how it goes.”
The Frolic continues the next day with a long array of events and activities, commencing with the annual parade at 10 a.m., beginning at the corner of Cammerer Avenue and Main Street. The parade, which winds its way down Atlantic Avenue to Memorial Park, has received changes as well, with the Grace Thunderettes Show Squad, a group of athletes that perform at shows and parades, taking part for the first time, among other groups.

The main events of the day are scheduled for Memorial Park. The family-oriented activities include new rides, a scavenger hunt, a petting zoo, a money booth, and more. Additionally, Oceanside-based DJ Pace Entertainment, will provide entertainment.
The growth of the Huckleberry Frolic from last year to this year is not just evident in the number of new additions. According to Fried, the Frolic has picked up 18 new sponsors for 2018. Accordingly, the Grist Mill Museum had already raised over more than $10,000 as of press time.
The effort has been put in with an eye toward next year’s event. In her first year at the helm in 2017, Fried explained, she simply wanted to test new ideas. This second year was used to begin an expansion of the event, and next year it will continue.
Though the 50th annual event is not until 2019, the 49th Frolic is days away, and includes a packed schedule of activities for families to enjoy.