Thu 11/27-Sat 11/29
If you are a Cleveland polka fan, the “most wonderful time of the year” is Thanksgiving weekend when the annual Polka Party takes place. The three-day event, now heading into its sixth decade (it started in 1964), is a magnet for polka fans from all over the Midwest and the Great Lakes region — and a few from even farther away — to spend the weekend dancing, eating traditional ethnic food, catching up with old friends, and hearing all their favorite tunes played by some of the best Slovenian/Cleveland-style polka musicians in the country.
The center of the polka universe from Thanksgiving Day through Saturday will be the downtown Cleveland Marriott where guests checking in will be greeted with polka music from Michigan’s Linda Lee Brown right in the lobby.
Then for the next three days, there’ll be music and dancing in the Grand Ballroom, starting at 4pm Thursday, 3pm Friday and 5pm Saturday, with smaller sessions in the Superior Room culminating in a polka jam each night. Artists range from legend like Joey Miskulin who got his start with the polka kind Frankie Yankovic when he was just a teenager, and Canadian polka kind Walter Ostanek (pictured). But it will also include youngsters like the Chardon Polka Band and Alex Meixner. Food and drinks will be available in the ballroom foyer.
Then on Saturday comes a big event: the annual Polka Hall of Fame Awards Show which for the first time this year will take place on site at the Marriott at 2pm. Afterwards you can head straight for the dance floor or take a detour to the traditional Polka Mass at 6pm in the Huron Room.
Tickets are $15 a day Thursday and Friday, $20 for the awards show, $10 for the Saturday evening dancing, and $25 for the awards show and dancing on Saturday. 18 and under are free, so bring the kids and immerse them in traditional Slovenian culture and the happy sound of polka music.
Go to the Polka Hal of Fame’s website for more information.
Cleveland, OH 44114