The 69th Polish Festival is now underway in Syracuse’s Clinton Square. It’s three days of Polish food, dancing and music. Whether you know how to polka dance or not, there's no worries. You can learn at this weekend’s event.
Central New York polka artist Jasiu Klocek’s band The Salt City Brass plays on Saturday. He started playing the accordion at 4 years-old and has played ever since.
“When we would have family engagements they would end up singing Polish folks songs that my grandfather brought from Poland," he said. "Maybe that had something to do with me wanting to play accordion so I could play Polkas?”
The celebration of food, camaraderie and culture. The events emcee Marta Chmielewski says the polish folk dancers from Toronto are returning. They've packed their bags with colorful costume changes dating back to a bygone era.
“Each costume represents a different region of Poland. So, you’ll see stripes, you’ll see flowers, you’ll see a peacock’s feather in a man’s hat. That all has some significance. So, as you watch the dances, each dance shows a different tradition and a different part of Poland,” she said.
The annual Polish Festival also raises funds to provide scholarships for college students of Polish dissent. The festival runs through Sunday. Click here for the full entertainment schedule.