Scottish Tartan Festival - Kraków Expats Directory

Kraków’s first Scottish Tartan Festival takes place next weekend, Saturday 30th Sunday – 1st October 2017. The celebration of Scottish culture culminates in the presentation of the new Krakow tartan to president Majchrowski and the people of Kraków at a ceremony on Sunday.

A Scottish themed family picnic takes place on Saturday afternoon on Planty by the Archaeological museum, followed by an evening of Scottish culture on Mały Rynek, featuring Scottish dance, poetry, bagpipes and more. On Sunday a parade takes place from Mały Rynek to Rynek Główny where the new Kraków Tartan will be presented to the President of Kraków. (see full programme below)

Scottish Tartan Festival Programme

Saturday 30th September 2017
12:00 – 14:30
Planty by the Archeology Museum
Scottish day at the Kraków Family Picnic

Scotpipe – Pipe band from Edinburgh in concert
Scottish traditional dances performed by Jane Austen dance school
Tasting of traditional Scottish cookies baked by students of ZSPS food technology college
Scottish fairy tales and legends for children

17:00 – 20:00
Mały Rynek
Scottish Night

Tales of Scottish culture, traditional dress and traditions
Traditional dress show – Scottish Polish Cultural Association (Men in Kilts !!)
Mickiewicz vs. Burns – Polish-Scottish poetry slam (look out for my Address to a Haggis !)
Scotpipe – bagpipers from Edinburgh in concert
Scottish dances – watch and dance along! – Jane Austen dance school
Screening of Alex Ingle film on the process of tartan weaving in Edinburgh

Sunday 1st October 2017
12:00 – 14:30
Parade from the Mały Rynek stage to the Town Hall Tower in Rynek Główny

Official presentation of the Krakow tartan with the participation of the Mayor of Krakow and the Honourable Lord Provost of Edinburgh

KRAKOW TARTAN COMPETITION
Earlier this year a competition took place to design a new tartan for the city of Kraków, in recognition of the 22 year partnership between Kraków and Edinburgh.

Five finalists were chosen by a panel, from 25 submissions, and a public vote held for the people of Kraków to choose the tartan which best represented the city.

The winning tartan, designed by Alex Imrie, has been woven in Scotland, and will be presented to the President and people of Kraków during the festival. The film shows the weaving process, with Alex explaining the inspiration for his design.

Scottish-Polish Heritage & History
Aside from the city partnership, there have been for centuries, and continue to be many links between Scotland and Poland, historically and currently. Poles are the largest minority in Scotland, where they have been welcomed as ‘New Scot’s’, generations after the post war Poles who made Scotland their home.

Kraków Expats Directory, will be supporting, promoting and taking part in the tartan festival, not least as a Scot in Kraków, with a Scottish/Polish family, we are a part of the continuing Scottish/Polish links. We’ll be there in our kilts and presenting an address to the haggis on Mały Rynek as part of the poetry slam on Saturday afternoon. We also plan to publish a follow up article on the historical links.

We were delighted to feature in a short piece by Telewizja Kraków with a teaser for the tartan festival.

Following the festival in September, the Cities of Kraków and Edinburgh together with the Scottish Polish Cultural Association and other partners, are already planning to continue, into 2018 and beyond, with further events and initiatives building on the partnership and tartan festival.

Scottish Tartan Festival krakow.pl (Polish)

Facebook Event (Polish)

Scottish/Polish Links & Resources
Scottish Polish Heritage (Krakow Post)
Scotland Poland a 500 year History (Scotsman)
Scottish Diaspora Tapestry – Poland
Scotland/Poland Book Reviews
Scots in Poland – an overview
Polish Military in Scotland – Second World War