Polish Festival @ Fed Square

The 22nd Polish Festival @ Fed Square runs all day and entry is free, so there’s every reason to wander in and stay a while.

Come hungry. The food stalls along Birrarung Marr Walk are where most visitors start, and where plenty end up going back for seconds. Expect pierogi stuffed with potato and cheese, smoky kielbasa straight off the grill, crispy golden placki and a whole lot more. Save room for something sweet. Any Polish babcia would insist.

On the Main Stage, the morning belongs to students from Melbourne’s Polish language schools, who bring more energy than most headline acts. After lunch the folkloric dance groups take over with spinning skirts, stamping boots and costumes that carry generations of tradition in every stitch. Over at The Edge, the program opens with a concert from the PolMusica winners and rolls on with performances throughout the day.

In the Main Square, stallholders bring a slice of Poland you can actually take home. Think Boleslawiec pottery in its famous cobalt blue, Baltic amber jewellery and gifts you definitely won’t find at your local shopping centre.

The festival is proudly Polish, proudly Melbourne and open to anyone with a curious streak, young or old. Bring your mates, bring your family and definitely bring an appetite.