Welcome to Seattle Center
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.
Time |
Activity/Performance |
12:00pm-12:45pm |
Parade & Opening Ceremony |
12:45pm-1:30pm |
Vivat Musica!
|
1:40pm-1:55pm |
Syrena Seattle (Łowicz Suite) |
2:10pm-2:40pm |
Daniel Conrad |
2:55pm-3:20pm |
Marcin Pączkowski (Solo)
|
3:30pm-3:35pm |
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. |
3:40pm-4:00pm |
Syrena Seattle (Krakowiak) |
4:05pm-4:10pm |
Sobótka (Warsaw Polka) |
5:00pm-5:25pm |
Marcin Pączkowski Orchestra 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. |
5:35pm-5:50pm |
Syrena Seattle (Śląsk) |
Time |
LOCATION |
Activity/Performance |
ALL-DAY |
Armory Balcony |
All-Ages & Kids’ Crafts |
ALL-DAY |
Armory Loft Lobby |
Cooking Demonstrations |
ALL-DAY |
Armory Loft 3 |
Make Your Own Pierogi Workshop |
3:00pm |
Armory Loft 2 |
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!
|
Time |
Activity/Performance |
12:30pm-12:45pm |
Syrena Seattle (Łowicz) |
12:55pm-1:25pm |
Daniel Conrad |
1:30pm-2:00pm |
Polka Dance Contest |
2:00pm-2:45pm |
Sobótka |
2:50pm-3:10pm |
Syrena Seattle (Krakowiak) |
3:10pm-3:25pm |
Leszek Chudziński – Polish Legends |
3:35pm-4:20pm |
Vivat Biesiada! |
4:30pm-4:45pm |
Syrena Seattle (Śląsk) |
4:46pm-4:50pm |
Scouts Presentation |
4:50pm-5:00pm |
Leszek Chudziński – Polish Legends |
5:00pm-7:00pm |
Zabavva 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. |
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)
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.
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.
Sponsored in part by Sebi’s Bistro and Koło Pań/Polish Women’s Club of the Polish Home Association, Seattle.
supplied by Browar Polska Inc., Seattle
Sponsored in part by Warsztaty Kulinarne established by Teresa Vaisvila at Polish Home
OVERVIEW
Seattle Center Festál presents Polish Festival Seattle in partnership with Seattle Polish Foundation and Polish Home Association. The festival features authentic Polish food, live music, exhibits, merchants, vodka tasting, beer garden, workshops, and more.
HISTORY
Seattle Polish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It provides a place for Polish Americans to explore their heritage, share understanding, and build community.
Polish Festival Seattle was founded in 2012 and joined Festál.
DID YOU KNOW?
Over 125,000 residents of Washington State claim Polish ancestry and around 15,000 Poles live in the Seattle area.
“Sto Lat” or “One Hundred Years” is sung at nearly every celebration.
The symbol of Poland is a white eagle, and has been depicted wearing a crown or not, depending on the government and occupying nations of Poland throughout the country’s history.
Poles have won a total of 9 Nobel prizes including 2 Peace prizes, 5 in Literature 1 in physics and 1 in chemistry. Marie Curie Skłodowska is only woman who won 2 noble prizes in history.
Famous Poles include Frederic Chopin, Marie Curie, Nicholas Copernicus and Pope Jan Paweł II.
Traditional Polish folk art includes intricate paper cuttings (Wycinanki), colorful painted wooden figurines, and vibrant embroidery.
Traditional Polish dishes include pierogi (dumplings filled with various ingredients), bigos (hunter's stew), and kielbasa (sausage). Polish cuisine is known for its hearty and flavorful dishes, often incorporating cabbage, potatoes, and meat.
Polish traditions also include vibrant festivals such as Wianki (Midsummer Night’s Festival) and Święconka (Easter Sunday Blessing of the Baskets), where community members gather to celebrate with traditional foods, music, and customs. These events help to preserve and promote Polish culture and heritage within the diaspora.