2019 Cultural Stage Entertainment - Twin Cities Polish Festival

The entertainment lineup for the Cultural Stage at the 2019 Twin Cities Polish Festival in Minneapolis, MN is being finalized. NEW this year is an outdoor Catholic Mass on Sunday, August 11, at 9 am at the Cultural Stage on the festival grounds. The location offers a scenic peaceful setting for worship with the Mississippi River flowing along one side of the grounds. Everyone is welcome to attend. Plan to stay the rest of the day and enjoy the festival! Schedule subject to change.

TIMES	ENTERTAINMENT
10:30-11:30	Folk Set: Polonia, Gwiazda, Dolina
11:45-12:30	Koscieliscanie
12:45-1:30	Folk Set: Polonia, Gwiazda, Dolina, Chabry Sloneczniki
1:45-2:30	Kapela Cykoria
2:45-3:30	Koscieliscanie
3:45-4:30	Folk Set: Polonia, Gwiazda, Dolina, Chabry Sloneczniki
5:00-5:30	Koscieliscanie
6:00-6:30	Kapela Cykoria
7:30-9:45	SlovCzech

TIMES	ENTERTAINMENT
9:00-10:00	Catholic Mass (outdoors)
10:30-11:30	Folk Set: Polonia, Gwiazda, Dolina
11:45-12:30	Koscieliscanie
12:45-1:45	Folk Set: Polonia, Gwiazda, Dolina
2:00-2:45	Kapela Cykoria
3:00-3:30	Koscieliscanie
3:45-4:45	Folk Set: Polonia, Gwiazda, Dolina

SLOVCZECH

SLOVCZECH is a folk rock band specializing in central European folk music with modern attitude. The band was formed in 2008 by 3 friends from former Czechoslovakia. Over the years, it has gone through several transformations and participated in multiple events in Minnesota and beyond. Currently, the band has six members. View website.

Gwiazda Dance School

P.R.C.U.A. Gwiazda Dance SchoolThe P.R.C.U.A. Gwiazda Dance School was established in 1960 within the city of Hamtramck, MI. Currently, the dance group is home to 45 dancers that range from the ages of 3 to 18 years oldandis entering their 60thAnniversary Yearof performing pride. The Gwiazda Dancersremain alive and active in Hamtramck, which is historically the heart of Metro Detroit Polonia.The dance group continues to teach and promote Polish folk song, dance, and customs. They make approximately 25-30 appearances throughout the year which include, but are not limited to, festivals, weddings, masses, and parades. In recent years, the Gwiazda Dancers have traveled to many cities performing at out of town festivals including Cedar, MI, Boyne Falls, MI, Minneapolis, and most notably, in the summer of 2018, they traveled to Iwonicz Zdroj, Poland to perform in the worldwide tri-annual Children’s Polish Folk Dance Festival.The Gwiazda Dancers have also created a strong relationship with Poland’s National Baseball Team and will be greeting them on the field as our dancers represent America’s Polonia when the team comes to the United States for the International Baseball Challenge.

Throughout the year, Gwiazda is not only busy dancing, but they are very active in a variety of community events, such as creating Christmas cards and taking up collections for the Military Veterans at the local VA hospital, taking part in the Empty Bowl Project to help raise funds for the Cass Community Social Services,being active in the Moon Beams for Sweet Dreams Initiative in the Pediatric Unit at Beaumont Hospital, as well as participating in canned foods drives to deliver when they take part in Gleaners Food Bank Kids Helping Kids Program.The Gwiazda Dance School is directed by Jessica Wendtand choreographed by Basia Nowakowski.

Polonia Polish Folk Dance Ensemble

The Polonia Polish Folk Dance Ensemble has been a part of the cultural life of Regina, Saskatchewan since the 1930s. At first, the dance group was simply a social club for husbands and wives who had recently immigrated to Canada, and it wasn’t until 1957 that the dance group started to practice and perform regularly. In the beginning, the dance group was known as the St. Anthony Dancers, but in the early 1970s the dance group changed its name and became known as Polonia Dance Ensemble of Regina. Since this transformation, the dance group has been marking its anniversary with this name change and will celebrate 50 years as the Polonia Dance Ensemble in 2020.

Throughout the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s and ‘10s, the dance group continued to flourish, expanding its repertoire, music and Polish folk costumes. The highlight of the ‘90s was the group’s first of three trips to Poland to participate in the International World Polish Folk-Dance Festival in Rzeszow, Poland. Polonia attended the festivals in 1996, 2005 and most recently in 2014. In the early 2000s the dance group became a member of the Polish Folk Dance Association of the Americas (PFDAA) and in 2002 the dance group refined its name to become known as the Polonia Polish Folk Dance Ensemble of Regina. As the decades past, Polonia began to travel and perform across Canada, USA and internationally. In 2010, Polonia hosted the 16th PFDAA North American Festival which included 10 groups from across Canada and USA. Today, the dance group consists of four member groups which include junior and intermediate dancers, a senior group, composed of young adults, and an alumni group called Jeszcze Raz or Once Again. The dance group continues to perform locally and travel abroad, sharing their love for Polish folk culture through song, music, and dance. For more information, view their website at http://www.poloniaregina.com/.

Dolina Polish Folk Dancers

The Dolina Polish Folk Dancers have been entertaining audiences locally in the Twin Cities, nationally, and internationally for more than 60 years. Dolina shares the rich culture and character of Poland through traditional footwork, lively choreography, and vibrant, authentic costumes. Performances typically include singing and live music and range from one dance for a private party to a full concert. For more information, view their website at http://www.dolina.org/.

Polish Tatra Sheepdogs

Come and visit the Polish Tatra Sheepdogs (Owczarek Podhalanski) at the Twin Cities Polish Festival in Minneapolis, MN.

We’ll be available for any questions and of course, lots of opportunities for pictures and petting on Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss this great chance to see the Big White Dogs of Poland!!

Zespol Koscieliscanie

Visit with us at this year’s Twin Cities Polish Festival as we welcome this Polish Highlander group from Chicago.