Woodstock Station

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Lesson Transcript

Culture Class: Holidays in Poland, Lesson 12 - Woodstock Station

Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Poland Series at PolishPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Polish holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 12 - Woodstock Station. In Polish, it’s called Przystanek Woodstock.

In this lesson, we’ll discuss a huge music festival called Woodstock Station. The founder of this festival is Jerzy Owsiak, who was mentioned in the previous lesson. This festival takes place in July or August and is organized by Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy , as a means of thanking the volunteers for their help with the Orchestra Finale. It is 100% free for all of the participants and funded by the sponsors. Since 2004 it has been held in Kostrzyn, near the river Odra.

Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question-

Are the performers at Woodstock Station just from Poland, or from other countries as well?

If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening.

Woodstock Station has been held since 1995 and lasts for three days, with all performers only reimbursed for their expenses. Each festival has two stages—a large one and a small one, also called the scena folkowa, or folk stage. Both well-known and debut artists perform during the festival. Before the festival, an audition takes place for performers wanting to take part. Each year, a Golden Top Toy--a prize given on the basis of Internet votes for the best group of both stages--is awarded. The festival is very popular; the record for the largest attendance was 700,000 people in 2011.

Some editions of the Station have watchwords, and the current slogan is “Miłość, Przyjaźń i Muzyka”, which in English means "Love, Friendship, and Music".

Many past slogans typically appealed for an end to violence or an end to drugs. A permanent feature of the festival is the Academy of Fine Arts, which are special tents where attendees can chat with people in the fields of Polish politics, media, arts, sports, and more. The topics of discussion vary from Polish history to religion, freedom, human relations, and addiction. You can also take part in workshops on how to play the guitar, make pottery, paint, mountain climb, and much, much more.

Another regular feature of the Station is the blood donor van called autokar do poboru krwi where you can become an honorary blood donor. Yet another event, the Anti-Racism Polish Football Championship, is also held each year under the slogan “Let's kick racism out of stadiums”. Every year there’s something new, but as you can see, Woodstock Station is not just about music. It’s also a place where values such as tolerance, mutual respect, and protection of the environment are promoted.

Now it's time to answer our quiz question-

Are the performers at Woodstock Station just from Poland, or from other countries as well?

During the Woodstock Station both Polish and foreign rock stars perform. Some of the biggest rock stars to take part in the festival have been: Guano Apes, Papa Roach, The Prodigy, The Darkness, and Polish performers such as: Hey, Enej, Acid Drinkers, Coma, and many, many more.