Maryland Polish Festival

From homemade pierogies to traditional dancing and from
polka music to learning the Polish National Anthem, there is something for
everyone at the Annual Maryland Polish
Festival set to take place on Saturday, July 19 from 11 am- 10 pm and Sunday,
July 20 from 11 am- 7 pm at the Exhibition Hall at Timonium Fairgrounds (2200
York Road, Timonium, MD 21093). Presented by The Polish Community
Association of Maryland, the festival will be $8.00 for adults, $7.00 for
Seniors (60+) and military (active with ID) and children under 12 are
free.  It will feature entertainment
throughout the day, authentic Polish food and drinks, storytelling, a
children’s area, a trivia contest, Polish arts & crafts, a Polish Heritage
Arena and much more. For more information, log onto www.pcamaryland.org  or call 410-780-9054 or 410-276-4019.

Authentic Polish music will be a highlight of the festival
and popular groups will include John Stevens and Doubleshot, Polski Swing
Masters, Joy of Maryland, Two of a Kind and Bavarski. Dance troupes, dressed in
traditional clothing, will perform throughout the weekend and include the
Krakowiaki Dancers and the Ojczyzna Folk Dance Group.

And, if you love homemade Polish food, there will plenty
from which to choose to include Lazanki (sauerkraut dish with noodles); Bigos
(a cabbage, tomato sauerkraut and pork stew); Pierogi (a filled dough delight
fried in butter…some are filled with cheese, potato, sauerkraut or
cheese/potato blend); Golabki (cabbage rolls…cabbage leaves wrapped around
ground beef and/or pork meat with rice then cooked in tomato sauce); Pyzy
(potato dumpling with meat filling); 
Polish Kielbasa (Polish Sausage); Kotlety Schabowe (Polish style pork
chops); Placki Ziemniaczanae (potato pancakes) and various Polish soups.  For dessert, delight in trying some Paczki
(Polish doughnut with a filling), Makowiec (poppyseed cake) or Chusciki (Polish
bowties...thin fried dough with powered sugar). 
There will also be “American” fare to include pit beef, ham and turkey
in addition to hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken.

Also, featured at the festival will be authentic beers and
liqueurs including Zywiec and Okocim beers and Polish Vodka, Krupnik (honey
liqueur) and Wisnioska (cherry cordial/liqueur).

To learn more about Poland and its people, there will be a
Polish Heritage Arena, organized and presented by Adam Mazurek, and it will
feature artifacts and historical information about the country, past and
present traditions and customs as well as short lessons in the Polish language
and other mini-workshops.

There will be plenty of shopping options as there will be a
terrific assortment of vendors at the festival. 
Peter Zeranski, author of two Polish cookbooks, will be hand to sell and
sign his books. Artist Carla Tomaszewski will be selling posters and cards of
Polish interest and Michael Nagrabski (another artist) will be selling his
sketches of local sites such as St Stan's Church, Holy Rosary Church, St.
Casimir's Church and others.  Brenda Miller, a talented "paper
cutter," will have her art for sale and Wanda Perry, from Philadelphia,
will be on hand with embroidered items such as table clothes, table runners and
embroidered linen. Polish Treasures will be there with imported Polish
items such as pottery, crystal, wood chess sets and boxes. Jewelry will include
amber and silver jewelry from Gdansk, Poland there will also be a number of books
of Polish Interest available.

About 2,000 people are expected to attend the festival that supports
the Polish Community Association, their cultural activities (such as the
neighborhood East Baltimore Christmas Caroling) and other Polish organizations
in the area.