Music and dancing are among the highlights at the American Polish Festival, which returns to Sterling Heights on June 26-28.
By: Gary Winkelman | Sterling Heights Sentry | Published June 12, 2026
STERLING HEIGHTS — Come hungry. Come thirsty.
That’s the advice organizers of this month’s American Polish Festival & Craft Show have for folks interested in attending the fun-filled, three-day event.
The festival returns for its 44th year June 26-28 at the American Polish Club, 33204 Maple Lane in Sterling Heights. Savory eats, special drinks, lively music and more are promised, including a contest to see who can consume the most pierogies in 10 minutes.
Although ethnic celebrations are common summertime attractions in metro Detroit, they remain popular ways of promoting culture and unity.
“We are proud of our heritage,” said Brian Onderik, chair of this year’s American Polish Festival. “We like to share it with others and have other people share our food, our culture, our beliefs. Just so people can understand … everyone a little bit better.
That makes everyone get along better, doesn’t it?”
Visitors will be immersed in all things Polish, including food, crafts and, of course, authentic polkas. This year’s entertainment includes the Polka Family Band from Pennsylvania and The Big Daddy Lackowski Band. Local favorites The Polish Muslims will also perform, along with classic rock music from The Wayback Machine.
But while there’s plenty to do and see throughout the three-day event, the homemade cuisine is definitely a leading reason people return year after year.
“I will put up our Polish food against anyone in this state,” Onderik said. “We make most of the food in-house, from the city chicken to the stuffed cabbage.”
Preparing for the festival is a huge undertaking, Onderik said, with volunteers contributing lots of time and effort to please appetites of all kinds.
“Our members work long hours each year preparing over 5,000 golabki, over a ton of city chicken, 750 pounds of potato pancakes, and over 20,000 pierogi for the Polish dinners,” he said. “People can’t wait to try one of our famous traditional Polish Platters at the Polish Kitchen. For those that like American foods, we have an American Kitchen, as well.”
Signature eats include Polish nachos, Polish egg rolls and special Polish desserts. Overall, Onderik said, the festival aims to offer an authentic Polish dining experience.
“These are things that you can get somewhere else, but not the traditional way,” he said. “We’re trying to make it like grandmother used to make our food. Trying to carry on that heritage.”
The festival gets underway from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, June 26, with the craft show open until 9 p.m. and music by the Polka Family and Polish Muslims.
The festival continues from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, with music and dancing starting at 11 a.m. Performers include The Big Daddy Lackowski Band and The Wayback Machine.
The festival concludes Sunday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features a Polka Mass at 11 a.m. with John Lackowski and Eddie Siwiec. Other highlights include music from Mike Zawojsky, the New Brass Express and a pierogi eating contest at 3:45 p.m.
In addition to all the food available at the festival, the drink menu is also a draw, Onderik said.
“This year we will have three ice cold Polish beers, plus domestic beers, including one that is brewed specifically for our festival by Kuhnhenn Brewing Company,” he said. “On Friday and Saturday night, Don Christo’s Cigar and Bourbon Bar will be on our grounds offering cigars and bourbon tasting, along with many famous bourbon cocktails.”
Admission to the festival is $10 per person (17 and under free). Discount admission coupons for Friday before 6 p.m., Saturday before 5 p.m. and all day Sunday can be purchased online at americanpolishfestival.com.
Parking and shuttles to the festival are available at the Warren Consolidated Schools Career Prep Center, 12200 15 Mile Road, and Sterling Heights High School, 12901 15 Mile Road.
“We want people to come hungry, leave happy and experience our Polish culture,” Onderik said. “The one thing I always (enjoy) is when people are leaving with a smile on their face. They had a great experience at our festival and that means the world to me.”