Austintown festival celebrates all things Polish

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

milliken@vindy.com

AUSTINTOWN

There is something for everyone interested in Polish food, music and culture at today’s fourth annual Polish Heritage Day celebration.

The all-day event at St. Anne’s Church began with a Roman Catholic Mass and offered a full schedule of indoor and outdoor activities, and the weather cooperated well with the outdoor festivities.

Attended each year by an average of about 1,200 people, Polish Heritage Day is the largest of this year’s Youngstown-area Polish festivals. The event, which originated in St. Casimir Church’s basement, has been at St. Anne’s for the past three years.

The festival’s goal is “to raise awareness for people of all things Polish,” said Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer of Liberty. Heschmyer is director of Polish Youngstown, the umbrella organization for Youngstown area Polish cultural events, which sponsored the festival.

“We’ve got a wonderful melting pot of beautiful traditions, types of food, types of music, and that’s how you preserve our cultural heritage,” Judge Mary DeGenaro said of the Mahoning Valley’s cultural festivals, which she frequently attends.

The final polka at the event begins at 8 p.m.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.