Summer brings a host of different kinds of ethnic festivals and picnics.
They are fun to attend. It's great to get a look into how different cultures celebrate.
Having Polish roots, it was a natural for me to attend a lively Polish family festival in a Western Massachusetts town.
People flock to this event like crazy every single year. It's been held for as long as I can remember (and that's a long, long time. ha ha ).
It could be called Polish FOOD Festival because, well, hey, let's face it, that's what a lot of people go for.
The Polish food plate special looked like this:
It included kielbasa (spicy Polish sausage); golumpki (stuffed cabbage); kapusta (chopped up cabbage and sauerkraut); pierogi (dough turnovers of sorts with filling); and rye bread. It cost $8.50. (Note: the golumpki was hiding underneath the slice of bread.)
A makeshift dance floor was set up under a big white tent top. What fun to see everyone doing the Polka. Little kids moved right along with grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the neighborhood cronies.
The day had perfect weather, everyone had a blast, and as for that Polish food? It was yummy.
DO YOU LIKE POLISH FOOD?
Oh my gosh - we are originally from Chicago. That is something I miss so much. It was the festivals they had there - Polish - Italian - they had a China Town - so many wonderful ethnic places - we don't have that down here.
ReplyDeleteThat food looked soooooooooooo good - I could eat it right now!
I love most Polish food..not the sausage though...but unfortunately it does not like me...I hate getting older. Cabbage rolls, sauerkraut...oh oh..my tummy hurts just thinking about it... but I eat it anyway..ha ha!I would have LOVED the music!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like fun! I love the small town summer festivals -- with music and food and beer. One year I helped my girlfriend, who worked for the mayor, with their downtown summer fest -- we were bartenders for the night, and actually made enough tips to treat ourselves to a mani and pedi the next day. The mayor took Zack up on stage and introduced him to the crowd. Loads of fun! Have a terrific Tuesday. Tammy
ReplyDeleteThis is a post after my own heart!! With my maiden name being Kolojejchick and my paternal grandparents coming right from Poland, I was raised on this type of food. My Dad made his own fresh keilbasi and my uncles had smoke houses and made smoked keilbasi. My Mom made her own pierogies and haluski ( cabbage and noodles). Also baked her own nut and poppy rolls for Christmas and Easter. These dishes are still served at many of the summer church bazaars in my area because of the huge Polish, Russian and Slovak heritage in my area. One local town even has a Keilbasi Festival with various resturants and markets competing for first prize for the best tasting kielbasi. I will have to do a post on our church bazzar that is coming up the end of July. They serve many Polish and Italian foods like Porketta sandwiches, pierogies , haluski, Pizza frita( fried dough). Thanks for the inspiration for a new post!!
ReplyDeleteI also learned how to do the polka at the age of 4 while standing on my father's feet!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Susan I use to eat sausage and sauerkraut all the time. Now my stomach and reflux are not so happy if I try it.
ReplyDeleteLots like fun and good eats. Not far from here is soemthing similar, ERNETFEST, but is labeled as GErman. Every fall same kind of food, polka dancing and lots of beer. We have been but it has been a while....
ReplyDeleteMmm...we eat all of the same things only we call some of them different things. I think our names are more of a slovak origin.
ReplyDeleteStuffed cabbage - halopki
Fried Cabbage & dough - halushi
And I make all of them...makes me hungry!
Leann