Hubert Cioromski’s family was one of the 10 original families who founded the inaugural Taste of Polonia in Jefferson Park more than 40 years ago.
This year marks his 15th year as festival chairman, and he remains the only member from the original families still actively involved.
By being a part of the annual event, he gets to continue sharing his heritage with other Poles and non-Polish festivalgoers. Coiromski said the Copernicus Center Foundation, the festival’s sponsor which he is also involved in, recently opened a branch in Warsaw, promoting further cultural exchange and grant programs.
“It means the continuance of culture, the continuance of tradition, the continuance of education about the Polish people,” Cioromski, 64, said.
Hosted at Copernicus Center — named for the renowned Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus — the four-day event draws near 40,000 to 50,000 people per year weather-dependent, said Sydney Bloesch, festival coordinator. The annual festival began in 1980 and is now one of the largest Polish festivals in the United States, held every Labor Day weekend.
The family-friendly festival celebrates all aspects of Polish culture, from traditional Polish food and drink to live entertainment and historical information about Poles in Chicago.
The Polish community in the city has dwindled over the years as residents have followed the path to the suburbs paved by other ethnic groups. Today Polish residents make up 5% of the city’s population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Despite the drop in Polish residents in the city, the community’s cultural impact carries on through events like Taste of Polonia. Bloesch, now involved in her second festival, hails from Houston and isn’t Polish herself but is heavily involved in the local Polish community.
“It’s awesome to see a community come together in celebration of itself, and of everything they’ve done for Chicago and Polish culture,” Bloesch, 23, said.
This year, Bloesch said the event boasts 14 food vendors and 37 merchant vendors from Chicago or Polish communities throughout the country.
One half-Polish vendor from Pittsburgh, Stephanie Sobczak, was helping her sister sell Nepalese-crafted felt ornaments out of Australian sheep wool — many of which were shaped like pierogi in various outfits or themed for different holidays.
“[The festival] is a great celebration,” Sobczak, 53, said. “Sad thing for us is our father has passed away. He’d be tickled to see us selling something Polish-related.”
Down the merchandise aisle, another stall sold amber jewelry mined in the Baltic Sea and imported from Poland. Des Plaines resident Barbara Szelewa, who was working the stall with the owner’s 14-year-old son Nikolas Skorski on Saturday, said she enjoys educating all visitors about the history of the amber.
“The amber is not really a stone,” Szelewa, 39, said. “Everyone thinks it’s a stone, but it’s tree resin.”
Despite temps in the 80s and the sun beating down Saturday — which grew even hotter down the line of sizzling black-topped grills beside the center — large crowds wandered all around the grounds starting from the noon opening.
Aromas wafted around the stalls, from classic food offerings like Polish sausage, pierogi, cabbage rolls and more. Festivalgoers chatted and ate at a section of shaded tables while the Eddie Wojcik Tribute Band cranked out polkas on a nearby stage.
One of the pierogi stall’s fans included 1-year-old Kaden, who came to his first festival with his family and was already enjoying the cuisine.
“I figured we should start a new tradition for our son so he can learn his other heritage,” mom Lauren Stewart said.
Stewart, 30, is half Polish and came from Naperville to the festival with her son’s godmother and longtime friend Martyna Bobek.
West Town resident Tomas Bohorquez happened upon the festival more by chance while looking for activities to do with his parents who came to visit from Miami.
“We saw it in a ‘Things to Do this Weekend’ list,” Bohorquez, 27, said. “Polish food’s awesome, street fests are awesome [and] a very Chicago thing.”
Diane Strehlow, 53, came from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to attend with her family Saturday, who were most excited to see an afternoon traditional Polish dance performance. The three stages of the festival hosted entertainment constantly, ranging from children’s games to dances to even a Mass.
Kara Feith made the trek from O’Fallon, Missouri, decked out in Polish-themed clothes and red and white accessories. Feith was adopted and recently found out she was Polish, motivating her to make the journey up to celebrate the festival with her boyfriend.
“I’m trying to suck up all the Polish I could possibly get,” Feith, 53, said.