Miss Polish Town Queen 2013 Cherishes Traditions, Family Ties

While all eyes  may have been focused across the pond this summer as England celebrated the birth of Baby Prince George, in Riverhead, the celebration has been for hometown royalty — Miss Polish Town Queen USA 2013.

For this year's queen, Baiting Hollow resident Ashley Yakaboski, 20, a graduate of Bishop McGann Mercy High School who now attends the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York for jewelry design, winning the crown was a long-time dream come true.

And this weekend, at the 39th Annual Polish Town Civic Street Fair and Festival, her family will cheer on their Polish Queen.

Polish roots run deep in Yakaboski's family, where both her parents hail from Poland. 

"I grew up in a strong-knit Polish family," Yakaboski said.

Her paternal grandmother, Emily Yakaboski, who died two years ago, "was all about Polish tradition," she said.

"Every Christmas, we'd always celebrate the tradition of breaking oplatek," Yakaboski said.

Breaking oplatek, or a Christmas wafer, is a way to "wish each other well for the coming year. For example, I would break off with my mom and dad, aunt and uncle — we'd hug and kiss. For me, it's a way to show appreciation for our loved ones."

Winning the crown was not just about the personal glory or honor, Yakaboski said. "Not only did it make my family proud, but I think everyone, even those that are not Polish, should be proud of who they are and where they came from — their traditions."

Yakaboski credited the Polish Town Civic Association for working hard to keep traditions alive and "going strong" in Riverhead.

At home, another tradition Yakaboski cherishes is getting together to make pierogies, or Polish stuffed dumplings.

Her maternal grandmother, who lives around the corner, Helen Abranski, taught Yakaboski and her twin sister Emily how to prepare the dish.

"Now my sister and I are the pierogi makers," she said. "I roll the dough and she boils them in water and fries them. We have pierogi parties."

Her grandmother and parents, Donna and Alfred Yakaboski said, are thrilled with her new title. "I didn't just do this for myself. The first thing I said was, 'Grandma, I did this for you, and for my mom and dad.'"

The whole family, Yakabaski said, is bursting with excitement for Saturday's events at the festival.

Barbara Szczepanik, who runs the Polish Town Queen competition, said young women send in applications telling the judges a little bit about themselves, along with proof of age, an explanation of their Polish heritage, plans for the future, and their activities, including clubs and community service. In addition, each contestant must write an essay explaining what it means to them to win the crown.

Of Yakaboski, she said, "She's such a nice girl  — and the runners up are wonderful, too. They're all so sweet."

Runners up include First Runner Up Anna Klimczuk of Mattituck and Second Runner Up Tiffany Russo of Hicksville.

And for Yakaboski, it's the realization of a long-held dream. "When I was a little girl, going to the Polish Town fair, it was always my mom, my sister, and I, and it was always, 'Who's the Polish Town Queen?' That's one of the things we looked forward to."

With two older cousins and an aunt also having competed for the title, and younger cousins now aspiring to win the crown, Yakaboski said, "Now it's a family tradition."