‘Jochona Utshob’ brings Bengali culture to New York’s Rockaway Beach

Under the glow of the full moon, members of the Bangladeshi diaspora gathered at Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, for “Jochona Utshob 2026”, an evening featuring music, dance, poetry, kite flying and traditional food.

The festival was held on Friday (July 31), following nearly six months of planning. Journalist Pinaki Talukder served as the convener of this year’s edition, which sought to celebrate Bengali culture on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.

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The programme began in the afternoon with a kite-flying session for children on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk. Bangladesh Writers Club and Amra Shishuder Shongi distributed nearly 100 kites among the children attending the festival.

The event was inaugurated by valiant freedom fighter, scientist, author and Ekushey Padak recipient Dr Nurun Nabi. Actress and theatre personality Lutfun Nahar Lata served as the festival’s chief adviser.

The cultural programme featured music, dance, poetry and comedy performances. Singers Dinat Jahan Munni, Bindu Kona, Tina Russell, Mimi Alauddin and Melal Shah performed during the evening, alongside Baul Shahin and his troupe.

Emerging performers Jerin Maisha, Alvan Khan and Sagnik Majumdar also took part in the cultural programme, while Gopon Saha presented poetry.

Dance performances were presented by Nrityanjali, Mrithan Dance Academy and a troupe led by Russell. Their performances were among the highlights of the evening and received an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Celebrated actress Moushumi also attended the festival. Media personality Dastagir Jahangir and artiste Dinar Moni travelled from Virginia to join the event.

Towards the end of the programme, actor and presenter Shaju Khadem entertained the audience with a brief comedy performance.

Food was also an important part of the celebration. Children were served chips and pizza, while singara, tea, sweets, watermelon and water were distributed among attendees. Later in the evening, Ramdas Gharami served chicken biryani, which he had prepared for nearly 700 people.

According to the organisers, around 200 promotional posters were released ahead of the festival. Messages of support were also received from different parts of the United States and other countries. 

Although the organisers had initially received permission to continue until 10 pm, park officials reportedly asked them to conclude the programme earlier. However, the event continued briefly as the audience watched an ongoing dance performance.

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Organisers acknowledged that arranging a large event in an open public space involved several challenges and said they hoped to organise future editions of “Jochona Utshob” in a more coordinated manner.