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Date: 4/3/2015
CHICOPEE – The Kielbasa Festival is back, and its organizer, Thomas Kielbania Jr., said it will be larger and better than ever.
Keilbana told Reminder Publications that he has listened to people who voiced their compliments and ideas and has made changes to what has now become an annual tradition once again in the region.
The festival will definitely have the elements many people long associated with it – Polish foods and polka music – but Kielbania is adding more aspects of Polish history and culture this year. For instance, Kielbania plans to present the story of Wojtek, the ammunition carrying bear that was the pet of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps at the festival.
“I want people to see that Polish culture is more than just polka,” he said. “If they stick around long enough they’ll learn something.”
The festival will be conducted on May 21 through 25 at Szot Park, and like last year, Kielbania reached out to nonprofit groups and youth organizations to help out. In turns, he hopes the exposure at the event will help them out.
There will be various exhibits and booths at the festival, as well as a carnival, the opportunity for festivalgoers to sample 20 different kinds of the cured Polish staple and a kielbasa-eating contest.
There will also be plenty of music with Chris and Ronnie polka band and The Chardon Polka band, the stars of the new reality show on Reelz called “Polka Kings,” will be performing. This year there will be a dance floor in the polka tent, Kielbania noted.
Other groups to take the stage include Bad Magic, a Godsmack tribute band, Back in Black, Trailer Trash, Kielbania’s own Orange Crush, The Remones, a Ramones tribute band and many more.
Kielbania said he is sensitive to the making the festival affordable and said general admission will be $10 the day of the show but $6 if the ticket is purchased in advance at www.k-fest.com. Seniors over the age of 60 are $3 and active military with identification are free. The weekend admission coats $25 the day of the show allowing those visitors to have access to the show all four days. If purchased in advance the cost is $15. Children ages 12 and under are free with a paid adult admission. Discount tickets will be available at Big Y markets.
This year the show will be supported by sponsorships from Phil Beaulieu Home Improvement, Chicopee Savings and Teddy Bear Pools, Kielbania said.
Kielbania said he has been considering expanding the Kielbasa festival to other locations in Massachusetts and other New England states and envisions a time in which he could be presenting a season of 10 such festivals. He said the way he has set up how the original Kielbasa Festival works here is the model he would use in other location.
He added he has been speaking with city officials about staging a community fall festival in Chicopee this year and would like to also do a winter festival, as well.