Grajdól - Raźniej

When we need to present our idea in one sentence, we write: "Grassroots is a non-commercial, intimate, and mountain festival of art, adventure, and social engagement - with a folk twist." They say of us that we are a mix of a world music festival, a hiking scout camp, a literature event, and a holiday bonfire with bestfriends, where you sing and play until late. A village festival where city folk came by chance and felt at home thanks to the hospitality of the hosts. Those who come back to us - and there are more and more of them - often emphasise that they return as if they were at home. To a hospitable space of holy tranquility. What does this mean in practice?

Grajdół is a four-day event lasting from Thursday to Sunday held high on the Beskid trail. Since June 2023, our home has been Bacówka nad Wierchomlą - a beautiful hostel located in the Jaworzyna range with a breathtaking perspective on the Tatra Mountains. For those few days in June, we turn the meadows adjacent to the Bacówka into an intimate but full-fledged festival village. We build ourselves a wooden stage with the Tatra Mountains in the background, prepare food stands (we prefer housewives' circles and small gastronomy from the neighbourhood), and decorate the area with installations made by friendly artists and volunteers. We act definitely in the spirit of local "do it yourself".

In the festival village, from morning to evening, together with our guests, we participate in joint singing, workshops, field games, discussions, and workshops. We invite travelers, handicraftsmen, folklorists, reporters, researchers, and community workers to lead them. In practice, anyone who wants to share their art, experiences, or knowledge with others. Those for whom community matters. There really is something to do during the festival. One can also do nothing and savour the sacred tranquility and proximity of mountain nature, relax, and just be, treating the festival bustle as a pleasant background. Walking away a few steps towards the forest, you stop hearing people. All that is left is the wind, the trees, and the forest inhabitants. There is no crowd at Grajdół.

Every year, a few hundred people come to us, always below the threshold of a mass event. We are, and want to remain, a festival that allows intimate interaction with art in a space where you can feel really comfortable. We want to be a place for good meetings - where the boundary between participants, organisers, and artists is blurred. The shared experience of a retreat in the mountains encourages dialogue and relationship building. Grajdół festival always has a following - you come back to us with friends and ideas for joint activities, which we are eager to engage in.