“Santa Claus and Mr. Clean walked into a bar; Mr. Pierogi ducked.”
While the joke itself is tired, the image of these three characters in the same space is humorous on its own. At Pierogi Fest, the hilarious image comes to life with a few dozen women dressed as grandmothers, some men dressed in hula skirts and coconut bras, and a hoard of dads with lawnmowers to add to the party.
Pierogi Fest has been bringing the entertainment since the ‘90s, with a brief hiatus for public health concerns in 2020. For a weekend, the festival takes over 119th Street and transforms it into Pierogi Way.
“The Fest is a challenge for logistics, but between the Chamber and the City, we always manage to pull it off,” City of Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar said with pride.
At one end of Pierogi Way is the kids’ play area, full of carnival games and rides, and at the other is food and craft vendors. In between the two is the beer garden, full of tables for friends and family to eat and rest at.
The Festival seems to go on for miles, with long lines for pierogis showing which vendors are the locals’ favorites. Each year, Pierogi Fest attracts just under 300,000 people, demonstrating just how enjoyable the festival is for so many.
“People come from all over the area, the Midwest, and actually all over the country,” said Mayor Spebar. “It puts Whiting on the map; especially post-COVID, I think it is great we have a festival of this size and that people come from all over to enjoy themselves here in downtown Whiting. It helps the businesses that chose to participate and helps some of our merchants also.”
The festival’s parade is what truly illustrates how large attendance is. The crowds are four or five people deep and take over the entire parade route. The first cop cars with sirens announce the beginning, and with that sound people begin to come out from the festival to watch. This is where Santa Claus, Mr. Clean, and Mr. Pierogi shine.
An average parade includes Santa Claus and maybe one or two mascots, but the wacky Polka Parade is not average. This parade is where women and children dressed as grandmothers dance in a salute to their buscias, the Polish word for grandma, and people dress as their grandfathers, or jajas, pushing lawnmowers and wearing long socks. There are bands, restored cars, and so much more.
Mayor Spebar shared how seeing such a large crowd join together for the festival’s parade this year makes him especially glad.
“My favorite memory of Pierogi Fest is just seeing people enjoy themselves, in general, and especially this year,” Mayor Spebar said. “Everything is getting back to what we know as normal and it’s good to see people come out and have a good time.”
The wacky Polka Parade, beer garden, kids’ zone, and food vendors provide an unparalleled experience. One could spend the whole weekend at Pierogi Fest and still not have had time to see each vendor and play each game.
If your family is in town, or if you are just flying solo, it is worth stopping by to see the third-largest festival in Indiana and, just maybe, grab a beer while you are at it.
For more information about the 2021 Pierogi Fest presented by the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce, visit www.pierogifest.net.
