Polish families have been part of Bay City for roughly 150 years, and their mark is everywhere: a Neo-Gothic church that dominates its neighborhood, polka bands that once filled a second-floor ballroom, doughnuts eaten before Lent and a festival every June. This page is a reference guide to that heritage, with the history, traditions and places to visit in one spot. For a shorter, story-style read, see our Polish heritage blog post.
Polish Bay City at a glance
• Arrival: Polish refugees who had escaped Prussian domination settled here in the second half of the 1800s
• First parish society: formed in 1874 under the patronage of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
• Landmark church: St. Stanislaus Kostka, dedicated July 17, 1892, 1503 Kosciuszko Ave
• Festival: St. Stan's Polish Festival, late June
• Sister city: Poznan, Poland
How the community began
Bay City grew fast in the lumber and shipbuilding era, and it drew workers from many countries. Among them were Polish refugees who had left Prussian-ruled territory. A Michigan historical marker outside St. Stanislaus Kostka church notes that many came from Wielkopolska, or Greater Poland. Bay City is also a sister city of Poznan, Poland. In 1874 the new arrivals formed a society under the patronage of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, and on December 13 of that year they dedicated a wooden church on land donated by William D. Fitzhugh. Poles were one of several immigrant groups; the city also had a large German community. Our history of Bay City places them in the wider story.
The parishes
St. Stanislaus Kostka
The wooden church did not last long. Under Father Marian Matkowski, a Neo-Gothic church costing more than $60,000 was begun: the cornerstone was blessed on June 24, 1890, and Bishop Henry J. Richter of Grand Rapids dedicated it on July 17, 1892. It is a registered Michigan Historic Site, with a bilingual Polish and English marker near the main entrance. Inside are an ornate high altar, a large open sanctuary, stained glass windows, a prominent baptismal font and shrines beneath the north and south balconies, all in a look the parish says has changed little from the original. A 4,000-pipe organ in the balcony was restored in 2010.
The campus grew with the community. A convent was built in 1927 and a high school in 1951, and the grade school marked 100 years in 2011. Beginning in 2007 a campus project added a parish center, which includes a 400-seat hall.
St. Hyacinth
As the congregation grew, a second parish was formed. After the committee bought land in 1901, Father Edward Kozlowski asked Bishop Richter in 1905 to divide St. Stanislaus Parish, and St. Hyacinth was born. On July 1, 2014, the two parishes merged under the Diocese of Saginaw's "Planning Tomorrow's Parishes" effort into Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, with St. Stanislaus Kostka as the parish church. Both church buildings remain neighborhood landmarks.
See other historic sanctuaries on our churches page. If you plan to look inside, call the parish first, and be respectful during services.
Polka, dances and Pulaski Hall
Polka was long "king in Bay City," according to a 2002 tribute read into the Congressional Record, especially among the city's Polish and German communities. Local promoter Joe Urban, later inducted into the Michigan State Polka Music Hall of Fame, began promoting polka in 1959 with festivals at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church and dances at Pulaski Hall, and his Polish Circle dinner dances were considered legendary in the 1960s.
Pulaski Hall, on the city's south side, dates to 1902 and was expanded as the city grew. It was run by the St. George Society and had a bar and dining room on the first floor and a ballroom upstairs. In 2015 it held what was billed as its last dance, with a polka band, when the society said it owed back taxes and could not afford a new roof, and the building was listed for sale. The story, reported by Michigan Public, captures how fewer Polish families living nearby meant fewer wedding receptions and smaller polka crowds. Check local news for what has happened since.
What to eat
- Paczki (plural of pączek, roughly "POONCH-kee") are rich filled doughnuts traditionally eaten before Lent. Fat Tuesday falls on February 9 in 2027. Ask local bakeries when they take orders, because they can sell out.
- Krzysiak's House Restaurant at 1605 Michigan Ave is the Polish restaurant on our Eat page.
- Festival food. The St. Stan's festival is a good place to try Polish food made by volunteers.
Learn a few phrases before you go: dziękuję (thank you), smacznego (enjoy your meal) and na zdrowie (to your health).
St. Stan's Polish Festival
The parish hosts its annual Polish Festival each June at its athletic field, about half a mile southeast of the church off S. Lincoln St, where All Saints' High School football and track also play. The festival usually runs Thursday through Sunday in late June. The 75th festival was held in 2025 and the 76th in 2026. It starts with a 5K race and includes food, music and a Sunday Family Day. See our festivals guide and the events calendar.
Polish Americans in Michigan
Bay City is part of a larger story. In the 2020 census, Michigan ranked third among the states for Polish Americans, with more than 250,000 people who reported Polish ancestry alone and about 750,000 including those with mixed ancestry. The state has a long tradition of Polish parishes and institutions, from Detroit's neighborhoods to the Orchard Lake Schools. Polish communities across Michigan have worked to keep their traditions alive as younger generations move away, a theme that people at Pulaski Hall's last dance in 2015 echoed.
Places to visit
- St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, 1503 Kosciuszko Ave: look for the historic marker near the main entrance.
- St. Hyacinth Church: the second Polish parish campus, now part of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish.
- Krzysiak's House Restaurant, 1605 Michigan Ave.
- Bay County Historical Society, 321 Washington Ave, for local history. See Things to Do.
- The St. Stan's festival grounds, in June.
Use our map to find each address, and the Weekend Planner or our one-day itinerary to build a trip around them.
Sources
Facts come from the Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish history page, the Michigan historical marker for St. Stanislaus Kostka church, Michigan Public's 2015 story on Pulaski Hall, a 2002 tribute in the Congressional Record, a public encyclopedia article on Polish Americans and local news coverage of the festival. Details change, so confirm with the parish or organizer before you visit. This guide is independent.