BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Organizers of the 34th annual Polish Festival refused to let Mother Nature dampen their spirits.

The festival kicked off Friday evening and went on through the weekend, business as usual, despite the weather Sunday.

By noon an estimated 300 people, clad in rain gear with umbrellas overhead, had converged upon Patterson Park. Some watched in delight as 20 members of a children’s troupe, the Krakowiaki Dancers, performed.

“Every year, at least one day we go through this,” festival volunteer Denise Lesniewski said of the rain. “But people still come out and support us.”

She said Saturday, with its bright skies and temperatures well above the 80-degree mark, turned out to be the best day. Overall, Lesniewski said, some 8,500 visitors made their way through the three-day festival.

Most people come for the music and food, she said. But the Sunday morning Polish Mass was also a big draw.

“A lot of people attended,” said Lesniewski, whose husband Stephen has served as festival president the past five years.

Publicist Halina Maliszewski considered the festival important because it allows younger generations to stay in touch with their heritage.

“It keeps our ethnicity close to our hearts and helps us remember where we come from,” she said.

“I’ve been coming to the festival since I was 2 years old and I love it,” said festival-goer Dana Perzynski, 22. Aside from the opportunity to learn more about her roots, she said, “It’s also the only place in town where you can get authentic Polish food once a year.”

Proceeds from the festival will be used for projects and initiatives in the city’s Polish community.

drowley@baltimoreexaminer.com