Mon 4/18 @10AM-8PM
Dyngus Day Cleveland, that crazy street party that celebrates letting loose the day after Easter, has been virtual for two years, which isn’t quite the same.
It won’t be quite the same this year either, although it won’t be virtual again. Instead of a big free street festival in Gordon Square (with smaller satellite celebrations in other neighborhoods), it will be a ticketed event taking place at the Gordon Green Event Center outdoor space.
There’ll still be lots of polka, piwo, paczki and Polish culture, all streamed live on Facebook for those who can’t be there. (It really REALLY isn’t the same!)
As usual “DJ Kishka” (local musician Justin Gorski, who founded the event) will be the emcee for a day that will feature the usual live polka music and the always-entertaining Miss Dyngus Day contest. It will kick off with DJ Kishka hosting the opening ceremony, followed by performances by the Chardon Polka Band and the Don Wojtila Band, with DJ Kishka spinning polka tunes between live sets. The Miss Dyngus Day contest happens at 6pm.
Admission is $25, $30 with two Piwo tickets, kids $5. But be warned: the T-shirt we saw one year that said “It’s good to be drunk and Polish” captures the spirit of this event.
There’ll be celebrating at other locations too. Go here for a list. Among the places to go is the Ukrainian Museum & Archives in Tremont, which will be open that day form noon-4pm collecting humanitarian aid supplies.