Popular, family-oriented Polish Food Fest offers traditional favorites like pierogis, galubkis, kielbasa and more.

This weekend, as Southcoasters consider their dining options, many will make the choice between home cooking and stepping out to a restaurant for a meal. Some, however, will instead get the best of both worlds at one of the area’s premiere culinary events, the Polish Food Fest at Blessed Trinity Parish Church on Plymouth Avenue in Fall River.

It’s an annual event that is not to be missed by local gourmands. All the staples of Polish home cooking are available – pierogis, galubkis, kielbasa and more. And everything is homemade right at the church, by parishioners, using recipes that have been in some cases passed down for generations.

Blessed Trinity is the Fall River parish of the Polish National Catholic Church, so traditional polish cuisine is second nature to its members. And staging the food festival, while requiring a lot of work, is a labor of love for them. Many patrons have been coming for years and wouldn’t miss it.

Dining tables are set in the bright, clean parish hall if you’re inclined to sit and socialize while you eat. It’s a truly neighborly, friendly, family atmosphere. Or if you’re in a hurry, everything on the menu is available for take-out.

In addition to the hot entrees, there’s a vast selection of babka bread and all manner of goodies, Polish and not. Sweets, treats and eats. All at very reasonable prices. You really cannot go wrong. There will be some Halloween treats, chocolate confections, cakes, cookies and other irresistible creations, so be warned. A visit to the baked goods table is mandatory and worth every calorie.

But it’s the hot Polish comfort food that takes center stage. Cabbage soup, cabbage pierogis and potato and cheese pierogis are certainly highlights, but perhaps the most popular selection is the Polish Plate – a little of everything. It makes for a fine meal, one that is impossible to match anywhere.

The Polish Food Fest has become an annual tradition, as a fundraiser for the church but also as a way for the parish to become more a part of the community. Everyone is welcome and few fail to return after having trying the fare just once. It’s just that good.

Authentic Polish food is not so easy to find these days, but if you have never had it, you are missing out on one of the world’s great cuisines. And there is no better way to introduce yourself than with handmade selections available at the Polish food fest.

And if you are a Polish food aficionado, this event is a must.

Located at 1340 Plymouth Avenue, Blessed Trinity Church offers plenty of parking behind the church. The Food fest is open for business on Friday, October 23 from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM and Saturday, October 24, from 11:00 AM until 2:30 PM.

Another word of warning – the Polish Food Fest is, to say the least, a popular event. So don’t wait until the last minute – some of the baked goods in particular sell out, so get there on Friday if you can. You might just come back on Saturday, anyway. It happens.

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