Category: May
Formerly known as the Kielbasa Festival, the annual rite of passage now known as the K-Fest is nearing, coming to loyal fans at the Eastern States Coliseum in May, loaded with a full menu of fine food and entertainment options.
The K-Fest four day festival, held in the past in Chicopee, coordinated by manager Thomas Kielbania Jr., of Chicopee, will run May 25 to May 28. Opening night, admission for a carload of attendees is $20, which includes parking and festival entrance.
“It is the Kielbasa Festival, but I just call it the K-fest. What we do over there that is different and makes it a 21st century event is we have four nights of fireworks. We have two stages and phenomenal bands. They are much edgier. It is not going to be your mom’s K-fest,” Kielbania said.
“We have a ComicCon event called Popkon, coming in on Saturday and Sunday which is free. That will be the big, big thing that will build in the next couple of years. It is the platform for a lot of gaming and technology. I say dorks unite,” Kielbania said.
In addition to the bands and entertainment choices, the food choices will be aplenty, including of course many types of kielbasa available from the 30 different food vendors in 2017 at the festival.
“We will have more kielbasa than any other year. We try to get these kielbasa guys to not just serve their own kielbasa. You will have Blue Seal and Bernat’s. He will import some from Poland. There will be pierogis and kapusta, the whole none yards,” Kielbania said. “There will also be Tibetan food, a new brick oven pizza. We have Greek trucks. It is still international. At the Eastern States, the kielbasa festival can’t just be one thing.”
“We have Zippy Pets, a rock fall and there will be free horse shows at the Eastern States this year. It is a good three, four hour event. I can’t describe the fireworks. We shoot over 5,000 a night,” Kielbania added. “The best thing is the car load for $25.00.
On Thursday night it will be a special of twenty dollars. Come see the fireworks, come have some food and see some great bands. We are a lot more edgy this year.”
By day, Kielbania works for Bay State Building Maintenance. In his after hour time, the K-fest, fair to say, is Kielbania’s labor of love.
He estimates the time involved to make the four-day event happen equals five months of full-time work spread out over a year.
“I have the ability to meet a lot of people. I am trying to establish and create a positive environment. We are trying to live a certain way at this festival, all working together,” Kielbasa said. “We all need to work together and look out for each other.”
To find out all the information for the four day, go to www.thekfest.com.
Event schedule for the two stages at the K-fest include:
THURSDAY
• Second Hand Smoke, Santana tribute band, 5 to 10 p.m.
FRIDAY
• Southern Rain, a country cover band, 5 to 10 p.m.
SATURDAY
8 DJ Minion Family Dance Party, noon to 2 p.m.
• Beer Hall Boys, Polka Polka Polka, 2 to 6 p.m.
• Kielbasa eating contest, 6 p.m.
• Crazy Diamond, a tribute to Pink Floyd, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
SUNDAY
• DJ Minion Family Dance Party noon to 1 p.m.
• The Cajones Band, slap cajun acoustic music, 1:15 to 2:40 p.m.
• The Addis Revolution Bob Marley tribute, 3 to 5 p.m.
• Taija New pop dance performance group, 5:30 to 5:50 p.m.
• K-Fest food vendor competition for King of K-Fest, 6 p.m.
•Ticket To Ride, a tribute to the Beatles, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
• The 2017 inaugural Riley Steel Drum Off, 9 p.m., during the fireworks.
THURSDAY
• Triple X, West Springfield's female tribute to 80s and 90s arena rock, 5 to 10 p.m.
FRIDAY
• One Bill Breault, arena cover rock celebration and first Western Massachusetts K-Fest live music awards ceremonies, 5 ot 10 p.m.
SATURDAY
• The Chicken Yard, country original music and covers, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
• Jimmy and the Hat Tricks, a modern rock female fronted cover band, 3 to 5:45 p.m.
• The Life Electric, original pop rock band from Boston, 6:10 to 7:10 p.m.
• Stefanie Jasmine Band, Boston's country star, covers and original award nominated hits, 7:30 to 9:55 p.m.
SUNDAY
• Deftones Family Tribute, pop hard rock for family fun, noon to 1 p.m.
• DJ Minion Family Dance Party, 1 to 2 p.m.
• Polka Party salutes John Daigle, 2 to 6 p.m.
• Ready, Set, Go! young, energetic, top 40s pop band, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
POPKON
• Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Free with admission.
• "501st Legion and Special Guests” Star Wars live actor reenactment event Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m., on side of Young Building floor stage.