Milwaukee’s ethnic festival season
kicks off with Polish Fest June 22-24

MILWAUKEE’S summer ethnic festival season opens June 22-24 as Polish Fest celebrates at the Henry W. Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds).

The weekend begins with a special admission rate on Friday only. From noon to 5 p.m. admission is 50 cents and from 5:01 p.m.-midnight, admission is $5.

But regular admission rates on Saturday and Sunday still represent a great entertainment value. Polish Fest offers traditional and contemporary music acts, a cultural village, exhibits, Polish artists and folk art demonstrations, a marketplace, Polish cuisine, and much more. Fireworks will light up the skies over the lakefront on Friday and Saturday nights.

There’s always something new at Polish Fest, with the festival’s organizers focused on creating an event that’s fresh and fun.

Performing for the first time at the festival (and in the Midwest) is Anya, a 19-year-old singer who combines American and Polish pop music. Anya will dazzle crowds on Friday and Saturday nights.

Bringing the Polish “club scene” to the festival on Friday evening is the Marszalek Chicago Band.  Saturday evening, savor the jazz stylings of Grazyna Auguscik.

Accordian virtuosos Stas Venglevski and Lidia Kaminska will thrill audiences. Venglevski, a native of the Republic of Moldova, will perform classical numbers with “dazzling technical command and sensitivity.” Kaminska, who is from Poland, has received awards that include a special prize in an international tango music competition.

Every year, traditional dancing delights festgoers. A must-see is the Polish Folk Dance of America Association Dance Gala at 6 p.m. on Saturday. And Polish Fest will be attempting to set the record for the World’s Largest Polka Dance at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

An intriguing exhibit this year will focus on the Kwasniewski Photographic Collection, which captures Milwaukee’s South Side Polish community in the first half of the 20th century. At 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Milwaukee historian John Gurda discusses “The History of Poles in Milwaukee.” Gurda is an eight-time winner of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Award of Merit.

Another exhibition highlights the life of Liberace, who was born in the Milwaukee area in 1919. Liberace was recognized as a “Legend of Milwaukee” by the Milwaukee Press Club this year.

Always a crowd favorite at the festival, the Non-Stop Polka Stage showcases some of the finest polka bands in the country.

Features on the Children’s Stage throughout the weekend include magicians, clowns, ventriloquists and Radio Disney at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Little, Junior and Teen Miss Polish Fest contestants take the stage at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday the 9th Annual Chopin Youth Piano Competition keeps the spotlight on young people, while celebrating Poland’s great composer, Frédéric François Chopin.

Polish Fest visitors participating in the annual raffle will be competing for a 5-day Western Caribbean Cruise (courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Lines), along with two AirTran Airline tickets, or two pairs of airline tickets to Las Vegas (courtesy of FunJet Vacations).

With more than 25 restaurants, enjoy everything from pierogi, Krakus Polish Ham, Klement’s Polish sausage, zapiekanki (an openfaced pizzabread type of sandwich), and paczki, chrusciki and cheesecake available at the Kawiarnia Polish Café.

For discriminating adults, Polish Fest serves up special tastings of Polish vodkas, Meads, liqueurs and wines. While Krupnik liqueur, a honey-flavored drink, is familiar to past fest-goers, Murfatlar wines are new this year. Of course, Miller beer and other non-alcoholic beverages are on tap.

At the Sukiennice (outdoor marketplace), tempting treasures include beautiful amber jewelry, Boleslawiec pottery, blown glass ornaments, Polish crystal, hand-carved wooden boxes and festival souvenirs.

On Sunday, Polish Fest celebrates a traditional Polish Mass at 10:15 a.m. Gates close at 11 a.m. There is free admission to Mass and entrance into Polish Fest is $4 following Mass.

Tickets are $10/general admission, $8/Senior (55+), children 15 & under are FREE with an adult. Hours of the festival are noon to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. For more information about Polish Fest, call 414-529-2140 or visit www.polishfest.org. Information about public transportation is available at 414-344-6711.

Photos by Monika G. Sobierajski.