Poland — Events
Cracow Christmas Festival
December 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011
A sprinkling of snow and Rynek Glowny’s Gothic architecture provide the perfect backdrop to Christmas celebrations in Cracow. A market selling anything from local crafts to mulled wine attracts thousands of visitors every year. There is also a competition to find the best nativity scenes in the city.
New Year's Concert
December 31, 2011 - January 1, 2012
One of Europe’s largest New Year celebrations, as many as 100,000 revelers gather in Cracow’s Main Market Square on the last evening of the year. Tourists and locals brave the bitter weather for a special program of music and firework displays.
International Soup Festival
April 30, 2012 - May 30, 2012
A perennial in Cracow’s spring calendar, the International Soup Festival attracts dozens of chefs from across Poland who compete for the coveted title of soupmeister extraordinaire. The slurping is usually accompanied by live music and the soups are free.
Wianki
May 10, 2012
An ancient festival that dates back to Pagan times, Wianki literally means ‘wreaths’ and it is a traditional midsummer celebration that remembers St John. Polish girls wear wreaths of flowers with a lighted candle in the center and then throw them into the Visitula River. According to folklore, if the wreath comes back to shore, the girl will never marry, if it sinks, she will die young and if it flows down the river, she will be married and be happy. Thankfully, it is a fast flowing river and most girls go away happy. There is also live music and a fireworks display.
Lajkonik Pageant
June 13, 2012
A celebration of Cracow’s resistance to the Tatars in 1287, this colorful pageant is headed by Lajkonik, a comical figure disguised as a bearded Tatar riding a wooden horse. The parade starts at a church in Zwierzyniec and is accompanied to the Main Market Square by loud music and dancing.
Jewish Culture Festival
June 23, 2012 - July 2, 2012
Dubbed ‘Jewish Woodstock’, Europe’s biggest Jewish festival takes over Cracow’s Kazimierz district for a week every year. The cobbled streets throng with revelers, who dance the night and day away to a mix of traditional and modern music. Anyone can get involved in the festival, which also celebrates Jewish film, food and art.
Summer Jazz Festival
June 30, 2012 - July 30, 2012
Cracow’s love affair with jazz is perhaps best defined by the annual Summer Jazz Festival. It takes place at Piwnica Pod Baranami (meaning the ‘cellar under the rams’), which is attributed as being the birthplace of Polish jazz.
Warsaw Summer Jazz Days
July 1, 2012 - July 30, 2012
Promoting an eclectic program of jazz music, this festival welcomes musicians from all over the world to perform in various venues throughout Warsaw during the event’s 10-week run. The event was first held in 1992 and has become a popular feature in the city’s summer calendar.
Pierogi Festival
July 31, 2012 - August 30, 2012
A celebration of Poland’s national dish, this three-day fête honors the humble Polish dumpling and stages a cooking competition in which restaurants compete for the bragging rights of ‘best pierogi in Cracow’. The perfect introduction to Polish cuisine.
Cracow Christmas Festival
December 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
A sprinkling of snow and Rynek Glowny’s Gothic architecture provide the perfect backdrop to Christmas celebrations in Cracow. A market selling anything from local crafts to mulled wine attracts thousands of visitors every year. There is also a competition to find the best nativity scenes in the city.
