Milwaukee Polish Festival 2

1981 marked the first Polish Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thirty two years later, the festival although one of the smaller heritage festivals is well attended.

I like Polish food, but NOT czarnia, which is soup with duck blood, my favorites are golabki, cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned meat and rice, pierogi, dumplings filled with sauerkraut, potatoes, meats or fruits. My favorite is potato filled pierogi with sour cream. Of course, I had my all time favorite palcki, potato pancakes with applesauce.

I decided on a sampler platter for my first taste, I got to taste all of my favorites. 

Palcki with applesauce, sauerkraut with a kielbasa, golabki, and potato filled pierogis.

New to me was kraut balls, so I had to ask, what and how kraut balls were made.

She graciously explained while cooking her pierogis and palcki, that kraut balls were little balls of sauerkraut placed in batter and deep fried. I did not partake in this new to me cuisine, but I did Google the recipe, and it sounds pretty good.

Tyskie beer is imported from the city of Tychy in Poland and is quit popular at the festival.

Sobieski vodka made in Poland was also served, this year the Polish cherry bomb, I have not tasted Red Bull, so I have no idea what Wisniowka a semi-sweet fruit flavored cordial and Red Bull mixed together would taste like. I can recommend mixing cherry syrup into a beer very tasty.

I was excited to meet James Conroyd Martin, the author of Push Not the River, a novel based on the diary of a Polish Countess, I wrote a blog post in February about the book and my trip to Poland, you can view that post by clicking here. If you like historical novels, you will enjoy the journey that Mr. Martin takes you on with his three novels.

Maly Sklep or little stores showcased all things Polish.

Made in different parts of Poland, Polish pottery 

is my favorite even before vintage Pyrex.

Amber jewerly

Tee shirts...

more beer 

Polish humor with a take from the Got Milk ads.

For some reason, I don't want to see people walking around in
these shorts with at word dupa plastered across their bottom.
The Polish word dupa means derriere.

Oh yuck, duck blood soup.

Imported foods from Poland, beet salad with onions, mashed beets,
and fried carrots with celery, among other things. 

I enjoyed all things Polish during this fun filled weekend, I am looking forward to attending several other heritage festivals this summer, Italian, German and Irish Fest. 

If you are in the Milwaukee or Chicagoland area check out Milwaukee summer lakefront and ethnic festival schedule, you're sure to enjoy great music, food, and a whole bunch of fun.