Dyngus Day 2012: so much fun. With all of the venues playing host for this annual Polish celebration throughout the “Historic Polonia” section of East Buffalo (as well as its surrounding suburbs of Cheektawaga and Depew), it seemed practically impossible to not have a good time. I spent most of my evening at the Central Terminal but hopped over to Corpus Christi Church (Clark St, Buffalo) for a few dances and then on to the Hearthstone Manor (Dick Rd, Cheektawaga) where I polka’ed myself into a frenzy.
(Check out the official site here for further Dyngus information)
Yes, it was cold. Yes, I was whipped by pussy willows and sprayed with water (I thought my hair would freeze as I was waiting in line for the bathrooms outside the Terminal). Yes, I drank Tyskie (not really a beer I recommend as the Polish are known – and should only be known, alcoholically – for their vodkas). But boy oh boy! There were thousands of people proudly wearing the red and white colors of Poland everywhere you looked; it was like a sea of Polish pride – and I loved it. Those Idiots provided the soundtrack for the evening with their music filling every crevice of the Terminal. Mouth-watering food was available for purchase with a menu that included cheese pierogies (pia-RUG-gee, roll the “r”), kielbasa and sauerkraut, fried bologna and onions, Gołąbki (guh-WUMB-ki) and potatoes. The line for food took about 20 minutes to get through but the wait was worth every lip-smacking bite. My only negative from my time at the Terminal was the lack of dancing. Maybe there was dancing going on closer to the stage, but I didn’t see any when I passed earlier. Onto the next venue!
(Check out the official site here for further Dyngus information)
Yes, it was cold. Yes, I was whipped by pussy willows and sprayed with water (I thought my hair would freeze as I was waiting in line for the bathrooms outside the Terminal). Yes, I drank Tyskie (not really a beer I recommend as the Polish are known – and should only be known, alcoholically – for their vodkas). But boy oh boy! There were thousands of people proudly wearing the red and white colors of Poland everywhere you looked; it was like a sea of Polish pride – and I loved it. Those Idiots provided the soundtrack for the evening with their music filling every crevice of the Terminal. Mouth-watering food was available for purchase with a menu that included cheese pierogies (pia-RUG-gee, roll the “r”), kielbasa and sauerkraut, fried bologna and onions, Gołąbki (guh-WUMB-ki) and potatoes. The line for food took about 20 minutes to get through but the wait was worth every lip-smacking bite. My only negative from my time at the Terminal was the lack of dancing. Maybe there was dancing going on closer to the stage, but I didn’t see any when I passed earlier. Onto the next venue!
 Cheese pierogies and Polish sausage with sauerkraut |  People come in from all over the country to visit family and friends for Easter. Here is Nicole LaMonte, visiting from Las Vegas, on her first Dyngus Day! |  Central Terminal, Buffalo, NY |
Walking through the East Side of Buffalo at night, even on a “holiday” night is not the best idea but I was with another girl friend and four others guy friends so I thought myself safe enough. Walking into Corpus Christi’s Social Center, immediately we heard music. Heading right towards the source, the song changed and went into that famous wedding polka song we all know, The Chicken Dance. At that point of the night, the crowds were starting to die down so dance floor was wide open. My friends and I joined an older gentleman (maybe about late 60’s) and started the routine dance steps. As the song increased in speed, so did our motions and it soon became glaringly apparent that this gentlemen was a seasoned veteran – much better than we were! In the chorus of the song, he was the one leading us round and round in the circle to a speed that felt like side-step sprinting! The crowd at Corpus Christi was much older than those at the Terminal. Not necessarily a problem, but we were sticking out like a sore thumb. Onto the next venue!
Ending our evening at the Hearthstone Manor was ideal. Hosted by Chopin’s Singing Society, the originals organizers of Dyngus Day Buffalo (back in 1961), the banquet hall was booming with people (young and old) and music. Alternating between City Side Band and Eddie Biegaj & the Crusade, there was never a moment to break. Polka after polka kept the dance floor full of dancers spinning in excitement; I had a hard time staying off the dance floor myself. The wonderful thing about Dyngus Day and polka music is that it seems all inhibitions get thrown out the window; if you want to ask someone to dance, you really have nothing to worry about. More likely than not, your chosen partner will say yes and before you know, you’ll be laughing hysterically as you bob across the floor.
Some some people may see Dyngus Day as a silly excuse for a holiday, but the fact remains that it is part of our Polish-American heritage and we are proud of it. It was wonderful to be surrounded by people sharing their Polish traditions (or even people who just wanted to join in on the fun!), overflowing the venues and pouring out onto the street where they continued their revelry into the morning hours. It shouldn’t be surprising that each year brings in more and more party-goers connecting those who have come back to the “old neighborhood” and those who are experiencing Dyngus Day for the first time. Next year, the holiday falls on April Fool’s Day and there may be the appearance of the first time appointed Prince of the Pussy Willows, Anderson Cooper (of CNN); I can’t wait to see what the party will offer! Na zdrowie and sto lat my friends!
Ending our evening at the Hearthstone Manor was ideal. Hosted by Chopin’s Singing Society, the originals organizers of Dyngus Day Buffalo (back in 1961), the banquet hall was booming with people (young and old) and music. Alternating between City Side Band and Eddie Biegaj & the Crusade, there was never a moment to break. Polka after polka kept the dance floor full of dancers spinning in excitement; I had a hard time staying off the dance floor myself. The wonderful thing about Dyngus Day and polka music is that it seems all inhibitions get thrown out the window; if you want to ask someone to dance, you really have nothing to worry about. More likely than not, your chosen partner will say yes and before you know, you’ll be laughing hysterically as you bob across the floor.
Some some people may see Dyngus Day as a silly excuse for a holiday, but the fact remains that it is part of our Polish-American heritage and we are proud of it. It was wonderful to be surrounded by people sharing their Polish traditions (or even people who just wanted to join in on the fun!), overflowing the venues and pouring out onto the street where they continued their revelry into the morning hours. It shouldn’t be surprising that each year brings in more and more party-goers connecting those who have come back to the “old neighborhood” and those who are experiencing Dyngus Day for the first time. Next year, the holiday falls on April Fool’s Day and there may be the appearance of the first time appointed Prince of the Pussy Willows, Anderson Cooper (of CNN); I can’t wait to see what the party will offer! Na zdrowie and sto lat my friends!
RSS Feed