When New Britain attorney Adrian Baron decided to join forces with local business owners in 2012 to spearhead a Little Poland festival on New Britain’s Broad Street, little did he know the festival would soon draw tens of thousands of people to the heart of New England’s largest Polish-American community.

Within seven years, it has grown to such an extent that it attracts about 35,000 people for the one-day festivities. Today, celebrities such as singer Debbie Gibson, rappers Ice T and Flavor Flav, and actors John Schneider and Billy Baldwin do promotional videos for the event that features Polish dishes, musical acts, cultural presentations and folk dances from various regions of Poland.