TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse Polish Festival
Chance Chamberlain: Thanks, guys. I’m here in Clinton Square, where the sights, sounds, and flavors of Polish culture are filling downtown Syracuse. Whether you’re here for the dancing, the pierogi, or just the atmosphere there’s something for everyone. The 69th annual Syracuse Polish Festival is bringing Clinton Square to life with music, dancing, and the unmistakable smell of pierogies. And for volunteer organizers like Marta Chmielewski, seeing the festival in full swing again is a celebration in itself.
Marta Chmielewski: We are so psyched that this is still running and we’re all ready for it.
Chamberlain: But it’s more than just fun, the festival helps fund scholarships through the Polish Scholarship Fund, a tradition dating back to 1954.
Chmielewski: It’s our goal, it’s our mission to promote the culture and support the academics.
Chamberlain: With something for everyone, from folk dancing and live music to Polish souvenirs and a pierogi-eating contest, the three-day event invites people of all backgrounds to join in where you don’t have to be Polish to feel Polish.
Chmielewski: So that’s how people feel. People emerge easily into that culture and I think the local community has a lot to do with it because we all come together at the fest.
Chamberlain: This year’s festival runs through Sunday and to see the full schedule or learn more about the scholarship fund, visit polishscholarship.org. For NCC News, I’m Chance Chamberlain.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)— Clinton Square is alive with the sounds of music, the smell of pierogi, and the spirit of tradition as the 69th annual Syracuse Polish Festival brings locals downtown this weekend.
The three-day celebration features folk dancing, live music, traditional Polish food, crafts and a pierogi-eating contest, one of the most popular events of the festival. But beyond the entertainment, organizers say the event serves a greater purpose.
“We are so psyched that this is still running and we’re all ready for it,” said Marta Chmielewski, a longtime volunteer and organizer with the Polish Scholarship Fund. “It’s our goal, it’s our mission to promote the culture and support the academics.”
Proceeds from the festival go toward scholarships awarded to students through the Polish Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit founded in 1954. For Chmielewski, it’s a way to preserve heritage while supporting the next generation.
“You don’t have to be Polish to feel Polish,” she said. “People emerge easily into that culture and I think the local community has a lot to do with it, because we all come together at the fest.”
Organizers say the festival welcomes people of all backgrounds. Families can enjoy children’s games and inflatables, browse Polish souvenirs, and sample food from local vendors and restaurants including Eva’s European Sweets, the sponsor of this year’s eating contest.
The Syracuse Polish Festival runs through Sunday in Clinton Square. A full schedule of events and details about the scholarship fund are available at polishscholarship.org.