Mon 4/5 @ 10AM-10PM
For almost a decade, Dyngus Day, created by local polka fan Justin “DJ Kishka” Gorki, was a Cleveland rite of spring, a major party in the streets of the Gordon Square district, with overflow events in Ohio City and Tremont, starting in the early afternoon and going into the wee hours. Based on a Polish festival held annually the day after Easter, it’s a sort of letting loose after Lent. And let loose Clevelanders do: The area’s former councilman Matt Zone told me once that the bars along the street have their best day of the year on Dyngus Day — even better than St. Patrick’s Day.
Then came 2020. Like every post-mid-March event, the 10th annual Dygnus Day was erased by the pandemic as a live event, although Gorski put together a very entertaining online version. Still, without the bustle of strangers dancing the polka together in the middle of Detroit Avenue and lining up to buy paczki and piwo, it just wasn’t the same.
Now, for the 11th year, it’s dipping its toe back into going live, with a series of small in-person events at Forest City Brewery and live-streamed festivities on Facebook. The three small events, which will include such popular Dyngus Day events as polka dancing, “Polish bingo,” pierogi-eating contests, live entertainment by the Dyngus Day regulars Chardon Polka Band, Don Wojtila and Fred Ziwich, and in the third section, the popular Miss Dyngus Day contest, will admit only 100 people to allow for social distancing. DJ Kishka will host, of course.
The first session runs from 10am-1:30pm, the second from 2-5:30pm and the final one from 6-9:30pm. Tickets are of course sold out. But you can join the fun from home here.
Dyngus Day will also be celebrated at Tremont’s Prosperity Social Club, which will have three seated shows at 12:30, 3:30 and 5:45pm,with drinks, Eastern European-type eats and polka music by accordionist Stan Mejac. Reservations are essential! Go to prosperitysocialclub.com.
There’s some exciting news from the Dyngus Day folks as well: they’re planning to hold the first-ever live-in-the-streets Dyngus Day Kishka Fest sometime this coming fall, to try to make up for two missed years of Dyngus Day. Instead of letting loose after Lent, it’ll be a chance to let loose in the streets following the pandemic! So please wear your mask, social distance and get the vaccine as soon as you can so that the event can happen.