The theme for the 54th annual homecoming bazaar at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Anderson Texas this year was “celebrating the Old…building the Future”. The bazaar was held on Sunday, October 11, 2009 on the church grounds. A ceremonial ground breaking for the new parish hall was held just before the bazaar began with St. Stanislaus current pastor Father Raul Marterior and retired pastor Father Louis Sikorski present.
The cool, overcast and sometimes rainy weather didn’t stop the large crowd from enjoying the day. Delicious barbecue brisket and sausage with all the fixings, home made deserts and ice tea was served starting at 11am. The food line was long but well worth the wait.
There were lots of booths for the adults as well as games and activities for the kids. ‘Babusha’s Porch’ which is always a crowd favorite, had plenty of homemade food, crafts and decorative items. Tommy Szymczak and his auction crew sold lots of really nice items including several vintage 1917 photos of the beautiful St. Stanislaus church. A raffle drawing with lots of great prizes was held late in the day.
Of course, the highlight of the day for many of the hundreds of Polish Texans in attendance was the twenty-first consecutive appearance of Polish dance band fiddler Brian Marshall and his group of talented musician friends and relatives who put on a great show complete with plenty of foot stomping, old time Polish music. The wooden dance floor inside the large tent was kept busy throughout the day. The list of musicians included Brian Marshall, Sonny Janczak, Larry Vivian, Phil Berger, Chuck Bolin, Kevin Syzdek, Jimmy Mazurkiewicz, Brian Wisnoski, Ron Kasowski, Marion Seigel and Donovan Pavlock along with Brian Marshall’s son’s Jacob and Michael, Phil’s son Kyle and Ron’s son Jacob.
Below are a few photos of the fun and there is a slideshow of many more photos on page 2.
Slideshow of many more photos on page 2
James Smock has always held an interest in his Polish ancestors and heritage. He is a native Houstonian with Polish roots in Bremond, Marlin and New Waverly, Texas.