Soon, a piece of Poland will arrive at Talent’s Paschal Winery and Vineyard in the form of the first-ever Polish Festival. 

The event, produced by the winery and Wild Thyme Productions, will feature many aspects of Polish culture — from special treats to the music of the central European country. 

“We’re encouraging everyone of all ages to come, grab food, relax, shop and have a good time,” said Karolina Lavagnino, owner of Wild Thyme Productions and one of the main organizers of the festival. 

The Polish Festival is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Paschal Winery, 1122 Suncrest Road, Talent.

Tickets are $15, children ages 6 and younger get in free.

According to organizers, the venue is limited to 300 attendees and around 200 tickets have already been sold. 

To purchase tickets for the Polish Festival, see https://bit.ly/3GDrWrB.

There will be traditional Polish dishes and treats to try out at the festival. 

“We are partnering with Julek’s Polish food truck, which is normally based at the Black Bird in Phoenix, and they’re going to serve staples of Polish cuisine like hunters stew,” Lavagnino said. 

It wouldn’t be a Polish party without sausages and Uproot Meats of Ashland will offer three different types for the occasion. 

Other foods available from the event’s specialty store include cheese pierogi, imported Polish sweets, pickled goods, condiments and more.

“It’s an opportunity to taste sentimental things for us Polish people,” Lavagnino said. 

To wash down all the food, Portland based beer-maker Threshold Brewing will have authentic Polish brews to knock back as well as wine from Paschal to try out. 

“We’ve also partnered with Paddington Station in Ashland, so we’ll have a selection of Bolesławiec pottery,” Lavagnino said. “Bloomsbury Books has provided us with some of my favorite cookbooks and those will be available to purchase.” 

Additionally, there will be activities and competitions throughout the festival. 

Portland-based Polish band Zabavva will perform rock and folk tunes for the crowd and local fiddlers will perform a variety of Polish folk music.

“Zabavva means good time or party, and they go with hits from across different decades, something that’s from the ‘70s and then other stuff,” Lavagnino said.

Other activities to check out include learning how to make flower crowns and a Polish word hot potato competition.

“We’re also planning on having a pierogi eating competition and Polka and just a lovely afternoon for our event; it’s casual and hopefully will have perfect weather,” Lavagnino said.

The idea to start a Polish Festival in Southern Oregon came from Paschal Winery owner Aga Stachurska.

“It was the idea of Aga; she lived for a while in Portland and was hanging out with Polish people. They have a Polish festival there, so she thought ‘why don’t we bring the flavors and elements of our culture to Southern Oregon,’” Lavagnino said. 

Teaming up, Lavagnino and Stachurska began preparing for the region’s first Polish festival in January. 

“We can’t wait to bring a little bit of the flavor of Poland and the cultural elements to Southern Oregon,” Lavagnino said. 

To learn more about Paschal Winery, see paschalwinery.com or call 541-535-7957. 

Find Wild Thyme Productions on Facebook for more information on the community event organizer.

Reach reporter James Sloan at james.sloan@rv-times.com.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct Aga Stachurska’s name and to clarify Lavagnino’s statement regarding items that will be available to purchase during the festival.