Join us for Seattle Center Festál: Polish Festival Seattle, 12 p.m.–8 p.m., Saturday, July 8, in Seattle Center Armory and Mural Amphitheatre. The one-day celebration features authentic food and drink, live music and dance, exhibits, workshops, local merchants selling Polish items and children’s activities that highlight Polish traditions and contemporary achievements.
Seattle’s long established Polish community, seeking to broaden its cultural reach, joined Festál in 2012. In 2017, the festival highlights the region of Śląsk and features Polish folk music and dancers performing in traditional costumes and a beer garden with accordion music and a Polka dance contest. Festival-goers will also find a good dose of Chopin, jazz music by contemporary Polish composers and Pierogi-making and pickling demonstrations. Here is the line-up of live entertainment:
Seattle Center Armory Stage
11:45 a.m. – Gathering for the Parade at Fisher Pavilion Rooftop and dancing to Seattle Center Armory
12:10 p.m. – Official Opening Ceremony, with National Anthems performed by Vivat Musica! Choir
12:45 p.m. – Polish pianist Paweł Chęciński presents the music of Fryderyk Chopin
1:20 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:05 p.m. and 6:55 p.m. – Piast, adult Polish folk dance group from Las Vegas, NV, performs traditional dances
1:40 p.m. – Seattle area-based Polish dance and theatre group, Młodzi Polanie
2:05 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 5:10 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. – Karpaty Dance Ensemble
2:30 p.m. – Matt Strutynski Band presents Polish-American indie folk
3:55 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. – Vivat Musica! Choir sings Polish folk songs
4:40 p.m. – Students of M.L. Szlaga Piano Studio play Chopin
6:30 p.m. – Agnieszka Laska Dancers pay tribute to Ewa Demarczyk
7:15 p.m. – Parno Drom plays Polish Romani (gypsy) music
Mural Amphitheatre
12:15 p.m. – New Age Flamenco blends a Gypsy soul with the rhythms of an eclectic mix of modern music
1:25 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 5:35 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. – Karpaty Dance Ensemble performs traditional dances
1:35 p.m. – Vivat Musica! Choir sings Polish folk songs
2:20 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:20 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. – Piast performs vintage dances
2:55 p.m. – Parno Drom presents Polish Romani music
4:20 p.m. – Sobótka Dancers of Polish School of Portland in a folkdance medley
6:05 p.m. – Yaazda plays covers of iconic Polish bands from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on Polish Festival, visit Polish Festival, and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit Seattle Center or call 206-684-7200.
