Rides, games and fun for the entire family, courtesy Long Beach's Chabad of the Beaches

An extended Memorial Day weekend was full of summer fun for Long Island residents at the Family Fun and Long Beach Sun Carnival in Long Beach.

Families flocked to the corner of East Broadway and Edwards Boulevard from May 24 to 27 and enjoyed the carnival’s Ferris Wheel, bumper cars and super swings, among other rides and activities for both kids and adults, from the afternoon to hours after sunset.

The event was open to the entire community, with Friday and Saturday being run by the carnival themselves and Sunday and Monday opening up for the Jewish community. For around 15 years, the carnival has been hosted by Chabad of the Beaches, an organization serving the Jewish communities of Long Beach, Lido Beach and Atlantic Beach.

“It’s always a great kickoff for the community at the very beginning of the summer,” said Rabbi Eli Goodman of Chabad of the Beaches. “It’s a great opportunity for everybody from all different backgrounds to come and have fun. Everybody likes going on rides and contributing to a good cause that benefits the youth and education in our community and we’re very excited to have it every year.”

Sunday and Monday were the busiest days, with Goodman approximating about 1,000 attendees each day. Those who attended came from all over the Island, from the barrier islands to throughout the South Shore.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to show how wonderful our community is in Long Beach, with a beautiful boardwalk, and it promotes our community to the wider Long Island community as well,” Goodman said. “Everybody had a great time, got to mingle, got to connect, and I think that’s what’s really great about the Long Beach community.”

To serve the Jewish attendees, the carnival also included a Torah and mezuzah workshop, and glatt kosher food for purchase.

“It’s a great time for families to be together and it’s important that we go about giving them more opportunities to enjoy themselves together,” he said. “The family unit is something that’s very important and I think it needs to be cherished and encouraged. Long Beach has so many different types of events throughout the year, especially in the summer months, so I think there’s a nice balance, and I think our carnival is one of the highlights.”