Polish Festival Seattle is July 12: 12pm-7pm, at the Armory Food & Event Hall and Mural Amphitheatre. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public.
Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 25 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
EVENT Schedule – SATURDAY, JULY 12: 12pm-7pm
ARMORY STAGE
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Time
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Activity/Performance
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12:00pm-12:45pm
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Parade & Opening Ceremony
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12:45pm-1:30pm
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Vivat Musica!
The Polish choir “Vivat Musica!” was established in March of 2004 at the Polish Cultural Center in Seattle by Barbara Niesułowski. They have a rich repertoire of Polish national, patriotic, sacred, classic, folk songs and carols. Their goal is to show and expand knowledge of Polish culture, history and traditions but also to perform for those who enjoy singing or listen to songs sung with joy and passion. They have performed in over 200 concerts across the United States, Canada and Poland. At the Seattle Center Polish Festival “Vivat Musica!” has been performing every year, since 2012!
This year, they will present a medley of traditional and popular Polish songs. Dr. Marcin Pączkowski, composer, conductor, digital artist, and performer is “Vivat Musica!” music director, Maria Grabowska is music consultant/piano accompanist and Mira Pawluskiewicz serves as the choir manager. Currently, they have 20 members and are always looking for new members to join their group.
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1:40pm-1:55pm
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Syrena Seattle (Łowicz Suite)
Syrena Seattle Traditional Polish Dance Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Polish culture and traditional folk dance in Seattle, Washington and beyond. The adult group meets regularly since September 2023. We want to represent our beautiful and rich culture, every chance we get! Our dancers teach public about the history and traditions of different regions of Poland through dance, songs and costumes. The group meets every Friday at 7pm at Polish Home Association’s upper hall. We are always looking for new dancers to join! Follow us for more information on Facebook and Instagram: Syrena Seattle.
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2:10pm-2:40pm
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Daniel Conrad
Daniel Conrad is a Polish-American with a great singing voice. He has performed at Polish Festivals in San Diego, Phoenix, Orange County, and Las Vegas, as well as at the San Diego County Fair.
Get ready for a repertoire of various Polish hits!
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2:55pm-3:20pm
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Marcin Pączkowski (Solo)
Marcin Pączkowski is a composer, conductor, digital artist, and performer, working with both traditional and electronic media. As a composer, he is focused on developing new ways of creating and performing computer music. He works with numerous ensembles in the Seattle area as an electronic music specialist. As the Music Director of Evergreen Community Orchestra, he presents concerts of diverse repertoire to local communities. He is also active in the local improvised music community performing on various instruments.
For the Polish Festival Seattle Marcin will present a program exploring a selection of Polish folk songs through vocal and instrumental performance, as well as electronic sounds.
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3:30pm-3:35pm
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Sobótka (Polonez)
The Polish dance group “Sobotka” was established and led by Elzbieta Szewczyk and Marek Stepien. Their primary goal is to teach the younger generation Polish culture through the art of dance. It is based in Portland, Oregon, and it meets at the Polish Saturday School. Currently, it includes several dance groups, a kindergarten group, a middle group and an adult group of parents, alumni and friends of Polish School.
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3:40pm-4:00pm
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Syrena Seattle (Krakowiak)
Syrena Seattle Traditional Polish Dance Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Polish culture and traditional folk dance in Seattle, Washington and beyond. The adult group meets regularly since September 2023. We want to represent our beautiful and rich culture, every chance we get! Our dancers teach public about the history and traditions of different regions of Poland through dance, songs and costumes. The group meets every Friday at 7pm at Polish Home Association’s upper hall. We are always looking for new dancers to join! Follow us for more information on Facebook and Instagram: Syrena Seattle.
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4:05pm-4:10pm
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Sobótka (Warsaw Polka)
The Polish dance group “Sobotka” was established and led by Elzbieta Szewczyk and Marek Stepien. Their primary goal is to teach the younger generation Polish culture through the art of dance. It is based in Portland, Oregon, and it meets at the Polish Saturday School. Currently, it includes several dance groups, a kindergarten group, a middle group and an adult group of parents, alumni and friends of Polish School.
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5:00pm-5:25pm
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Marcin Pączkowski Orchestra
Marcin Pączkowski is a Seattle-based composer, conductor, digital artist, and performer whose work seamlessly blends traditional and electronic music. His compositions focus on innovative approaches to creating and performing computer music, and he frequently collaborates with local ensembles as an electronic music specialist.
He is the Music Director of the Evergreen Community Orchestra, where he curates diverse and engaging performances for the local community. Marcin also teaches at Cornish College of the Arts and is an active participant in Seattle’s improvised music scene, performing on a range of instruments.
At this year’s Polish Festival Seattle, Marcin will conduct a string orchestra in a special program celebrating contemporary Polish classical music. The performance will feature works by renowned composers Wojciech Kilar, Witold Lutosławski, and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki.
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5:35pm-5:50pm
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Syrena Seattle (Śląsk)
Syrena Seattle Traditional Polish Dance Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Polish culture and traditional folk dance in Seattle, Washington and beyond. The adult group meets regularly since September 2023. We want to represent our beautiful and rich culture, every chance we get! Our dancers teach public about the history and traditions of different regions of Poland through dance, songs and costumes. The group meets every Friday at 7pm at Polish Home Association’s upper hall. We are always looking for new dancers to join! Follow us for more information on Facebook and Instagram: Syrena Seattle.
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ARMORY UPSTAIRS
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Time
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LOCATION
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Activity/Performance
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ALL-DAY
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Armory Balcony
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All-Ages & Kids’ Crafts
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ALL-DAY
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Armory Loft Lobby
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Cooking Demonstrations
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ALL-DAY
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Armory Loft 3
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Make Your Own Pierogi Workshop
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3:00pm
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Armory Loft 2
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RICK STEVES POLAND
Celebrating Polish Culture and Traditions, you’re invited to a film screening of Rick Steves Poland at the Polish Festival Seattle – a one-hour, nationwide public television special.
Check out the trailer and join us for this trip to Poland!
This is a FREE event.
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MURAL STAGE
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Time
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Activity/Performance
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12:30pm-12:45pm
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Syrena Seattle (Łowicz)
Syrena Seattle Traditional Polish Dance Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Polish culture and traditional folk dance in Seattle, Washington and beyond. The adult group meets regularly since September 2023. We want to represent our beautiful and rich culture, every chance we get! Our dancers teach public about the history and traditions of different regions of Poland through dance, songs and costumes. The group meets every Friday at 7pm at Polish Home Association’s upper hall. We are always looking for new dancers to join! Follow us for more information on Facebook and Instagram: Syrena Seattle.
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12:55pm-1:25pm
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Daniel Conrad
Daniel Conrad is a Polish-American with a great singing voice. He has performed at Polish Festivals in San Diego, Phoenix, Orange County, and Las Vegas, as well as at the San Diego County Fair.
Get ready for a repertoire of various Polish hits!
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1:30pm-2:00pm
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Polka Dance Contest
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2:00pm-2:45pm
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Sobótka
The Polish dance group “Sobotka” was established and led by Elzbieta Szewczyk and Marek Stepien. Their primary goal is to teach the younger generation Polish culture through the art of dance. It is based in Portland, Oregon, and it meets at the Polish Saturday School. Currently, it includes several dance groups, a kindergarten group, a middle group and an adult group of parents, alumni and friends of Polish School.
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2:50pm-3:10pm
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Syrena Seattle (Krakowiak)
Syrena Seattle Traditional Polish Dance Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Polish culture and traditional folk dance in Seattle, Washington and beyond. The adult group meets regularly since September 2023. We want to represent our beautiful and rich culture, every chance we get! Our dancers teach public about the history and traditions of different regions of Poland through dance, songs and costumes. The group meets every Friday at 7pm at Polish Home Association’s upper hall. We are always looking for new dancers to join! Follow us for more information on Facebook and Instagram: Syrena Seattle.
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3:10pm-3:25pm
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Leszek Chudziński – Polish Legends
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3:35pm-4:20pm
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Vivat Biesiada!
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4:30pm-4:45pm
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Syrena Seattle (Śląsk)
Syrena Seattle Traditional Polish Dance Ensemble is dedicated to promoting Polish culture and traditional folk dance in Seattle, Washington and beyond. The adult group meets regularly since September 2023. We want to represent our beautiful and rich culture, every chance we get! Our dancers teach public about the history and traditions of different regions of Poland through dance, songs and costumes. The group meets every Friday at 7pm at Polish Home Association’s upper hall. We are always looking for new dancers to join! Follow us for more information on Facebook and Instagram: Syrena Seattle.
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4:46pm-4:50pm
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Scouts Presentation
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4:50pm-5:00pm
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Leszek Chudziński – Polish Legends
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5:00pm-7:00pm
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Zabavva
Band was formed in Portland, Oregon in 2020 with the specific goal to support and entertain the Polish Community in the Northwest.
Ania (lead vocals), who grew up in Poland, and Mike (guitar), along with some of the community’s young, talented musicians play the most popular, memorable, and lively Polish music from the 20th and 21st Centuries.
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EXHIBITS
- 1000 YEARS OF THE POLISH STATE (Armory Balcony)
Special thanks to Krzysztof Poraj- Kuczewski
Shorten 1000 years Polish history in pictures and illustrations with minimum description. (Exhibition from archives will be located on lower floor along the main passage)
- SOLIDARNOŚĆ (Armory Floor)
Special thanks to the Mróz family
Starting as a trade union in 1980 in Gdańsk’s Lenin Shipyard and devoted to defending workers’ rights, Solidarność quickly grew into the biggest voluntary civic movement in Poland’s history. Hear stories from Kasia Mróz, and view fascinating archival materials collected by the late Andrzej Mróz, a community member who fought for Poland’s freedom from communism more than 35 years ago.
- OVERPRODUCTION AND WASTE (Armory Balcony)
The exhibition presents a collection of posters sent for the 11th Edition of the Ecoposter competition organized by the Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Silesia in Katowice. More than 300 posters from 25 countries were submitted, and 100 were chosen for the final exhibition. During the Polish Festival in Seattle, it will be possible to see a selection of 30 of the most interesting artworks.
The theme of this year’s competition was “Overproduction and waste.” The presented works deal with sustainability, questioning overinflated consumerism, greed, and the idea that “the more, the better.” The posters also present the issue of food waste and the problem of food shortages, although those seem opposite, artists remind us that they are inseparably connected. Exhibit on 2025 Polish festival in Seattle Center will present only selected works from the original exhibition in Poland.
The exhibition aims to encourage reflection about our everyday choices and how we can change our behaviors towards a more sustainable future.
Curators: professor, habilitated doctor Tomasz Kipka , doctor Agata Cowan-Stronciwilk , both from Institute of Fine Arts, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
FOOD (located outside at the Mural Amphitheatre)
Sponsored in part by Sebi’s Bistro and Koło Pań/Polish Women’s Club of the Polish Home Association, Seattle.
- The Polish Festival Food Booth requires tickets, which can be purchased at the festival from the outdoor ticket booths. CASH & CREDIT CARD ARE ACCEPTED!
- MENU:
- GIANT POLISH DOG
served with caramelized onion and giant pickle
- BIGOS – HUNTER’S STEW
slowly braised sauerkraut with meat roasts, bacon, onion, plums and wild mushrooms served with side of polish sausage and bread
- POLISH PLATTER – TASTE of POLAND
Cabbage roll with tomato sauce, sausage, pierogi and side of sauerkraut salad
- PIEROGI MEAT or POTATO AND CHEESE
Polish style dumplings filled with Potato and Cheese topped with onion or Meat topped with bacon served with side of sauerkraut salad
- NALEŚNIKI – CREPES
filled with farmers cheese, topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream
BEER GARDEN (located outside at the Mural Amphitheatre)
supplied by Browar Polska Inc., Seattle
- The Beer Garden requires tickets, which can be purchased at the festival from the outdoor ticket booths. CASH & CREDIT CARD ARE ACCEPTED
- Imported Polish beer including Żywiec, Okocim as well as selection of wines!
DESSERTS (located inside the Armory)
Sponsored in part by Warsztaty Kulinarne established by Teresa Vaisvila at Polish Home
- Pączki (Polish doughnuts filled with confiture or other sweet filling) and a variety of pastries (cake with apples, plums, poppy seeds, cherries, rhubarb, Szarlotka, Stefanka, Black Forest, Serniki, Makowce, Rurki, Ptysie, Chrusciki).
