Was everybody’s favorite pontiff a Pole? All together, let’s say “yes” in Polish: Tak! If you can’t get to Pierogi Festival ’08 in Krakow—where 30,000 of those little dumplings were consumed daily last year—chow down at Yorba Linda’s John Paul II Polish Center’s fall Dozynki Festival (pronounced dough-ZHIN-key), the traditional harvest festival where pierogis (filled with quark cheese, potatoes and fried onions) compete with pancakes, cabbage rolls, crepes, sausage and all the goodies your Polish grandmother (“babsha”) made. Of course, she’d want you to go to Mass first—in Latin, English or Polish (or all of them)—then join the Dozynki procession to sing the folk songs. Your babsha loves you. Now, go get yourself a second helping of pierogi. Prosze bardzo! (You’re welcome, already!)
Sat., Sept. 20, noon; Sun., Sept. 21, 11 a.m., 2008