Beach 116th Kicks Off Summer
By Katie McFadden
It was a beautiful day to be on Beach 116th on Sunday, May 19. The first annual Beach 116th Summer Kickoff was a big success.
On Sunday, a portion of Beach 116th was closed to cars and taken over by vendors, music and fun for the event. Made possible by the Rockaway Civic Association, the Beach 116th merchants and Councilwoman Joann Ariola, the event was a beautiful way to bring the community together to the block.
Dozens of vendors lined the street, selling art, food and goodies. The community got to meet new pop-up vendor Thao, bringing Panamanian Asian barbecue to the peninsula, as well as Carlo’s Homemade Sauce, which is now being sold at Bagel & Barista Station. Owner Rob Pisani also served as a DJ, along with DJ Mikey Blingz, and emcee Jimmy Dowd of St. James Clothing, keeping the music and entertainment going. Kids got to enjoy activities like cornhole, and more.
Ariola said, “It was a fabulous afternoon on Beach 116th Street for our first annual Summer Kickoff. We love Rockaway and we will continue to bring community events to the community.” She added that the event drew in everyone from locals to folks visiting from other countries, making it a huge success. Beach 116th will also be holding their Fall Festival again later this year.
