A weekend of incredible music, food, and fun for all ages awaits you at the 35th Annual Taste of Polonia Festival at the Copernicus Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave. (corner of Lawrence and Milwaukee Avenues.) Kielbasa, pierogi, and potato pancakes are just a few of the Polish favorites served up by 10 restaurants, complete with cold imported Polish beers wash everything down.
Visit one of four stages for a unique selection of non-stop music for every taste — from popular local bands to international musicians playing everything from classic and alternative rock to folk, world, pop, dance and, of course, polka! Stages offer rock and pop music played by local bands Tributosaurus, Wedding Banned, Gentleman of Leisure, Reely Dan, American English, and Ear Candy. Other stages offer World Music, polka bands, kid’s shows, folk dancing, and more.
After 7 p.m. nightly, the DJs turn one stage area into an outside nightclub. Inside the air-conditioned Copernicus Center, you can roll the dice at Nick’s Casino, play Bingo in Annex, or taste some of our unique Polish delights at the inside bar. Outside, test your luck at carnival and arcade games, or take a stroll around the Festival Marketplace with over 60 vendors.
Family activities include live children’s theater, dance and music workshops, karaoke, balloon twisting, face painting, food contests, plus talent and game shows, complete with prizes and giveaways. Returning this year is the very popular Inflatable Park and a climbing wall.
Taste of Polonia at the Copernicus Center is conveniently located just one block from the Jefferson Park CTA and Metra lines. Free parking available at Irish American Center just 1 mile (4 minutes) away with a free shuttle buses every 20 minutes.
Founded in 1971, The Copernicus Foundation is a 501c3, not-for-profit organization chartered to serve the metropolitan Chicago area as a major civic, cultural and educational resource. The Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center is a monument to the Polish American community and its desire to retain its rich heritage, while serving the community at large, especially the Northwest side of Chicago.
Since 1979, the Copernicus Foundation annually fulfills its mission for education and entertainment in another way, by sponsoring the annual Taste of Polonia Festival. During the festival there is a wide variety of live entertainment, food vendors serving the best of Polish cuisine, over 30 local and international bands playing a variety of genre, performances by ethnic dancers and musical groups, original arts and crafts, handiwork, imported items, as well as exhibits familiarizing festival goers with many aspects of Polish customs, culture, traditions and language. It has grown to be the largest Polish Festival in the country; visited by over 30,000 annually.
The long-range plans of the Foundation Board, always mindful of its mission to serve the greater Chicagoland area, ensure that these services will continue well into the 21st century. A boost to the vitality of Jefferson Park and the Northwest Chicago neighborhoods, the Copernicus Center, a concert, culture, and community center, is a monument to the Polish American community and its desire to retain its rich heritage while serving, and entertaining, the residents of Chicago at large.
