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Yee-haw! Thousands attend country music festival in northeastern Poland

31.07.2023 07:30
Thousands of music fans flocked to the northeastern Polish town of Mrągowo at the weekend for the 42nd International Country Picnic and Folk Festival.
Mrągowos scenic open-air theatre overlooking Lake Czos.
Mrągowo's scenic open-air theatre overlooking Lake Czos.Photo: PAP/Tomasz Waszczuk

The annual event featured an extensive lineup of performers who entertained crowds at the local open-air theatre overlooking scenic Lake Czos and in other venues around the area.

Domestic performers included Polish country music heavyweights Lonstar, Cezary Makiewicz and Mariusz Kalaga.

International acts included Jessica Lynn, an American musician from New York, and Polish American singer Kaeyra, an American Idol contestant from Algonquin, Illinois.

First held in the early 1980s, the International Country Picnic and Folk Festival in Mrągowo is one of the oldest music festivals in Poland.

Co-hosting this year's concerts were Polish Radio music journalists Marcin Kusy and Paweł Sztompke.

Marcin Kusy i Paweł Sztompke na 42. Festiwalu Piknik Country i Folk w Mrągowie Marcin Kusy (right) and Paweł Sztompke (left) during the 42nd International Country Picnic and Folk Festival in Mrągowo. Photo: Polish Radio

Meanwhile, up-and-coming country singer-songwriter Klaudia Magica won a Polish Radio competition for best road trip song with her "Dance Alone."

Od lewej: Paweł Sztompke, Klaudia Magica i Marcin Kusy  Paweł Sztompke, Klaudia Magica and Marcin Kusy. Photo: Polish Radio

Held annually in the heart of Poland’s picturesque lake district, the Country Picnic festival offers with a variety of attractions to celebrate this otherwise quintessentially American genre of music as well as all things American.

American flags on sale in the town centre during last year's Country Picnic Festival. American flags on sale in the town centre during the 2019 Country Picnic Festival.
Yee-haw, folks! A band wows the crowd at a previous Country Picnic in Mrągowo. Photo: Polish Radio Yee-haw, folks! A band performs at a previous Country Picnic in Mrągowo. Photos: Polish Radio

Over the years, the festival has hosted musicians from across Europe as well as the United States, including Rosanne Cash, the eldest daughter of the iconic singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.

Other US performers have included George Hamilton IV, Johnny Rodriguez, Mickey Newbury, Charlie McCoy, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Shawn Camp, Brady Seals, Gail Davies and Rattlesnake Annie.

International names for the event have also included Raymond Froggatt from Britain, Western Union from Germany, and Kelly's Revenge Bush Band from Australia.

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Source: Polish Radio, mck.mragowo.pl