Polish Festival returns with assortment of culinary treats

Freshly griddled potato pancakes are among the Polish refreshments available at The St. Stanislaus Polish Festival in Wilmington. (Photo courtesy of The St. Stanislaus Polish Festival) 

The St. Stanislaus Polish Festival is back on Nov. 5 after a two-year hiatus, bringing with it pierogies, potato pancakes and polka among other Polish delicacies.

Organized by St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Castle Hayne, the festival is focusing on food and drink as they revive the event this year, according to publicity chairperson Kathy Yakimovich.

A plate with stuffed cabbage, smoked kielbasa and a classic pierogi filled with potato and cheese is one of the most popular food items available at the festival, Yakimovich said, along with an order of pierogies topped with butter and onions. 

“Everyone loves pierogies,” Yakimovich said. 

Before the festival was shuttered by Hurricane Florence in 2018 and the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, she said they sold more than 13,000 pierogies during the one-day event. 

Fans of the Polish dumplings can also buy bags of frozen pierogi stuffed with potato and cheese or more adventurous fillings like feta and spinach, farmer’s cheese, jalapeno and cheddar, and prune. Yakimovich said prune pierogies are often served for dessert with butter and powdered sugar. 

Potato pancakes served fresh off the griddle with a dollop of sour cream are also for sale along with smoked kielbasa nestled on roll with sauteed onions, peppers and Polish sauerkraut. The sauerkraut, which is different from the more common German variety with the addition of caraway seeds, bacon and tomato, is homemade by a Polish parishioner for the event. 

Onions feature prominently among the festival’s fare. The church doesn’t have a commercial kitchen, Yakimovich said, and until a couple of years ago, the parishioners chopped hundreds of pounds of onions by hand in preparation for the big day.

“It would smell of onions for months,” Yakimovich said of the church. Now, the church buys pre-cut onions.

Dessert options include a variety of baked goods, among them rolls crusted with nuts or poppyseeds and delicate chrusciki cookies. 

Thirsty patrons can procure a brew, including the festival’s own St. Stan’s Baltic Porter, from two beer tents. A Front Street Brewery production, the Polish-style porter is dark with chocolate malt, yet still relatively light from fermentation with lager yeast. 

“It’s really delicious,” Yakimovich said. 

Between rounds of food and drink, festivalgoers can enjoy music performed by Harbour Towne Fest Band.

“If they want to polka, we have a dance floor and they can polka away,” Yakimovich said. 

The Polish Festival will take place on Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 4849 Castle Hayne Road. Parking and admission are free.