Stan and I had 4 days of dancing fun at the Pulaski Polka Days from July 23rd to July 26, 2009.
Thursday was dollar day and brought all the locals out to race, skip and hop around the floor like a roller derby. It was refreshing to see so many young people hitting the floor with great pep and energy.
Friday at $10/day more oldies came and less of the youngsters until late in the evening. Music was contagious with trumpets playing the strong Polish beat abd Concertinas carrying the melody. This will really take it out of you is you are not use to the pace. The dress is casual. It was fun to dance in our loafers and sandels instead of getting all geared up in skirts, nylons and dancing shoes.
Food was interesting and cheap. Three bucks would buy fresh lightly deep fried pirogies in cheese or pototoes. My three favorite food groups; cheese, pototoes and donuts. We found the best bakery (Smurawa's) with plenty of donuts and other delightful pastries two blocks from the outdoor polka fest. They had bigger and different textured pirogies filled with pototoes, saurkraut and/or mushrooms along with choices of Polish sausage, pulled pork and hamburgers. No one went hungry in this town during the Polka Days.
Saturday 11 different bands played at the park under two tents switching off every 45 minutes or so. It was a logistically feat to see the bands change over with all the cords tied up to their equipment. Zielinski's ballroom about half a mile downtown had 4 more bands playing. You could ride a hay ride pulled by a tractor for a 50 cent donation. We had heard all those bands so we optioned to stay at the park.
When the rains came all polka goers moved into the tents. Sometimes the rains were so heavy the side flaps had to be dropped. Dancing and playing continued on and on.
Sometimes a sleeper band emerges that really sets itself apart from the rest. Stephanie - America's Polka Sweetheart was one of those. She sang Polish tunes from ages past with heart and played the Concertina like nobody's business. If you saw her on the street you might think twice about approaching her with her dishoveled hair and straight-forward nature, but she really could get the crowd going. Music had a driving polka beat that made it easy to dance. The floor filled up with watchers so the gaint dance floor decreased. It was still fun - fun - fun.
After her the Polka family took the stage. Wow - they clearly are the showman of the evening. Hank, the leader and heart of the band is of Polish-Mexican ancestry. He learned to play that trumpet with the best of them and has a voice to melt hearts.
Sunday we went to the Polka Mass which is always inspiring with the hint of polka flavor to the music. Well really no hint - it was polka music with religious words.
We were then treated to an old fashioned parade down main street. High School and military bands played while antique tractors putted by. Big rigs carrying some of the polka bands we have heard the day before brighted the crowds lined up along the street. These crowds are great about one or two deep laughing and smiling holding sweet children in their arms. One of the highlights was the Mayflower Nursery's float that carried a piano all decorated in baskets of flowers with Chopin music playing with a cast of characters in period dress to delight the audience. Jan Wos is a real talent in creating this atmosphere on a float.
More Stephanie and Polka Family music to delight the crowds at the Polkad days. One more stop to visit Elizabeth at Smurawa's for a walking taco (sour cream, cheese, salsa in a bag of fritos hold the meat) and a Polish sausage and saurkraut. Delicious. By that time the bakery was closed but Elizabeth still had a couple of creme puffs in her display case. We bought one of them. The fresh whipped cream was to die for.
By the way Elizabeth was about 12 with lots of freckles. We have a few freckles discussions. Of all the people she waited on, she remembered us by name.
Great fun and frolick.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Dancers 2009 Pulaski Polka Days 7-23-09
Dancers at the Pulaski Polka Days 7-23-09 were peppy and energetic.
Mayflower Garden Center Oneida Wisconsin 7-24-09
We drove by the airport on our way to Oneida Nation Museum and saw the most spectacular array of flowers in old wagons in front of a garden center. We turned around to check it out and I am sure glad we did.
It was the most delightful place owned by a passionate, creative horticulturist - Jan Wos. He came from Poland and brought his talents for design and creative genius with him. Succulents were tucked into picture frames and on the roof of a dog house. Baritones (smaller tubas) stood side by side spilling with cascading flowers. A bouquet of French horns and trombones were the setting for a fountain. Carpenter's benches with well crafted dove tails awaited eager customers selection of pottery. Saxophone fountains delighted the wondering eye. Carefully placed gardens of flowers beside the green house left the tranquil feeling that all is right with the world.
Walk through the Mayflower garden
It was the most delightful place owned by a passionate, creative horticulturist - Jan Wos. He came from Poland and brought his talents for design and creative genius with him. Succulents were tucked into picture frames and on the roof of a dog house. Baritones (smaller tubas) stood side by side spilling with cascading flowers. A bouquet of French horns and trombones were the setting for a fountain. Carpenter's benches with well crafted dove tails awaited eager customers selection of pottery. Saxophone fountains delighted the wondering eye. Carefully placed gardens of flowers beside the green house left the tranquil feeling that all is right with the world.
Walk through the Mayflower garden
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Pulaski Wisconsin 7-23-09
Pulaski Wisconsin 7-23-09
We arrived at the Polka Days an hour early so we could re-con the event. Thursday was dollar day. A few people were already lined up to pay their entry fee. Two large tents were set up for two bands per tent. A wooden dance floor was ready for the fun. This was the 31st Annual Pulaski Polka Days. This town of thirty thousand knows how to prepare. Several large food and beer booths were making last minute preparations for the crowd. They were sponsored by local FAA, Knights of Columbus and the like. There was list of how the event funds had helped the community last year.
Food was Polish along with hamburgers. Later in the evening I had delicious cheese pierogies (sp?) that was light deep fried. Polish sausage and sauerkraut hit the spot for Stan. We skipped on the duck soup - Cziarnina (sp?).
Once the bands and the dancing started the crowds came. We situated ourselves in the first row of the bleachers at the end of one of the tents. These tents were far enough apart from so the music didn't bleed across the park.
The dancers really go after the Polka. They have a little different step than what I've seen in Colorado. It is more like a skip or hop with a soft bounce. The one notable difference in this crowd of people was the age. This place was full of all ages from teenager up to the oldies like us. It is so nice to see the Polka dancing tradition carried forward into the next generation for some good clean exercising fun.
Two bands we heard the first day were also related. Maroszek Brothers were the middle aged guys and the New Generation were the son of one of the Maroszek group. Most bands had a concertina, accordion, a couple of trumpet players and drums. Some had a clarinet and/or a saxophone. It is a very interesting sound.
The music is contagious, played at a preppy dance tempo that doesn't wear you out as much as some of the speedy players from Colorado. The dance floors were covered with dance wax and some gravel making the floor slicker than snot. They brushed it off to make it work perfectly.
There were a couple of 12 foot square fenced in the areas that people tossed their empty beer / soda cans. I'll keep you posted on the progress of filling that.
Here is a sampling of the music. The rest of the music is on my polka blog.
On our way home we stopped downtown to look at the Zielinski's ballroom which will be added to the venue for Friday and Saturday. We came across the must delicious bakery packed with people seeking a yummy treat or more food. They had every delightful donut - pastry item you have ever seen in a bakery. Yummo.
We arrived at the Polka Days an hour early so we could re-con the event. Thursday was dollar day. A few people were already lined up to pay their entry fee. Two large tents were set up for two bands per tent. A wooden dance floor was ready for the fun. This was the 31st Annual Pulaski Polka Days. This town of thirty thousand knows how to prepare. Several large food and beer booths were making last minute preparations for the crowd. They were sponsored by local FAA, Knights of Columbus and the like. There was list of how the event funds had helped the community last year.
Food was Polish along with hamburgers. Later in the evening I had delicious cheese pierogies (sp?) that was light deep fried. Polish sausage and sauerkraut hit the spot for Stan. We skipped on the duck soup - Cziarnina (sp?).
Once the bands and the dancing started the crowds came. We situated ourselves in the first row of the bleachers at the end of one of the tents. These tents were far enough apart from so the music didn't bleed across the park.
The dancers really go after the Polka. They have a little different step than what I've seen in Colorado. It is more like a skip or hop with a soft bounce. The one notable difference in this crowd of people was the age. This place was full of all ages from teenager up to the oldies like us. It is so nice to see the Polka dancing tradition carried forward into the next generation for some good clean exercising fun.
Two bands we heard the first day were also related. Maroszek Brothers were the middle aged guys and the New Generation were the son of one of the Maroszek group. Most bands had a concertina, accordion, a couple of trumpet players and drums. Some had a clarinet and/or a saxophone. It is a very interesting sound.
The music is contagious, played at a preppy dance tempo that doesn't wear you out as much as some of the speedy players from Colorado. The dance floors were covered with dance wax and some gravel making the floor slicker than snot. They brushed it off to make it work perfectly.
There were a couple of 12 foot square fenced in the areas that people tossed their empty beer / soda cans. I'll keep you posted on the progress of filling that.
Here is a sampling of the music. The rest of the music is on my polka blog.
On our way home we stopped downtown to look at the Zielinski's ballroom which will be added to the venue for Friday and Saturday. We came across the must delicious bakery packed with people seeking a yummy treat or more food. They had every delightful donut - pastry item you have ever seen in a bakery. Yummo.
Green Bay Wisconsin 7-22-09
People in Green Bay are friendly fast talkers. You need to listen closely to catch all the words.
It has a population of a hundred thousand. It is clean and easy to get around especially with a GPS that we brought along. There are factories with parking lots full of car so the recession doesn't see apparent in this community. Tall trees and dense forests fill the country side on the ride we took that skirted Green Bay. We stopped at a lovely park to take a closer look at the the bay. We saw it is indeed green as the watched the algae filled water gently slap the shore line. The sand is filled with small shells that had washed ashore.
We sat on an old railroad tile and watch a small badger type animal scoot right in front of us. It is such a peaceful area.
Along the neighborhoods tiger lilies stood straight up over three feet tall. Houses dot the shoreline of the bay and nice bike paths through tree lined parks make the setting all the more inviting.
We stopped off on the other side of the river across from Green Bay at the a pub over looking the Fox River. It was the perfect setting. Nice to have tablecloths and silverware too.
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