Red, white and food
Annual Polish Festival a celebration of culture, cuisine
WOONSOCKET — Blackstone resident Dan Skwyra has never been to Poland, but when he takes a bite of kielbasa at the St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, he feels like he’s been transported to his family’s homeland.
“It’s a Polish church and I grew up on Polish food,” Skwyra said as he finished a plate of the church’s wildly-popular smoked kielbasa. “It reminds me of my heritage. There’s a lot of immigrants here.”
Skwyra has been coming to the Harris Avenue church, just across the city line from his hometown of Blackstone, as far back as he can remember, and says he makes sure to come back every year for the church’s summertime Polish Festival.
Mother Nature’s rains on Saturday couldn’t dampen the spirits of those in attendance, as Saturday’s Polish Festival drew scores of red-and-whiteclad attendees of Polish descent and plenty who may have only been Polish for the day.
The yearly community event offers plates of Polish food, items for sale, and a space for children to play during the afternoon, and at night the party includes yard games, dancing, and live music.
“It’s a Polish church and I grew up on Polish food. It reminds me of my heritage. There’s a lot of immigrants here.”
—Festival attendee Dan Skwyra
Isabella Slowick, who was described by volunteers as the “parish matriarch,” said the gathering’s main purpose every summer is to keep the parish afloat financially, but it also plays a pivotal role in the local Polish community as a place where people can come to celebrate their heritage and history.
“The weather’s against us today,” she said from a seat under a pop-up canopy in the parish’s parking lot. “These tables would be filled with more people.” Despite the rain, there was still a sense of energy inside the hall, as pa- trons dined on plates of pierogi, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, and soups, while listening to authentic Polish music over the speakers.
This tradition dates back to the 1980s, and Slowick said “we take pride” in the summer celebration. “We make thousands of pierogis and golabki,” she said, estimating that 10,000 pierogis and 5,000 golabki would be consumed.
“It’s a Polish tradition, people come for this … When you drive in, you can smell this…” volunteer David Kubaska said, pointing to the wood smoker preparing kielbasa. “I guarantee it would have been sold out by 5 if the weather was good.”
By Slowick’s estimation, 90 percent of the St. Stanislaus parishioners can connect their family lineage to Poland, saying there’s a pride in the homeland. Slowick herself has been to Poland twice and “enjoyed every bit of it.”
The authenticity of the Polish Festival, she said, is something the volunteers work on all week in preparation for the celebration. From décor to the traditions on display, she said, it’s about ensuring the connection to Poland continues for generations.
“They put a lot of work in bringing us up and keeping the traditions. Year after year, day after day, to not forget and be proud,” Slowick said.
Kubaska added: “It’s in our blood. You just can’t give it up.”
The parish’s next signature annual event is its bazaar, scheduled for the first Sunday of November.