Polish Day event seeks vendors, volunteers

YOUNGSTOWN

Vendors, volunteers and pirogi-eaters are being sought in preparation for the 4th Annual Polish Heritage Day Celebration.

The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 28 at St. Anne Church, 4310 Kirk Road. Admission will be $5; children 12 and under are free.

The celebration will feature Polish food, two polka bands, folk-art vendors, Polish language, cultural workshops and a performance by the Krakowiaki Polish Folk Circle. The event’s host, PolishYoungstown, has launched an informational website at www.polish-youngstown.org.

PolishYoungstown is the umbrella organization created to educate Mahoning Valley-area residents on all things Polish. The group hosts social events to benefit other local nonprofits, offers community education activities, and provides weekly children’s programs and college scholarships. Polish Day is the group’s one fund-raising event of the year.

As part of the event, PolishYoungstown is seeking participants in these areas:

Volunteers: People of all ages, skills and abilities are being sought in areas from ticket sales to assisting in cultural workshops to selling bakery and food items. Various three-hour shifts are available. Each volunteer gets free admission and cold water, and the first 50 volunteers will receive free Polish Day T-shirts. Forms are available online. For more information, call Carol Baranski Papalas at 330-652-7106.

Marketplace vendors: Arts, crafts and food vendors are being sought to participate in the marketplace tent. For the first time, food concessionaries are being welcomed , especially ice cream and other dessert providers. Applications are available online. For more information, call Marianne Poprik at 330-272-2210.

Pirogi-eating contest: The second annual pirogi-eating contest is open to anyone 18 or older looking to prove how many pirogi can be eaten in 3 minutes. The entry fee is $10, and each contestant will receive a pirogi T-shirt. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded for the contest, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the big tent. Get an entry form online or at the ticket booth any time before then. For more information, call 330-646-4082.