Fun and Sun for the Beach 116th Fall Fest

By Katie McFadden

It felt more like summer than fall on Sunday, October 5, but that meant great weather for a beautiful day for the community on Beach 116th Street. From kids to adults, everyone came out to enjoy the activities, music, vendors and more, making the commercial strip come alive.

From bouncy houses and slides to helicopter and dragon rides, face painting, balloon animals, arts and crafts, pumpkin picking and more, kids had a blast on the beach block of Beach 116th. Meanwhile, the center block was full of vendors selling food, jewelry, candles, clothing and more, including kidpreneurs, giving it a shot selling their goods. And while that took place, Jimmy Dowd emceed while DJ Rob Pisani spun some tunes in between live music sets by Indaculture, Derecho, Nobody and All His Friends and A Mad Revival, which had people dancing in the street.

After the festival, Councilwoman Joann Ariola thanked all who made it possible. “The Beach 116th St. Fall Festival couldn’t happen without the hard work and collaboration of the Rockaway Civic Association, the Beach 116th St. Merchant Association and my Chief of Staff, Phyllis Inserillo. Thank you to Harold Paez, Rob Pisani of Bagel Barista, Michael McMahon of Rogers, Matt Mazzone of Mazzone Ace Hardware, and Michael Fiore of Meat Up Grill and Crustinos for your hard work and dedication to the community.

“When I was elected, I made a promise to the betterment of Beach 116th St. and over the last four years, we have worked on cleaning the area and bringing family events to the block. Over the next four years, you will continue to see positive changes to Beach 116 St.

“We are just getting started!”

Look out for info about next year’s festival and other activities on the block! Make sure to follow @b_116th_rockaway on Instagram for updates.