06.21.2025: Syracuse Polish Festival @ Clinton Square

The Syracuse Polish Festival took over Clinton Square last weekend, drawing people into the city for food, drinks, music, dancing and commerce to celebrate Polish culture and to benefit the Polish Scholarship Fund. The Polish Scholarship Fund has been supporting the academic success of Syracuse students since 1954, awarding scholarships for use at any accredited college, university, or trade school.

For entertainment, the festival featured a variety of live entertainment, from a perogie eating contest, to live music, and traditional dancing by the Lachowia Dancers in their colorful traditional costumes. Even if you didn’t compete in the perogie eating contest, there was no reason for anyone to leave the festival hungry.

There were numerous food vendors from around the area, all selling Polish (or otherwise European) specialities. The largest booth was Eva’s European Sweets, but there were other stalls for Polish food trucks and Polish community organizations, such as Syracuse’s own Polish Home. It wouldn’t be a festival without beer tents. The beer tents served a variety ranging from imported beer from Poland, to local craft brews, to Michelob. Prices were pretty standard festival pricing, at $8 for a 16 oz pour a the beer tent, with sandwiches running $5-$10, and the Polish Platter at Eva’s running $25.50. Also, you bet your dupa there plenty of Polish merchandise on offer, tees and hats, to stuffed perogies and hand painted pottery. There was something Polish for everyone!

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