2025 Little Poland Festival This Sunday
The 2025 New Britain Little Poland Festival is planned for Sunday, June 8th. The popular New Britain cultural and community event, celebrating its 12th year, is traditionally in springtime in New Britain’s vibrant Broad Street “Little Poland” neighborhood.
Little Poland Festival organizers say the Festival features, “leaping folk dancers, mouth watering food, over 100 vendors, costumed mascots, contests, live bands, a car show and plenty of surprises.”
“The best part?” Festival organizers add. “Admission is free.”
Festival organizers say that, from humble beginnings, “This day-long street festival has become one of the largest cultural celebrations in New England.”
“The festival is organized by the Polonia Business Association,” organizers say, “a local non-profit that promotes New Britain’s Polish neighborhood, which features numerous Polish bakeries, delis, restaurants, and community organizations.”
Adrian Baron, the Association’s President, said,
We are excited to see how much the festival has grown over the years. It’s hard to believe that the festival started as a small gathering in a local parking lot just over a decade ago and today draws visitors from all across New England and as far as upstate New York or Pennsylvania.
“Each year,” organizers say, “the festival attracts over 30,000 participants from across all of New England and the East Coast.”
Last year, tens of thousands of people again thronged Broad Street in celebration of New Britain’s Little Poland Festival. The popular celebration of Polish culture, music and cuisine attracted huge crowds of people from New Britain, the state and beyond.
“According to the US Census,” Festival organizers have pointed out, “nearly a quarter million Polish Americans reside in Connecticut with New Britain being home to the largest Polish community in the entire state.”
Organizers say that,
The 2025 Little Poland Festival will run from 11 am to 7 pm, with an official opening ceremony at noon. It will take place in New Britain’s Little Poland neighborhood, stretching along Broad Street from the intersections with Washington Street and Gold Street. The event will offer two stages with continuous live entertainment, over 120 vendor booths, Polish food and beer gardens, plus children’s activities and an antique car show. One of the festival’s top attractions each year is the paczki eating contest, which will take place at 4 pm on the main stage. Paczki are traditional jelly-filled Polish doughnuts.
The schedule of the Main Stage, in the Haller Post parking lot, as of June 4th, includes;
- 9:30am, DJ Tomasz Burek
- 10:00am, Sponsor announcements
- 10:30am, J Tomasz Burek
- 11:20am, Yousef Tae Kwon Do School
- 12:00pm, Academic Choir of the Lubin Polytechnical Institute in Poland
- 12:30pm, Official Opening
- 1:30pm, Piast Polish Dancers from Webster, MA
- 2:10pm, Polonia Paderwski Choir
- 2:30pm, Lajkonik Children’s Group – Krakowiak Polish Dancers
- 3:10pm, Polish Scouting Organization of Connecticut – mixed performances
- 3:30pm, Sponsor announcements
- 3:40pm, DJ Tomasz Burek
- 4:00pm, Paczki eating contest
- 4:30pm, Daniel Band US
- 5:00pm, Sponsor announcements
- 5:10pm, live music
- 7:00pm, Official Festival End
In addition to the Main Stage, there is to be a small stage at the corner of Broad Street Washington and Street. The Small Stage is to feature alternating sets by the RBO Polka Band and the Vademecum Band.
“Additional information and a full schedule of events can be found at www.littlepolandfest.com,” say organizers.
Organizers add that, “Parking for the festival is available on side streets and at the Badolato Grage in downtown New Britain which runs a shuttle to the festival,” and that parking for persons with disabilities, “is available behind the Polam Federal Credit Union at the intersection of Broad and Washington Street.”
Speaking about the value of the festival to New Britain businesses, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart (R), says, “People who come to Little Poland for the festival return to New Britain and patronize our small businesses.”
Event organizers say that, “whether you’re Polish-American or want to be Polish for just a day – we are sure you will have an amazing time at the Little Poland Festival and look forward to seeing you in New Britain.”
“Make it a part of your family tradition,” Festival organizers say.
More information is available on the Festival’s website.
