If you fancy spending Saturday outdoors while picking up a few ideas for greener living, Polana Popowicka is the place to be.
On Saturday 12 September 2026, from 12:00 to 17:00, Wrocław's annual Sobota z Zielonym Wrocławiem will turn the park into a free, hands-on eco picnic, with workshops, food, games, demonstrations and activities for all ages.
There is no admission charge, and organisers are encouraging visitors to leave their cars at home. Polana Popowicka can be reached by Wrocław's public transport network or by bicycle, making the journey part of the event's greener message.
A picnic where you can get involved
The programme is designed around doing rather than simply watching.
Food writer and author Katarzyna Gubała will show visitors how wild herbs and edible weeds can be turned into inventive dishes. There will also be an opportunity to create a miniature rain garden in a container, using fragrant varieties of mint planted in a substrate designed to cope with periods of flooding.
At the Hydropolis stand, visitors can see sublimation in action during safe experiments involving dry ice.
For those interested in giving unwanted belongings another life, there will be a second-hand exchange. Bring along books you have already read or clothes you no longer wear and exchange them for other pre-loved items.
There is plenty for creative hands, too. A monotype printing workshop will use leaves and a printing press to create natural patterns on reusable bags, which participants can take home.
From urban growing to homemade instruments
The event also offers a chance to look at how much can be produced in a surprisingly small space.
At the Miejska Farma Wrocław stand, visitors can find out how to grow vegetables at home, even without a large garden. There will also be a chance to see something rather unexpected up close: potatoes growing in the ground.
Elsewhere, visitors can make scented wardrobe sachets from dried plants and essential oils, followed by a plant-identification challenge based purely on smell.
The PrzezCzucie stand takes the less-waste approach into music. Participants will use reclaimed materials to make their own working musical instruments before joining in a group music-making session.
Local producers will also be represented, with tastings focused on traditional, artisan food. Visitors can learn more about buying directly from producers and how to make sense of the information found on food labels.
A walking game around Polana Popowicka
There is also an opportunity to explore the park while taking part in a game created by the TrekPoint team.
The mobile app challenge turns Polana Popowicka into a route filled with virtual puzzles and tasks, adding a little extra incentive to explore the surroundings rather than staying in one place.
With more than 30 exhibitors expected, there should be plenty to discover between the workshops, demonstrations and food stops.
Spin the Wheel of Fortune
One of the event's bigger attractions is the Koło Fortuny, or Wheel of Fortune, where visitors can turn their participation in the day's activities into a chance to win prizes.
The process starts with a special competition card, available from the main information point or from event hosts around the park.
Look out for participating stands marked with a stamp symbol. Complete the small eco-friendly challenges there, such as bringing old electrical waste, and collect a leaf stamp.
Once you have six stamps, take your card to the Wheel of Fortune. After answering a simple environmental question, you can spin the wheel and see which prize comes up.
This year's prize pool includes new eco-themed rewards, while 100 winners will have the chance to receive special sweatshirts featuring the Wrocław coat of arms. Prizes drawn on the wheel cannot be exchanged, so luck plays its part.
The 16:00 quiz has six big prizes
The competition continues beyond the Wheel of Fortune.
Every completed card with six stamps contains a unique code, giving its holder access to the main quiz. At 16:00, the final competition will open online via a dedicated website. Organisers say the exact link will be announced shortly and will also appear on competition cards and posters at the event.
Participants will answer multiple-choice questions, with one correct answer for each. The six people who achieve the highest number of correct answers in the shortest time will take the main prizes.
The winners will be announced from the stage, so anyone taking part should keep an eye on the proceedings. Those called to collect a prize will have five minutes to report to the organisers and must present their competition card with its six stamps and code, as well as sign the collection record.
The headline prizes include:
Over-ear headphones
A double-basket air fryer
A sonic toothbrush
A sports watch
A two-night stay for two people at an eco-hotel in Lower Silesia
An electric bicycle
Bring your e-waste and check your Nasz Wrocław status
There are a couple of additional incentives for taking part in the city's environmental initiatives.
Visitors who bring electrical waste can exchange it on site for a peace lily, while those who can show an active taxpayer status in the Nasz Wrocław app will receive a practical food-waste container.
It adds a useful local dimension to an afternoon that is otherwise very much about getting outside, trying something different and meeting people.
Getting to Polana Popowicka
The organisers are specifically encouraging visitors to arrive without a car. Trams, buses and bicycles are recommended for reaching Polana Popowicka.
With the event running from 12:00 to 17:00 on Saturday 12 September, there is plenty of time to drop in for a particular workshop or spend the whole afternoon exploring the stands, taking part in the competition and enjoying the park.
For families, curious foodies, gardeners, makers and anyone looking for an easy-going weekend activity, Sobota z Zielonym Wrocławiem 2026 offers plenty to fill a Saturday afternoon.
Sobota z Zielonym Wrocławiem 2026
Date: Saturday 12 September 2026
Time: 12:00-17:00
Location: Polana Popowicka, Wrocław
Admission: Free
Transport: Public transport or bicycle recommended
Pack a picnic blanket, bring any unwanted books, clothes or electrical items you can responsibly pass on, and head to Polana Popowicka for an afternoon built around practical ideas, local food, creativity and a bit of friendly competition.
See more: Korea Day 2026 Is Bringing K-Pop, Korean Food and Culture to Wrocław
Source and image credit: wroclaw.pl
