NORTHAMPTON — The city will once again celebrate Polish American heritage this October honoring the historic Polish community in the Pioneer Valley with numerous events throughout the month, including the 33rd Pulaski Day Parade.
“Last year’s parade was very nice,” Parade Committee Co-Chair Angela Fydenkevez said. “We had people come from all over.”
The Oct. 20 parade begins at 12:30 p.m. from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church on King Street and proceeds through downtown Northampton and culminating at Pulaski Park in Northampton with a short commemorative program. The parade will follow a Mass at the church at 11 a.m.
The parade celebrates Polish heritage and the life of General Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War hero who is remembered in books, memorials, and statues across the country. He is credited with saving George Washington’s life at the Battle of Brandywine and is commonly referred to as the “Father of the American Cavalry.” The parade will mark the 240th anniversary of the general’s death, two days after the Battle of Savannah in Georgia in 1779.
In April this year, the Smithsonian Channel released a special documentary regarding General Pulaski’s gender. New research released in the documentary revealed that some skeletal remains believed to be Pulaski’s were female bones, leading experts to believe the hero may have been intersex, or with biological make-up from both sexes.
Monika Pietrzak, crowned Miss Polonia of Massachusetts, will also be in attendance for the parade. She will be riding in a float produced by the Polish National Bank.
“I don’t know what it will look like, but I’m excited to see it,” Fydenkevez said of the float.
Northampton and South Hadley school bands will both be performing in the parade. In addition, the Marquis Fyfe and Drum Corps of Granby, Connecticut, is expected to march.
Polish American Heritage Month in Northampton will kick off Tuesday, Oct. 1 with a flag-raising ceremony at 10 a.m. in front of Memorial Hall on Main Street. The Polish flag will fly beside the American flag throughout October.
The following day, Oct. 2, a bilingual service will be held at St. Valentines Polish National Catholic Church at 6 p.m. recognizing first-generation Poles who settled in the Pioneer Valley and western Massachusetts.
For more information about the events and how to volunteer, contact Angela Fydenkevez at angelafydo@gmail.com or 413-530-0145.