The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph courtesy of Elisa Sarnacka

The Vistula Folk Ensemble will perform June 8 at the Polish Bazaar at St. Cyprian Church.

Polish community holds festival

By Elisa Sarnacka

To learn about a specific culture within a community, people can read books, explore the media or hunt for information on the Internet. Or they can experience it an easier way--through the world of real people and customs. On June 8, the Polish community of the South Bay is inviting residents to its Polish Bazaar, a daylong celebration of Polish culture, packed with ethnic foods, gifts, crafts and performances.

Those who are not familiar with Polish cuisine will have a chance to try a variety of ethnic foods, including barbecued Polish sausage, stuffed cabbage rolls, pierogi, crêpes and Polish beer.

The festival will be held Sunday from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m at St. Cyprian Church, 1133 W. Washington Ave.

The Poles of the Bay Area are not as visible as those in Chicago and New York, though it is estimated that Santa Clara County is home to more than 30,000 people of Polish decent. Their cultural, social and educational base is in Sunnyvale, where 16 years ago the Polish church St. Albert's Pastoral Mission was established. The church organizes various seasonal balls and assemblies, actively supports the promotion of the Polish arts in the South Bay area and cooperates with other Polish organizations to provide the community with up-to-date information that may concern them. On Saturdays Polish-American children gather in the St. Cyprian school to attend their Polish language and history classes. They also play and learn as the members of the Polish Scouts Association (Zwiazek Harcerstwa Rzeczypospolitej), wearing their Polish uniforms and abiding by the ZHR's rules.

After years of using St. Cyprian Church, last year the mission started building its own church in San Jose. All proceeds from the June 8 event will go toward the new church building.

The festival will feature live performances by Vistula and Lowiczanie, two distinguished San Francisco-based dance groups. The groups' connection with Poland is emphasized in their names. The name Vistula is derived from the Vistula River, which flows the full length of Poland, from the Tatra Mountains to the Baltic Sea. Lowiczanie is the name of one of the many Polish historic communities defined by its unique customs and folk outfits. Both Vistula and Lowiczanie take pride in their beautiful, authentic folk costumes.

For additional information, contact Edmund Lewandowski at 415/341-7359.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 4, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.