Whiting’s Pierogi Festival: A Celebration of Eastern European Culture and Cuisine

“Pierogi”, “pyrohy”, “pierozki” - no matter how you say it, these doughy dumplings are always satisfyingly good! So much so in fact, Whiting holds an annual Pierogi Festival in honor of the Eastern European heritage these tasty pastries represent.

Welcome to one of Northwest Indiana's biggest events, Whiting's Annual Pierogi Festival, presented by the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce. Friday marked the first day in a weekend-long celebration of epic pierogi proportions. From 10am - 11pm, residents and out-of-towners, groups of thousands, descended upon Whiting to experience what Oprah has deemed, "one of the country's top 7 festivals."

All day and all evening, festival-goers reveled in Eastern European culture and cuisine, gorging themselves on the traditional fare of the old country. Vendors produced and served pierogies filled with various meats and fruits, golabki, kielbasa, and numerous other dishes – the kind of food that sticks to your gut and warms you from the inside out.

Carnival rides and games beckoned to passer-bys, while the festival’s five separate stages provided family friendly entertainment - everything from magical acts to musical performances. The highlight of the night, the festival’s annual International Polish Parade, commenced at 7pm, roaring along 119th Street in a colorful display of traditional and non-traditional garb and dance.

The Precision Lawn-mower Team, the Twirling Babushka Brigade, the World’s Original Lazy Boy, all were represented at the parade, among other troupes and organizations making their way through the festival singing and performing street-side.

Mr. Pierogi, played by Matt Valukis for the 17th year in a row, was on hand with his famous pieroguettes, posing for photos and singing along with members of the crowd. Area resident Andrew Olejnik, along with friend Karel Perez, watched and cheered as Mr. Pierogi and friends passed by:

“I’ve lived here all my life, but this is the only the 3rd or 4th time I’ve come out for the festival,” said Olejnik. “One of my favorite parts of the whole thing is the music. It’s live and so much fun! Bands ride on floats and play as they go – it’s awesome! The food can’t be beat. If you come, you have to have pierogies, of course. The kielbasa is really good too. It’s all really good!”

In the coming days, visitors can expect to take part in countless activities along 119th Street. On Saturday, the festival’s annual Songfest will be emceed by his royal “doughiness” Mr. Pierogi, starting at 1pm. New songs will be heard, as well as festival favorites such as, “I Will Deep Fry,” and “Anything You Can Eat, I Can Eat More Of.”

The Pierogi Toss, a true test of pierogi prowess, begins at 2:30pm on Sunday, followed by a Pierogi Eating Contest at 3pm - for those who can’t help but ask, “how much dumpling goodness can I stuff in my mouth in 3 minutes?”

Whether you decide to try your hand at flinging pan-fried pierogies, dunking a nun, or simply sitting back and taking it all in, you sure don’t have to be Polish to enjoy the Pierogi Festival…but you might want to invest in some stretchy pants, because one doughy dumpling is never enough!

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