Polish Heritage Alliance - Polish Center of Wisconsin

Summer 2013
Inside...
President’s Message . . . . . 2
Polish Beer Tasting. . . . . . . 3
Annual Golf Outing . . . . . 3
From the Executive
Director’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . 3
Polish Fest . . . . 4-6 & Insert
Upcoming Events. . . . . . . . 8
The PoliSh
ConneCTion
is a newsletter
for donors and friends
published quarterly
by
Polish heritage
Alliance, inc.
6941 S. 68th Street
Franklin, WI 53132
Phone:
414-529-2140
Fax:
414-529-1055
Email:
[email protected]
Websites:
www.polishcenterofwisconsin.org
www.polishfest.org
•••
EdItors
Janine Adamczyk
Jane Riley Best
Stacy Mallak
Susan Mikoś
Francis X. Vogel
PHotogrAPHY
Stacy Mallak
Susan Mikoś
Jenica Wolski
Graphic Design by Design Works
Polish Fest • June 14-16, 2013
Celebrating 32 Years of Arts, History, Culture and Entertainment
by Jane Riley Best, Polish Fest Director
This is an exciting time to be of Polish Heritage,
or to be curious about it.
Polish Fest will be celebrating 32 years of
presenting the Polish way of life through arts,
history, culture and entertainment on June 14 -16, 2013 at the
Henry W. Maier Festival Grounds.
Polish Fest is a monumental
endeavor that takes over 500
dedicated volunteers to put on
the three-day festival for the
enjoyment and enlightenment of
the community and visitors from
far away.
Each year Polish heritage is
exhibited throughout the Cultural
Village by way of the annual
Chopin Youth Piano Competition,
Miss Polish Fest Pageant, on our
stages with music and dance
performances, and of course in the food stands!
What is an ethnic festival without food? Or
authentic homeland beer or spirits?
The favored Tyskie beer has been ordered and
will be coming on a slow boat from Tychy, Poland.
Beer has been produced in Tychy continuously for
almost 400 years. Currently, Tyskie is one of the
best selling brands of beer in Poland, with around
18% of the Polish market.
We will also be offering the educational Vodka
Tastings on the Harley Deck where the history of
Polish-made vodka will be explored. Next door,
the Sobieski Vodka Lounge will feature drinks
specially formulated for Polish Fest 2013. On
Friday evening we will have a local celebrity,
Michelle from WLUM-FM 102.1, host our vodka
tastings. Michelle's Polish roots run deep and she is
lots of fun-ski!
Debuting this year is our rejuvenated fireworks
show, the Big Boomski, sponsored by Nick
Ignatowski, CFP, CRPS at Planners Financial Group.
The fireworks will start Saturday at 10:30 p.m.
New this year will be the Rock ‘n Sole Run hosted
by Summerfest on Saturday, June 15. The run will
start around 7 a.m. and conclude about 11 a.m.
There will be a post run/walk party at the BMO
Harris Stage, just south of our festival footprint.
Participants are invited to come
into the festival to enjoy
themselves and our offerings.
With this new opportunity,
come new challenges. Certain
streets will be closed for early
morning volunteers and
vendors. You must come
downtown via I-794 east and
exit at Jackson/Van Buren Street.
See inside for directions and a
map for your convenience.
Keep it in a safe place and use it
to get to and from Polish Fest in
June. With the DOT road
projects coming in the future,
this will become the route of choice, so these
directions will come in handy for quite a while.
Admission specials this year include:
All Weekend: FREE Admission to U.S. Military
personnel when you present a military I.D.
Friday: 50¢ Friday! 50¢ Admission from noon until
5 p.m. and $5 Admission from 5:01-midnight.
Saturday: FREE Admission from 7 p.m. until
midnight with a donation of three or more food
items to the Hunger Task Force
Sunday: $4.00 Admission for tickets purchased
between 9:30 a.m. -11:59 a.m. (Gates open at noon).
FREE Admission from 2 p.m. to close with your
Potawatomi Bingo Casino Fire Keeper's card
FREE Admission from 4-6 p.m. to dads of all ages
when accompanied by their child of any age.
As always, keep up-to-date on Polish Fest
Facebook and our website, www.polishfest.org.
My thanks to you all for your participation, support
and sponsorship of Polish Fest. Our festival truly
shows Polish pride! Without you, our festival would
simply not be Americas Largest Polish Festival!
President’s Message
Greetings,
BoArD oF
DireCTorS
Janine Adamczyk
President
Clark Wantoch
Vice President
Michele St. MarieBoelkow
Treasurer
Mary Jo Swider
Secretary
David Borowski
Joe Dudzik
Diane Holytz
Michael Krass
Danuta Kurczewski
Susan Mikoś
Kenneth Skowronski
Andy Wasielewski
Fran Wasielewski
Immediate Past President
VolunTeer
CoorDinATor
Diane Holytz
414-614-7454
STAFF
Francis X. Vogel
Executive Director
Jane Riley Best
Festival Director
Tom Rasmussen
Banquet & Facilities Manager
Stacy Mallak
Programs & Marketing
Assistant
Mel Brunner
Banquet & Project Assistant
David Hart
Facility Custodian &
Maintenance Technician
Hours
oFFICE:
Monday-Friday
9 AM-5 PM
or by appointment
LIbrArY:
Tuesday 12-2 PM
Wednesday 6-8 PM
during Center events
or by appointment
2
We’ve had a very busy and productive year with Bingo, Pączki Day, Lenten fish fries, Dyngus: A Taste
of Poland, the Easter and Mother’s Day brunches, concerts, book talks and art exhibits! Thank you to
all those who volunteered at these events as well as to those that supported them. Without each of
you we would not be able to make these events a success!
The Garden Committee, under the direction of Valerie Lukasiewicz, has been hard at work beautifying
our grounds. They have been busy getting rid of weeds, planting flowers, and sprucing up the
grounds in general. The Garden Committee is in need of volunteers; please contact the Center at 414529-2140 for more information.
As was announced at our May General Membership meeting, we are kicking off our “Free and Clear in
Our 15th Year” fund raising campaign. As the name implies, our goal is to pay off the $312,662
mortgage on the Polish Center. Please join me in committing $250 each year for three years to this
goal. If each of us would make this pledge, we will definitely pay off the mortgage! Also, if your
employer matches contributions to non-profit organizations, or rewards employee volunteer service
with a donation, those are two more ways to increase your giving power. Whatever your financial
situation, we thank you for any donation at any amount. Your commitment and support is needed and
appreciated.
The Facilities Committee has provided a list of maintenance items for the Board to act upon as our
Polish Center is over 12 years old. New front doors have been ordered and should be installed by
early August. The doors will include an automatic door. The Board is reviewing and prioritizing the
list to ensure we maintain the good condition of the Polish Center.
Mark your calendar for our 32nd Polish Fest June 14-15-16! Polish Fest Director Jane Riley Best and
the Managing Committee have been busy finalizing details of the festival. Experience our rich Polish
culture and traditions throughout the three-day weekend with educational exhibits; talented artisans
and craftsmen in the Cultural Village; delicious food from 25 restaurants; tempting pastries in the
Kawiarnia; a variety of entertainment from Poland, the United States and Canada; and the best in
beverages including Polish Tyskie beer and a variety of Sobieski Polish vodkas! Please celebrate your
heritage at Polish Fest!
There’s still time to make your reservations for the Polish Heritage Alliance/Milwaukee Society Annual
Golf Outing which will be held on Thursday, July 25, at Muskego Lakes Country Club with dinner
following at the Polish Center. If you missed last year’s event, you missed a great time. Golfers enjoyed
a fun day on the links followed by a delicious dinner with raffles, silent and voice auctions at the Polish
Center. Hope to see you there!
Please check our website for the many events we have planned this summer so you don’t miss out on
the many happenings at the Polish Center!
Janine Adamczyk
President, Polish Heritage Alliance
looking Ahead to Board elections
In September 2013 we will be holding elections for eight at-large director
positions on the Board of Directors. If you would like to be considered as
a nominee or would like to nominate someone else for an at-large board
seat, please submit the nomination in writing with a brief biography stating
name, employer, educational background, volunteer work–both for PHA
and for other organizations– and any additional information you feel is
relevant to the Nominations Committee, Polish Center of Wisconsin, 6941
S. 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132. The deadline for nominations is August 1, 2013.
tHE PoLIsH ConnECtIon • summEr 2013
POLISH CENTER
OF WISCONSIN
6941 S. 68th St. • Franklin, WI
Friday, July 12, 2013
7-10 p.m.
Sample a variety of
imported Polish beers
MuST Be 21 or oVer
Food & Music
$20 Advance • $22 at the Door
$10 Designated Driver
Call 414-529-2140
for more information
thursdAy,
July 25, 2013
Muskego lakes
Country Club
Dinner to follow
at the Polish Center
$125 per person
$500 foursome
($450 if paid by
7/11/13)
CoST inCluDeS:
Golf with cart, lunch,
three drink tickets,
gift bag, prizes,
cocktails and dinner
with an open bar
after golf.
Please contact
Francis Vogel at
414-529-2140 if
you would like to
be a sponsor or
to sign up for golf.
Free and Clear in our 15th year
By Francis X. Vogel, Executive Director
Over ten years ago, Nina Nowakowski wrote movingly how “a dream came true in the
year 2000,” when the Polish Center of Wisconsin came to life. Nina recounted how
“after decades of meeting in church basements and rented halls, the Polish community
finally had a facility that was both functional and beautiful. Modeled after a 17thcentury Polish manor house and perched above a pristine lake in suburban Franklin,
both the Center and its site are nothing less than spectacular.”
Nina’s lyrical description of the Polish Center and its picturesque surroundings holds
true today. On the wings of its myriad members, both individual and organizational,
Polish Heritage Alliance (PHA) has eclipsed its fledgling roots, and is poised to soar
even higher in its pursuit of promoting and preserving our ancestral culture and
traditions. In one sense, though, our wings are clipped by mortgage debt, just less so
than in 2002, when Nina and her then-PHA Board colleagues launched a Burn the
Mortgage Campaign. At that time, the Center’s outstanding debt totaled over $2
million, a far cry from the $312,662 yet owed today. That appeal, already the second
one after the Center’s dedication, underscored how “a gift honors those who
preceded us and inspires those who follow us.”
The generosity displayed in gifts large and small from that 2002 campaign – and other
appeals that followed – resonates across the years to the present moment. And in
2003, PHA sold much of the wooded land around the Center to the newly-created
Conservancy for Healing and Heritage, thereby fostering hope for cancer care
patients, and alleviating Center debt, in one fell swoop. That effort, ably facilitated
by Mike Murry, Mike Skwierawski and John Gurda, marked a major turning point for
both organizations.
Together, we can mark another major turning point for Polish Heritage Alliance and
the Polish Center of Wisconsin. We can resolve to celebrate the 15th anniversary of
our dedication on August 26, 2015 debt-free. No more mortgage loan or interest
payments. Free and clear in our 15th year. Just as our ancestors labored mightily to
erase their mortgage debt, we can honor their memory by striving to own outright
the repository of their, and our, hopes and dreams. A mailing will soon follow, which
will detail how you can participate in this final campaign to retire our mortgage debt.
For example, if every PHA member pledged to pay $250 per year for three years, we
would truly own our Polish home. Meanwhile, imagine a proud Polish eagle, flying free
on a clear blue day where the sky is the only limit. That day draws near, if we take
flight together.
library Corner
by Susan Mikoś
Need information about Poland for a school
project? Looking for some summer reading?
Visit the Polanki Library on the second floor
of the Polish Center. We have a variety of
books in both Polish and English, along with
Polish music and movies (most with English
subtitles). For a list of available movies, go to www.polanki.org.
Borrowing privileges are a benefit of membership in the Polish Heritage Alliance. Most
books and audiovisual materials can be checked out for one month.
The Polanki Library is open Tuesday afternoons from 12-2 p.m., Wednesday evenings
from 6-8 p.m., during special events at the Polish Center, and by appointment
(414-858-9357).
tHE PoLIsH ConnECtIon • summEr 2013
3
15th Annual
ChoPin youth PiAno
CoMPetition
The Chopin Youth Piano Competition will take place on Sunday,
June 16th at the Sobieski Vodka Cultural Stage (located just north
of the main gate) and is scheduled to run from 3-8 p.m.
The competition, founded by Monika and Lidia Sobierajski, will be
marking its 15th year. The annual piano competition has continued
to grow each year, drawing talented young pianists from all over
Wisconsin and the U.S.
2012 Winners of the Chopin Youth Piano Competition
The Chopin Youth Piano Competition is divided into two age
divisions, Junior Division (ages 14 & under) and Senior Division
(ages 15-18). Pianists as young as the age of 7 have competed in the annual competition. The competition awards over $1,000
in monetary prizes, with special commemorative trophies being awarded to the top three winners in each age division. Top
prizes in the Chopin Youth Piano Competition are sponsored by Steinway Piano Gallery of Milwaukee and Polanki - The Polish
Women’s Cultural Club of Milwaukee. The competition has also received additional support from Sheila Bethia, Florence Mikna,
Julianna Ksianski, and many other individual contributors over the years. In addition, the Chopin Youth Piano Competition
receives “in-kind” donations from very generous supporters of the competition. Polish Heritage Alliance member and member
of PHA’s Board of Directors, Michael Krass, has designed and donated crystal competition trophies to the 1st –3rd place winners
in both categories since 1999. Frank Keppler, owner of Brew City Beer Gear, supports the event with a donation of originally
designed “work of art” t-shirts that are given to each of the finalists. Theresa Geiger, owner of Mid City Blue Printing, has
generously donated the printing of competition program booklets since 2006. The success of this annual piano competition
would not be possible without the generous support of such contributors and friends of the competition.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to hear these fine young pianists, make this the year to attend!
For more information about the Chopin Youth Piano Competition, go to the Polish Fest website at:
www.polishfest.org and follow the link at the bottom of the page.
Become a fan of the competition on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/pages/Chopin-Youth-Piano-Competition/114025778632769
Archbishop listecki to
Celebrate Mass at Polish Fest
Polish Fest is honored to be
joined by Archbishop Listecki
for the Annual Polish Fest Mass.
The Mass will be held at
10:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 16th
in the covered Cultural Stage
Pavilion just north of the main
entrance. Gates for the Mass
will open at 9:30 a.m. and will
close at 11 a.m.
Polish organizations are invited
to participate in the procession,
which will begin promptly at
10 am. All are invited for the musical prelude at 10 a.m. The
readings and music will be in English and Polish.
$4.00 reduced admission tickets to Polish Fest are available
Sunday morning from 9:30 -11:59 a.m.
4
tHE PoLIsH ConnECtIon • summEr 2013
Family Fun in the Children’s Area
Choose from two games in Polish Fest’s Children’s Area.
Children can toss a bean bag at the Polish mushrooms or
throw a ring onto your favorite Polish city then pick out their
prize. Everyone is a winner!
Children can also sit down and enjoy several craft stations
including a number of Polish and Father’s Day themed crafts.
Children can also learn Polish
words and sayings from the
Polish information board. They
can also learn the names of
famous Poles.
For the energetic kids, the rock
climbing wall and bouncy
inflatables will be available in the
Children’s Area. In addition, the
slides and swings from
Summerfest are up and ready for
your use along with other
playground fun.
Visit the CulturAl VillAge At Polish Fest
Polish Fest is all about Poland's rich cultural heritage. Folk artists will
demonstrate wycinanki (paper cutting), pisanki (decorated eggs),
wianki (floral head wreaths) and other traditional Polish crafts until
8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Other Polish
artists, such as metalworkers, will display their work on the Village
Green.
Everybody's favorite, the Polish Sheepdogs, will be accompanied
by new animal additions: Polish Chickens and Polish Rabbits.
Festival-goers can also enjoy the always-popular cooking
demonstrations of favorite Polish dishes.
In the Polish Forum, learn about immigration of Poles to the USA
and different perspectives on re-discovering your ancestry.
Cultural exhibits will feature a selection of costumes from the
collection of Ada Dziewanowska; images of Polish countrysides
taken by Louise Boyd in the 1930s; and contemporary images of
various regions of Poland. Festival-goers will be able to interact with
the Kwasniewski Photography collection online and learn about
stacked wood construction from the curator of the Mecikalski
Stovewood Museum. Many other small exhibits representing the
Polish presence in Wisconsin can be found throughout the village,
including representatives of Milwaukee-area Polish organizations.
Polish Forum
Visit the Forum tent to hear local historians speak about Polish
related history in Milwaukee and abroad.
Friday, 3 pm
Darlene Rzezotarski: “Trick a Witch,
Wed a Hedgehog, Save Your Soul:
An American Artist Encounters Poland”
Friday, 5 pm
Susan Mikoś: “Poles in Wisconsin”
Saturday, 4 pm
John Gurda: “Milwaukee’s Kashubs
and Jones Island”
Saturday, 6 pm
Steve Szabados: “Finding Babcia’s
European Ancestors”
Sunday, 3 pm
Neal Pease: “The Warsaw Ghetto Rising
of 1943: A 70-Year Retrospective”
Warsaw
Ghetto
Rising
Cooking demonstrations
Expert cooks prepare your favorite Polish dishes including Polish
sausage, pierogi and more!
Friday, 4 pm
Mary Ellen DeVito: Blochowiak Bright
Star, Refrigerator Cheese Torte
Saturday, 1 pm & 2:30 pm Michael Krass: Making Polish Sausage
Sunday, 1 pm & 2 pm
Anne Wal: Making Pierogi
The Polanki library Annual Book sale
Purchase a duplicate book from our library’s collection for your
personal home library.
tHE PoLIsH ConnECtIon • summEr 2013
5
relax at the sobieski Vodka lounge
Come chill out on the Harley Deck in our Sobieski
Vodka Lounge where you’ll find a variety of
specialty Sobieski Vodka drinks. Open Friday &
Saturday from 5:30-11:30 p.m. and Sunday from
noon-7 p.m.
Sobieski Vodka will be featured again this year as
our premier vodka throughout the festival grounds.
It will be served with all of our mixed drinks and at
our vodka tastings throughout the weekend. We
invite you to join us on Friday at 5 pm, 7 pm and 9
pm; Saturday at 2 pm, 5 pm and 8 pm; and Sunday
at 2 pm and 5 pm for our Vodka and Mead tastings
which will be at $15 a person.
Don’t forget to enjoy some of the signature drinks
this year available exclusively at the Sobieski Vodka
Lounge! We will be featuring Sobieski Espresso,
Raspberry, Bizon Grass Orange, and of course, Old Krupnik.
Polish Fest is proud to announce the return of Tyskie Polish beer or piwo all the way
from the city of Tychy in Poland. Tyskie will be coming to us in record quantities and
will be featured at all of our beer bars this year.
Bring your Appetite to Polish Fest
Are you hungry for some of the best Polish food in the area? Polish Fest food vendors
can take care of that! Over two dozen vendors will be offering Polish cuisine and
much more at this year’s 32nd annual festival.
Enjoy favorites such as pierogi,
bigos, Klement’s Polish
sausage, Badger ham,
sauerkraut, potato pancakes,
gołąbki, czarnina, and more.
Visit Polish Fest’s Kawiarnia
bakery Café for pączki,
chruściki, sernik and other
tasty treats.
Enjoy authentic Polish
cuisine from Old World Deli,
Ski’s Home Cooking, Busia’s
Kitchen, Polonez Polish
Restaurant, European Kitchen, and Crocus Polish Restaurant. There is a wide array of
delicious dishes from Charcoal Grill, Wisconsin Cheese Curds, and Saz’s.
grab a snack, a drink, or something to cool off with at Catalano Produce, Cedar
Crest, Bella Caffé, Country Time Kettle Korn, Cousins, Hawaiian Shave Ice, Koepsell’s
Popcorn, Lemon Chill, Sil’s Donuts, Root Beer Barrels and Reids Roasted.
While you are thinking about food, be sure to check out the CooKIng
dEmonstrAtIons in the taste of Polonia tent. Local Polish cooks will
demonstrate the techniques of making authentic Polish dishes. Smacznego!
6
tHE PoLIsH ConnECtIon • summEr 2013
Visit the sukiennice
For many people, one of the best parts
of Milwaukee’s ethnic festivals is the
shopping. This year, as you browse the
Sukiennice Marketplace you’ll find a wide
selection of traditional Polish items such
as Bolesławiec pottery, amber jewelry,
Polish linens, hand-carved wooden boxes
and plates, dolls, wycinanki, and much
more. If you like your Polish items to
have a more modern twist, visit one of
the vendors selling an assortment of
novelty T-shirts, buttons, bumper
stickers, flags and more. You’ll also find a
wide variety of books, CDs and DVDs in
Polish and English.
Don’t forget to visit our souvenir booth
for your Official Polish Fest items. Items
such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, blankets, golf
umbrellas, seat cushions, key chains and
more will be available. Don’t forget to
buy your blinking beer stein with the
traditional Polish Fest logo! This will be
available in the bar areas.
Also located in the Sukiennice
Marketplace, the Mały Sklep (little store)
will again feature “dry” goods found in a
typical Polish general store such as dill
pickles, canned and dry soups, jams,
juices, bread mixes, cookies and candy,
among other Polish delicacies. Make sure
to stop by as we will have a new
inventory of goods this year.
study Polish at the
Polish Center
PoLIsH III (IntErmEdIAtE)
Thursdays,
September 19 – november 21
instructor: Michael Mikoś,
Professor of Polish language
and literature at uWM
Fee: $140
This program, a continuation of Polish II, is also
recommended for those who have studied Polish before
and would like a review. The instructor will emphasize
conversational skills based on grammatical structures,
with reading and writing. The textbook for the course is
Władysław Miodunka, Cześć, jak się masz? Part I.
POLISH CENTER OF WISCONSIN
6941 S 68th Street • Franklin, WI 53132
414-529-2140 • www.polishcenterofwisconsin.org
BINGO
smoKE-FrEE
Every Wednesday at the Polish Center
6941 S. 68th Street • Franklin, Wisconsin
“50/50 Raffle”
Door prizes every 3rd Wednesday!
Doors open at 4 p.m.
Early Bird Bingo for $1,050 at 6 p.m.
Regular Session Bingo for $1,050 at 7:30 p.m.
– All Soft Cards –
SPONSORED BY
Polish Heritage Alliance, Inc.
Proceeds benefit
Polish center
of Wisconsin
Call 414-529-2140
for more information.
Monthly
Card Games
AT THE POLISH CENTER
1st & 3rd Thursday
of the Month
Starts at Noon
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Optional $9 Lunch on 1st Thursday
CASH BAR
Card clubs and bridge groups are welcome!
Individuals may join a table upon arrival.
Play sheepshead, poker, and more.
For more information, call 414-529-2140
tHE PoLIsH ConnECtIon • summEr 2013
7
Polish Heritage Alliance, Inc.
6941 S. 68th Street • Franklin, WI 53132-8237
reTurn SerViCe requeSTeD
32nd Annual
June 14-16, 2013
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US Postage
PAID
Milwaukee WI
Permit No 1914
– Voted in top 5 for Best
FestiVal in Milwaukee
in the wisn 2012 spring
Fever a-list.
– Voted as one of the
top 100 FestiVals in
north aMerica by
the american Business
association
– Made the travel
channel’s Best Fairs &
FestiVals list in 2012
sAVe the dAtes For these uPCoMing Polish Center eVents:
october Classes
S A V E T H E D AT E
FOR
P O L I S H H E R I TA G E A L L I A N C E ’ S
Get ready for classes demonstrating
various traditional Polish dishes.
Mark your calendars for these
fall cooking classes:
October 14
Czarnina
October 21
Polish
sausage
October 28
Fermentation
entertAinMent For eVery tAste
Join us June 14-15-16 for the 32nd annual Polish Fest at Henry Maier Festival
Park (also known as the Summerfest grounds) featuring five stages of
entertainment.
The Miller Stage will feature 18-time Grammy award winner Jimmy sturr
and his orchestra with two performances each on Saturday evening and
Sunday afternoon. Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra is on the Top Ten list of the
All-time Grammy Awards and has received more consecutive Grammy
nominations than anyone in the history of musical awards. Jimmy Sturr and his
Orchestra is the only band in the polka field to receive the Broadcast Music
Inc. (BMI) most valued award, the “Commendation of Excellence”.
Also on the Miller Stage will be Grammy nominee John gora & gorale.
Whether it is polka music or contemporary Polish music, John Gora & Gorale
will entertain you with all the sounds of Poland.
In addition, contemporary music will be featured on the Miller Stage with the
sounds of Project 3:13 on Friday evening; and 76 Juliet and mount olive
on Saturday. The Miller Stage will also be the place to enjoy the classic rock
and country rock sounds of The Larry Lynne band on Sunday evening. If a
blast from the past if what you’re looking for, the doo-Wop daddies will be
the group to hear on Friday afternoon with their fabulous sounds from the
50s and 60s.
The Non-Stop Polka Stage will feature Grammy nominee and crowd pleaser,
The Polka Family on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. The premier
polka band in the country the Polka Country musicians will take the stage
on Friday and Saturday night. A highlight of the polka stage will be The Krew
brothers reunion; the seven brothers will perform their hits at Polish Fest!
Other top bands that will appear include The Knewz, The boys from
baltimore, The buffalo Concertina All-stars, Jim Kilian and Honky
Chicago, The downtown sound and from RFD network, mollie b & ted
Lange with squeezebox! Making their first appearances at Polish Fest will
be The diddlestyx and The d street band.
Polish dance groups will once again be featured during the festival on the
Cultural Stage as seven dance groups from around the country will perform
throughout the weekend. The Polish Folk dance Association of the
Americas will once again showcase Polish dance ensembles in the Dance Gala
on Saturday evening. In addition, the syrena Polish Folk dance Ensemble
will not only perform throughout the weekend but will also offer a Polish
Costume Fashion Show during the weekend.
Enjoy true Polish music from folk to contemporary at Polish Fest. Whether it is
skalar us on Friday, Firebeat or Fox music band, there will be Polish hits
from the 70s to today, disco-polo, and Polish rock. If that’s not enough, we
will have the jazz stylings of grazyna Auguscik and Americana roots rocker
michael Quinn and the bourbon Kings, the country rock sounds of
Flipsyde featuring Milwaukee’s own red deacon and country teen singing
sensation Charissa mrowka and Country Cross.
The Children’s Stage will feature Magician Julie sobanski, Wayne &
Wingnut, starlite the Clown balloon Artist, Polish Falcons tumbling
troupe, the schiltz Audubon nature Adventure, and Kohl’s Wild
Theatre to name just a few of the shows for kids of all ages to enjoy!
No matter what your age or what your musical interests are, there’s something
for everyone at Polish Fest 2013!
ABOVE: Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra, Grazyna Auguscik,
Mollie B & Ted Lange with Squeezebox, Fox Music Band,
The Doo-Wop Daddies, Charissa Mrowka, The Diddlestyx,
John Góra & Górale. and the Syrena Polish Folk Dance Ensemble.
parking permit only
parking
permit only
SATURDAY, JUNE 15 - ROAD CLOSURES:
• Lincoln Memorial Drive closed in both directions from Michigan Street
• Hoan Bridge closed in both directions from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• I-794E closed from Jackson / Van Buren exit to Oklahoma Avenue to Lake Drive from 4 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• I-794W closed from Howard Avenue exit to Lakefront Interchange • Michigan Street closed from Van Buren Street all the way east to
Discovery World from 5 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
• I-794E Lakefront Exit (1F) will be closed on Saturday morning
• See Summerfest Rock `n Sole Run road closure flier for additional closures.
from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m.