Polish Heritage Day Now Offering a Whole Weekend of Activities

On Friday, August 24, workers in downtown Youngstown can start their weekend with a delicious Polish Lunch delivered to their desk. As a way of warming up your taste buds, patrons can order pierogi, stuffed cabbages, kielbasa and sauerkraut sandwiches and even a pączki donut to top it off! Order forms can be downloaded from the website and faxed to 330-792-1738 by Wednesday Aug 22. For more information call 330-726-9992.

On Saturday, August 25, starting at 5 PM at the Austintown Plaza will be Zabawa, a funky evening with 4 LIVE BANDS playing polka, rock, jazz and fusion to create a great party evening like you were in in a nightclub on the rynek in Krakow. Admission is $5 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Use your wristband to get $1 off on Sunday too!

To make it more fun, we’ve added an All-You-Can-Eat Pierogi Buffet that will only be available that night. It will include your eight different flavors including old favorites as well as those hard to get sweet cabbage, sweet cheese and fruit dumplings that are no longer made locally. We’ve even added a pizzarogi! Unlimited dining is $12.99 and sampling is $1 per flavor.

In that spirit, the Annual Pierogi Eating Contest will be on Saturday night, too. The goal is to see how many delicious buttered dumplings you can eat in three minutes. There is an entry fee of $10 with each contestant receiving a pierogi T-shirt. First, second, and third third-place prizes will be awarded. Celebrity judges will keep it legal.

In addition, Polish-Canadian television sports caster Edward Zawadzki is coming in to be part of the fun. Based out of Toronto, Canada, he generally specializes in the combat arts--boxing, kickboxing and other martial arts events but has released a new book looking at our shared history, The Poles in the New World. In addition to talking about that topic, he will be hosting a sports trivia contest throughout the night!

On Sunday, August 26, the main event will begin with a Catholic mass lead by Rev. Joseph Rudjak from Holy Apostles and other priests from around diocese. Musical accompaniment will be provided by Jimmy K and Ethnic Jazz to add a little polka flavor.

Polish Day celebrates all things Polish and will feature two polka bands, folk art vendors, Polish language and cultural workshops as well as festival favorites like a basket auction, door prizes and 50/50 raffles. An expanded Children’s Area even includes a big inflated castle to enjoy a bounce around.

Special folk dance performances will be given by the Krakowiaki Polish Folk Circle and Living Traditions Folk Ensemble. The group’s will premier newly choreographed suites at this event. This time the audience will participate with the group on a favorite summer activity—heading out from the city to a picnic in the woods of Eastern Kurpie.

We know it’s all about the food so we are giving you even more to enjoy! The highlight for most attendees is the 2-lb Polish platter featuring stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes, cabbage and noodles, pierogi and more. A bakery and deli also are available full of delicious nut rolls, pączki and other goodies to take home.

To learn more about this colorful event at www.polishyoungstown.org/polishday

Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer
Director, PolishYoungstown
www.polishyoungstown.com