It seems like there are more and more reasons to attend the Congress Theater these days, the official Chicago Historic Landmark located steps from the Polish Triangle on Chicago’s Near Northwest Side.

For years, when international acts needed a big stage from which to entertain thousands of Chicago’s ethnic music lovers, the historic Congress Theater was where they’d go. While other venues of its size traditionally shied away from booking acts that cater to a primarily non-English speaking audience, the Congress embraced the numerous communities that make Chicago great.

So after years of hosting such events as ATB, Gloria Trevi, and Polapalooza, the Congress is boldly supporting Chicago’s first truly independent music festival, the Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival (www.cbgbfestival.com). Never before has a theater gotten behind such a consistent array of ethnic artists or independent day-long gatherings.

Encouraged by the community-building efforts of the historic theater, leading advocates of Chicago’s Polish-American community, the Polish American Awareness Foundation (PAAF) have joined forces with the Congress to raise awareness for their shared roster of righteous causes and events. Eventually, the PAAF plans to bring some of Poland’s leading acts to the Congress for an event that spans numerous genres of popular Polish art and music.

But for now, the focus is on Chicago’s only winter music festival and largest independent music even to date. Founder and organizer Mike Raspatello promises a varied line-up, ranging from Waco Brothers side-project Dollar Store to the David Grisman Quintet to the Avett Brothers. A portion of proceeds from the $31 ticket price will go to the Saving Tiny Heart Society, a volunteer-ran organization founded to raise awareness and support research about congenital heart defects. Apart from the positive vibes, there’s also a chance to perform alongside the 16 listed performers through the Last Banjo Standing Contest, an online voting-based contest that is not limited to blues or bluegrass genre-based music.

Come and see: The David Grisman Quintet, Avett Brothers, Ha Ha Tonka, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Majors Junction, Dollar Store,  Blue Mother Tupelo, Billy Childers, How Far to Austin, Black Dog, Mike Mangione, Cobalt & The Hired Guns, Lindsey Obrien & Friends, Blue Room Hero, Jessica Lee.