In the borderland between the Island Beskids and the Sącz Valley, in the Łukowica commune, Limanowa County, lies the village of Stronie, where DOLINA SŁOMKI Children’s Folk Ensemble comes from. Stronie is traversed by the river Słomka, which provides the name for the ensemble: Dolina Słomki [Słomka River Valley]. It represents the ethnographic region of the Sącz Lachs, which is one of the most distinctive Polish Subcarpathian groups which came into existence at the contact point of the Carpathian highlanders and Krakowiaks. The cultural identity of the Lachs can be discerned in their music, song and dance, in which predominant are waltz-based melodies, as well as lively dances with violin, trumpet, clarinet and double bass accompaniment. Characteristic features of the Lach culture can also be seen in the region’s unusually rich folk arts and crafts. DOLINA SŁOMKI Children's Folk Ensemble was established in 2008 on the initiative of Joanna and Roman Liszka, who have acted as the ensemble leaders and directors till this day. Wojciech Bogucki and Elżbieta Sroka were the first instructors. The ensemble numbers more than eighty members aged 3-60, and has four age groups. It operates under the auspices of the Community Centre for Culture, Sport and Tourism in Łukowica. Its repertoire includes dances, melodies and children's games shared by the oldest inhabitants of the village and the region. The youngest group of DOLINA SŁOMKI, which is attending this year’s edition of the Festival of the Children of Mountains, will present a programme entitled “Na syski” [Let’s go cone picking] composed of ancient children's games and dances typical of the Sącz Lachs. The performance tells the story of how children living in the country used to help their parents pick cones in the forest that were used as fuel. In this particular situation, as the children were almost done, they decided to play in a meadow near the forest. It so happened that a group of musicians were passing by; the children asked them to play some music to accompany their games and dances. As the fun was over, everyone was tired but very satisfied, and so they went home. Joanna and Roman Liszka are the ensemble leaders, and Łukasz Liszka is the music director. Paweł Michalik is the ensemble choreographer.