Update: 2010 Polish Festival details here!
Just below the masthead on the Polish Festival website are the words: the best kept secret of Portland, Oregon.
Well, the secret is out.
The festival is still my favorite, but I hope they have plans to expand it next year. Heather and Diane and I arrived Saturday around 2:30 to find long, serpentine beer and food lines. But we weren’t going to let long lines defeat us. Our strategy was to separate. First things first; I got in the beer line to snag a couple Black Bosses.
Later on Saturday the fest ran out of beer, though I was relieved to find when I returned Sunday that supplies had been replenished. If we had known they were in short supply we would have been more careful who we shared with.
But back to the matter at hand . . . it was critically important that we get some Pierogi ruskie, Gołąbki, and Kiełbasa i Bigos, but Heather and Diane both were faint from hunger. I delivered their beers as they stood in line and then did reconnaissance . . . eureka! the line for Placki Ziemniaczane wasn’t too long. So we had beers to sip and potato pancakes to snack on as we waited in line for our combo plates.
With our dietary needs met we spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the festival.
All the photos above were take with Heather’s camera . . . some by her, some by me.
At her website, Mile73.com, she has posted additional photos and a more thorough account of our Polish Festival adventures: Pierogi ruskie, Gołąbki, and My Favorite: Placki Ziemniaczane.
Mary Sue says
*prays for rain for next year*
I got there about 4.30 Saturday, and I left around 7 when it started to get cold.
Eric Berg says
I’d say the secret’s been out since 2004 or so. The festival is a far cry from when I first attended. In 1996, I think.
I saw Heather and you there Saturday evening. Lots of other Timbers Army Faithful, too.
The sausage and sauerkraut were exceptionally good this year.
Dave says
Mary Sue – I hope you got some pierogies?!
Eric – I saw lots of Timbers Army folks there too. I think the rain kept a lot of folks home last year. I’m hoping that might happen at the Greek Festival next weekend . . .
Anndrea says
ever since i went to the polish festival i have been making my own homemade pierogies that are amazing all my friends are inlove with pierogies now thanks to me :] the festival had amazing food and my sister said the beer was pretty good i cant wait till next year!
olivia hatton says
POLISH FESTIVAL IS AWSOME I LIOVE HELPING OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO THEIR PIEROGI ARE FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!