Cyclic cultural events
For years Jarocin used to be the capital city of Polish rock music. The rock music feast would attract thousands of fans. The last edition of the festival was held in 1994. Then in 2005 an idea was conceived to organize a concert that would remind of that old festival, celebrated during the reign of communism. A concert was named “People’s Republic of Poland Jarocin Festival” and was a panorama of historic editions of Jarocin Rock Music Festival, referring to its most glorious period (1980s). After the success of a 2005 edition, a decision was made to reactivate the cyclic festival. The format was adapted to modern music industry requirements and foreign artists were included in the line-up. Their number has been growing with every year’s edition, since 2007. Every July the town welcomes several thousand fans coming for the rock music festival.
In August the electric guitars go silent while the classical guitars take the stage, during the International Polish Guitar Academy Festival. Every summer holidays, for two weeks Jarocin becomes a meeting point for an international crème de la crème of young and middle generation guitarists. More than 100 young guitarists from all over the world (Austria, Belgium, Belarus, France, Germany, Iceland, Mexico, Poland, USA) take part in a series of master classes. The teachers are the best of the best virtuosos of classical guitar from Austria, France, Greece, Spain, USA, as well as some finest Polish teachers, such as the most famous Polish guitarist, Mr. Łukasz Kuropaczewski. The master classes are held simultaneously with a guitar festival, featuring several concerts.
Also, Jarocin is a town where fancy dressed artists are no surprise to anyone – they are the participants of July’s International Folk Meeting. Held annually, it is accompanied with The Exhibition of Jarocin District Folk Art. You can find there the beautiful typical cloths, called snutki and frywolitki, as well as sculptures, paintings, wood products and leather goods.
On November 11th, and over the consecutive weekend the town celebrates its Patron Saint Days, by organizing a number of concerts and a parade.
The International Festival of Solo Players and Accordion Bands, celebrated in Kotlin is the only event of such kind in Poland. It is a perfect opportunity to promote young and fresh talents. Almost every year one of the concerts has the theme “My Accordion”, and features schools of music young musicians’ performances.
Also, the District of Jarocin has rich singer traditions, fostered today by our choirs: K.T. Barwicki Choir, “Arion” from Kotlin, “Lutnia” from Żerków.
K.T. Barwicki Choir, a mixed one, was established as early as 1891. Throughout its history it either participated in or organized a number of singers’ meetings. The choir has 55 members of both sexes and performs a capella old music and contemporary music pieces, as well as opera excerpts, Polish and foreign carols, patriotic songs and folk songs.
Small Town Big Theatre – this project has been conducted since 2005. Jarocin, a town where no professional theatre institution exists, hosts a number of events in public spaces and venues (warehouses, squares, cinema venues or the historic steam engine park) to show the most interesting plays of the season.
