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The Theme for the 2012 Festival is
"10 Year Celebration of
Polish Culture & Traditions!" |
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The 10th Annual Polish Heritage Festival
will be held on June 8 & 9, 2012
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The Polish Heritage Festival is helping
"Special Children with Special Needs"!
Click Here to see the video and read the article.
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June 10 & 11, 2011
Entertainment! |
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Friday Bands |
The Knewz
Sponsored By
Lamb & Webster
The Knewz is a polka band based in Buffalo, New York, which was started
in 1990 by Mike Burka, Tom Picciano, and Tommy Wanderlich. The band
plays many original songs, covers of country and rock songs, and also
traditional Polish polkas, obereks, and waltzes.
In 2008, The Knewz received two awards from the United States Polka
Association - Favorite Recording of the Year, Headlinez, and Favorite
Song of the Year, "When I Call Your Name", written by Tommy Wanderlich.
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The Buffalo Touch
Sponsored By
J. Rutowski Pharmacies, Inc.
High energy, Entertaining, a Good Time and "Plenty of Dancing" is how to
describe the shows performed by The Buffalo Touch. This Award Winning
POLKA band including two members of the I.P.A. (International Polka
Association) Hall of Fame, perform music sure to put a smile on the face
of everyone young and old alike from Los Angeles to Atlantic City. The
Buffalo Touch has received three Grammy nominations for "Best Polka
Album" and were the sole representatives of Western New York for the
45th, 46th and 51st annual GRAMMY AWARDS.
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Saturday Bands |
The New Direction Band
Come see The New Direction Band of Western New York and enjoy their
"old country" Honky Style Polkas featuring the songs you like to hear that
keep your feet "a-tapping".
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The Concertina All Stars
The Buffalo Concertina All-Stars were established in October 1997 after
a group of concertina players assembled for a jam at a Fall Polka Dance
in Buffalo, NY. The jam session featured Polka musicians from or with
roots in Buffalo and the WNY area. The sound of the eight concertinas
was so unique that the guys decided to revive a lost concept that was
very popular in the 1960's, a performing "Concertina Band"!
Today, the Buffalo Concertina All-Stars have moved from club to band.
Now featuring an old time sound of 3 concertina's, a driving accordian,
a solid rhythm section, and a great mix of trumpet, sax and clarinet.
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Scrubby with Phocus Polkas
Sponsored By
Kitchen World
An explosive entertainer, polka dynamite, and charged with TNT describe
Dave "Scrubby" Seweryniak. Born on the Fourth of July and growing up on
the East Side of Buffalo, known as Polonia, he was six he started to
play the accordion, first by ear, then with formal lessons. In August,
1994 "Scrubby" was inducted into polka music's elite group. The
International Polka Association's Polka Music Hall of Fame!
Phocus Polkas was started in 2003. they have grown over the past 7 years
to bring you the best in Polka Music from their home town of Buffalo, NY.
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Stephanie Pietrzak
& the Honky Tonk Band
Sponsored By
Christian General Contractors
It all started at the age of seven when Stephanie was being taught the
accordion by her mom, Wanda, and the Polish vocals by her grandmother.
This created an interest in listening to Polish music. Wanda took
Stephanie to see Li’l Wally when he was in town. When Stephanie saw
Li'l Wally play the concertina and sing "Hello My Kejda," she was
fascinated with this instrument.
Stephanie has put together an ultimate honky band with Chicago musicians
for her recordings and road tours. Not only is she a bandleader,
vocalist and entertainer, but also a composer, songwriter and producer.
Besides playing the concertina, Stephanie plays the drums, accordion
and piano. In 2005, 2007 and 2008, the IPA awarded Stephanie "Best
Female Vocalist" and in 2009 she received "Best Song of the Year" for
her song that she composed, "Polka Memories." In 2006, she composed
another #1 hit from her famous quote "I Can't Hear You."
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Polish Dancers & Choir |
Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble
Sponsored By
Evans Bank
The Harmony Polish Folk Ensemble is Western New York's largest Polish-
American cultural and dance ensemble. In an effort to provide families
with a culturally enriching experience, we formed this community folk
dance group, centrally located and open to all ages from pre-school to
senior citizen. We currently have some of the most highly trained Polish
folk dance choreographers in Buffalo. Among our ensemble members are
multiple families spanning several generations.
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"Ludowa Nuta"
Polish-Canadian Folk Choir
The Polish Canadian Folk Choir "Ludowa Nuta" of Hamilton Ontario has been performing since October of 2005. The group consists of 45 enthusiasts of Polish folk music and has delighted audiences in both Canada and the United States with over 100 performances to date. Acclaimed for it’s authenticity, energy and enthusiasm, the Ludowa Nuta Choir is one more link in the preservation of Polish folk music.
Contact: e-mail - ludowanuta@hotmail.com; phone: (905) 304-1945
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First Time at the Festival! |
"Burza" Batalion
Sponsored By
Alden Automotive, Inc.
The Burza Batalion is a dynamic group of historians who’ve been inspired by the story of the proud and tragic Warsaw Uprising of 1944. They're driven to deliver the story of Polish people during the Second World War to the audiences across the USA through serious and dynamic living history interpretation, and by supporting like-minded organizations and projects. Their mission is to inspire people with that Polish story so they’ll explore history for themselves, long after their work is done.
They believe that educating the public is the core responsibility of any living history group, and as such They focus their energy on creating an interactive learning environment and a vivid living history program. Through the use of a variety of meaningful artifacts, engaging storyboards, and energetic personal interpretation in authentic period clothing, They realize their mission by creating a fun, educational, and exciting atmosphere where all who visit can leave with good memories, valuable knowledge, and a renewed respect for the story of the Poles from the 1940s. They also offer consultation and professional services for films and other artistic endeavors that promote Polish history.
It wouldn’t be fair to think of them as a run of the mill reenactor-club, and it would be equally unfair to think of them as an exclusive and snobby book club, or some kind of cardboard-backed high school history project. They don’t fit any kind of mold really, and to be honest They’re proud of that. They’re very moved by the history they engage, and their drive to continue their project has its roots in the power of the Polish story of WWII. Through the embrace of their own Polish story, they believe that all cultures and elasticities can gain a new appreciation for their own unique and inspiring legacy. They’re excited to bring their story to new audiences.
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Authors |
Ken Koskodan
On Friday author Ken Koskodan will be doing a book signing and lecture
on his book, "No Greater Ally: The Untold Story of Poland's Forces in
World War II".
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Eddie Zawadzki
On Saturday author Eddie Zawadzki will be doing a book signing
on his book, "Pols in the New World".
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2 Exciting Videos from the
2008 Polish Heritage Festival! |
| Duck Races |
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Guinness World Record Breaking Fish Fry |
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| Video compliments of Channel 2 |
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Video compliments of Channel 2 |
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A number of printable forms are available on this site. They require the use of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, Version 4.0 or later, which can be downloaded here.
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© 2011 Polish Heritage Festival, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Unauthorized use is prohibited.
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