MUSKEGON, Mich. — Polka music and activities are taking over downtown Muskegon this weekend as the Muskegon Polish Festival celebrates its 11th year at Hackley Park.
WATCH: 11th annual Muskegon Polish Festival celebrates Polish culture
The annual festival gives the community a chance to experience Polish culture through food, music, dancing and local history.
“We want to extend that knowledge, culture, and food; our culture, our food, our growing up, to everyone and anyone in the community,” said Donna Piasecki, president of the Muskegon Polish Festival.
The festival highlights Muskegon’s long connection to Polish culture. Visitors can learn more about that history at the festival’s history tent where the festival’s board secretary and chair of the history tent, Kling-Pelto, says folks can discover some Polish connections to pop culture.
“1835, Muskegon had one of the first registered Polish communities in the state of Michigan,” Kling-Pelto said. “Popeye was Polish, the polka dot is Polish, Barbie was created by a Polish woman and so there’s just so much Polish culture in everything that we do.”
Along with Polish food and drinks from vendors throughout Hackley Park, the festival features activities for all ages.
Families can take part in swordsmanship classes and enjoy inflatables, while live polka music and dancing continue throughout the weekend.
The festival runs from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with music beginning at noon each day.
Admission is free for anyone under 21, first responders and veterans. Tickets are $10 for everyone else.
“Our goal is to make this a family event so the kids can be there while mom and dad are sitting at a picnic table eating Polish food and maybe a beverage or two,” Piasecki said.
For a full list of the festival’s events, click here.
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