Mon 4/21 @10:30AM
Justin Gorski has been spreading his love for polka and Cleveland’s Eastern European ethnic culture for years. Under the alias DJ Kishka (and behind a fake beard), he’s been hosting his Polka Happy Hours at the Happy Dog in Gordon Square since 2005.
So when he, his wife Laura Ross, Happy Dog owners Sean Watterson and the late Sean Kilbane, former Happy Dog owner Bill Scanlon, and Norm Plonski, owner of the nearby Parkview Nite Club, heard there was a big, long-running Polish party in Buffalo called Dyngus Day, celebrated the Monday after Easter, they had check it out. That was 2010.
“We went and had a great time,” recalls Gorski. “How could you not with polka bands and a couple of beers? It was a given we were going to do it here the next year.”
That was the genesis of Cleveland’s Dyngus Day, one of several relatively new festivals in the city that are rapidly catching on. Celebrated in Buffalo since the late 1800s, it emerged from one of those festivals that have taken place for centuries in Eastern European countries, celebrating the end of Lent, the coming of spring, courtship and fertility — take your pick. But mainly, it’s an excuse to drink beer, dance, and have a good time.
That first year, says Gorski, “The Happy Dog owners were behind me, and it was an easy sell for Norm. I was trying to talk to other venues, and the only guy who bit was one of the owners of the Reddstone, who’s Polish. The first year it rained, but we still had our pageant and our parade. Big Chuck came, dressed in his brown sweater and moustache, and walked in the parade. We made our own floats and we got people from the bars to carry them.”
From a hardy band braving rainy weather in 2011 to 5,000 in 2012 to 10,000 last year, Cleveland’s Gordon Square-based, one-day event is being added to many people’s party calendar alongside St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo.
“I’ve talked to folks that rented an apartment for the week in Detroit Shoreway and take off work and hang out and party it up,” says Gorski. “One guy came from Detroit.” The first year things started a little later. The second year it started at noon but not many people caught on. Last year, when we had the beer tent people were there before noon and people were lined up outside the Parkview.”
Given the success of the event, Gorski and his fellow organizers got really ambitious. This year, Dyngus Day festivities will cover three neighborhoods. In addition to Gordon Square, multiple venues in Tremont and Ohio City will also host the event.
“We knew there was some interest over in Tremont,” explains Gorski. “Prosperity had been celebrating the day as long as we had. They had caught wind of it and went, we’ll give this a shot too, but we weren’t working with them on promotion. And we had Sean Watterson and [councilman ] Matt Zone who were so helpful doing promotion here in Gordon Square. When you start a festival on a Monday no one wants to jump in, but we got established.”
So right after Christmas, they began lining up other venues in Tremont to join Prosperity and create a full-fledged festival in that neighborhood.
“We talked with Bonnie [Flinner, owner of Prosperity] and three or four other venues in Tremont,” sys Gorski. “Then we thought it would be nice, because we wanted to keep it under one umbrella, if there was one place where people could go to and find everything going on. Ohio City is between [Tremont and Gordon Square] with a lot of venues who would be into it. So we talked to Ohio City Inc. and they were so helpful. Mitchell’s [Ice Cream] opening day is that morning, and they’re making rum babka ice cream.”
With parking already a big problem, especially in Tremont and Ohio City, the Dyngus Day organizers decided to book Lolly the Trolley. It’ll be running from 12:30 to 8:30pm, circling the venues in all three neighborhoods.
Polish and polka bands, like the Polka Pirates, the Chardon Polka Band and the Don Wojtilia Orchestra, will be featured, along with other ethnic food and non-polka music from groups like Malphonia and the Revolution Brass Band.
As usual, the accordion parade, stepping off at 5pm from the Beer Heaven Tent at West 58th and Detroit, will be the centerpiece of the day. There will again be a Miss Dyngus, chosen by competition as opposed to the first year when Gorski assigned his aunt, Eugenia Gorski, to be Miss Dyngus. (“She loved it — she didn’t want to give the sash back,” says Gorski.)
The Miss Dyngus Pageant (sign up to enter here) takes place at 4 pm at the Beer Heaven Tent, along with a new event: the Dyngus Dog competition. Dog owners can sign their pet up online to compete and walk in the parade for $10, with proceeds going to the APL
“The mayor of Parma is going to be there, the Burning River Roller Girls,” says Gorski. “A guy from Parade the Circle is making my float — a giant plate of sauerkraut I’m going to jump out of. We still get people from crowd to come and carry the floats we make. We have everything scheduled and we have a parade coordinator but it’s still very grassroots.”
It’s not just about bars and drinking either.
“Yellowcake [an artisan clothing boutique in Gordon Square] is getting an accordion player and getting in the spirit of things,” says Gorski. “It’s good to see venues that aren’t bars or restaurants but just in the neighborhood.”
“We get from young kids to old folks coming out. Sometimes older folks like to come out and get a bite to eat, when it’s not as crazy as it gets later at night. It gives them the opportunity to hear some bands and dance a little on their own schedule. We want all of Cleveland to have a great time. It’s a rite of spring. It’s a fun time here in Cleveland when spring comes.”
For a full schedule of venues and activities, go here.
Dj Kishka (in fake beard) and friends
Cleveland, OH 44102
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland, OH 44113