Mon 3/28
In terms of marketing, naming an event Dyngus Day invariably catches people’s attention, perhaps for the wrong reason. Nevertheless, organizers of the Cleveland event, which is entering its sixth year, are determined to not only hold onto its name but also its ethnic tradition.
This year’s affair takes place March 28 (the day after Easter) and centers around the southeast corner of Detroit Avenue and West 58th Street in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood. In addition to live polka music, there will be Polish food, a Miss Dyngus Pageant, folk dancers and Polish vendors. Overall, there are more than 30 venues in the Detroit-Shoreway, Ohio City, Tremont and Hingetown neighborhoods participating in Dyngus Day.
CoolCleveland talked to event co-founder and Parkview Nite Club Owner Norman Plonski about, well, rolling out the barrel.
What are the origins of the current Dyngus Day celebration in Cleveland?
I was one of the original people. We had the first meeting at the Parkview. How it happened was in 2009 I went up to Dyngus Day in Buffalo, where they have a big tent. I walked in and I see DJ Kishka playing records. I run into the guys from the Happy Dog, who tell me Kishka was hired to play the Buffalo event. I said, “They’re stealing our stuff. We have to do something about this.” So we went back to Cleveland and had a meeting. That’s when we formed the Polish triangle — the Parkview, the Happy Dog, Reddstone – and said we’ll see what happens. Now we’re starting to grow. We started in Detroit-Shoreway and now it’s in Tremont and West 25th. It caught on. Everybody looks for something to do different. What are you doing the Monday after Easter?
For most folks, the answer to that question is simply going to work. Now, with Dyngus Day, some are rethinking that decision.
Yeah, I know. Now people are taking work off. It’s a good sign. The more things you have going on in the community, the better it is. We started with three venues and I think there’s probably 30 or more now. As far as attendance, there might have been 500 people at the first one and maybe 10,000 people last year. Look, it pales in comparison to St. Patrick’s Day but it’s picking up momentum every year. You can’t find a polka band that’s not working on Dyngus Day anymore. It’s crazy.
To be fair – and using the sleeping giant analogy – when considering Northeast Ohio’s ethnic heritage, wasn’t Dyngus Day a no-brainer success story in the waiting?
I think it has taken off, but I don’t know if it’s going to be as big as St. Patrick’s Day. When you think about the Slovenians and the Ukrainians and the Polish, they all get into it. There’s not a big difference when you go over there, and the food is not that much different. We try to keep it real.
Finally, is there something we can do about the name Dyngus Day? Despite its ethnic heritage, for some folks hearing “dyngus” brings up dreadful memories of being shoved into a high school locker. How about we remarket Dyngus Day into, say, Polish Party Fest?
No, Dyngus Day is long past being remarketed. It’s a Dyngus Day and it is what it is.
[Written by John Benson]