Wheeling Festival Kicks off the 2025 Polka Season
by Jennifer Pijanowski
The Wheeling Polka Festival kicked off the official beginning of the 2025 polka season with three energetic days of polka music. Blue skies, sunshine, and the first signs of spring greeted guests at Oglebay Resort for the nonstop weekend of fun. John Gora, Frank Liszka & Blue Magic, Polka Family, Seven, The Nu-Tones, Eddie Biegaj & Crusade, and Dynabrass provided entertainment for hundreds of guests in Glessner Auditorium. This festival is usually held the last weekend of March and with Easter falling so late this year, fans took the opportunity to make the trip to Ohio Valley. Upon entering the hall on Friday evening, I was stunned at the crowd in attendance. The dance floor remained crowded throughout the weekend.
I was lucky enough to have eight members of Buffalo Polka Boosters make the trip from Western New York to visit my hometown and attend the festival. We had a blast, and they raved about the friendliness, beauty, and accommodations at Oglebay Resort. My fellow polka afficionados were quick to be up in front of the band with bells, shakers, and tambourines in hand. Nancy, a huge fan of Eddie Biegaj could not help herself from jumping up on the stage to join Eddie as he began his first set. This group most definitely made their mark at the event.
Deb Jones and Johnetta Vinka work diligently to ensure that everyone has a memorable experience at this event. While this may be one of the lesser-known festivals, I can assure you that once you attend, you will never miss it again. Plans are already in the works for 2026 to be bigger and better than ever.
DYNGUS IN THE NICKEL CITY. We had just a few weeks to prepare for Buffalo’s biggest polka event of the year, Easter Sunday and Dyngus Day. Husband Rick and I rushed back from spending Easter in West Virgina to drop by Potts Banquet Hall to listen to Polka Generation. We were so impressed with this Chicago-based band when we saw them for the first time last fall that we could not miss the opportunity to see them again. When we came into the hall, they were just taking the stage for the second set, cranking out the classic polkas. There is something about that honky beat that makes the heart happy. Energetic, fun, and solid entertainment is what you get when you have the opportunity to hear Polka Generation. This was the ultimate mood booster for two straight days of polkas.
I then headed over to check out Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push and Polka Country Musicians at Val’s Dyngus Weekend, just a few miles away at the M-Hotel. The hotel was adorned with Polish decorations and the party was in full swing as we entered. The venue was crammed with fans preparing for the main event of Dyngus Day.
While we are very proud that Buffalo is the “Dyngus Day Capital of the World,” it can be frustrating for those of us that yearn to see every band in town for this one iconic day. The event has become so vast that it is impossible to hit every venue hosting live polka music.
We started out at 9:00 a.m. at some local taverns hosting Polish breakfast buffets, morning cocktails, while polkas blared in the background. While I would prefer live music, these morning stops fueld our enthusiasm to take on the marathon day. Many of us headed to a landmark corner tavern, Happy Swallow, to say goodbye to this quintessential East Side pub. A favorite spot for many years for Friday fish fries, good conversation, and the sweetest owners you can imagine, it was difficult to know it would be closing their doors for good on Dyngus Day. Tom and Paula Golimowski have been running the tavern for the past 38 years. We were thankful to join them for their last day as they were surrounded by a community of love and support. Thank you for giving us some of our best memories. We will miss walking through the front doors but look forward to the Golimowski family having more free time to spend with us at polka events.
Afterwards it was off to Pubski Pub where a group of musicians jammed together for the afternoon. Attendees decked out in red and white were shoulder-to-shoulder inside and outside enjoying the talented mash up. Pubski is a local favorite, so we always try to make a stop to support them in keeping polka music alive in the neighborhood. Thanks for Matt Burdzy for embracing the roots of the William/Harlem neighborhood and keeping Polish traditions alive.
Just a quick jaunt to Potts Banquet Hall granted a rare appearance of Stephanie Pietrzak and her honky band. Stephanie has always been one of my favorites so this stop was a must. Her showmanship did not disappoint as she reveled in the crowd applauding her. Pietrzak connects with her fans, and I was there for the show. It was nice to see Don and Marina Kozak enjoying the music as they have also been long-time supporters of Stephanie. Alternating was Frank Liszka & Blue Magic, which offered a contrast in polka styles. While Stephanie is entertaining, the bountiful, powerful sound of Blue Magic offered a bold modern, zippy sound. The vocals of Liszka and Nick DiSebastiano are contagious as you have some of their most popular tunes running through your head days after hearing them play. These two bands were a great combination: a traditional honky sound with Stephanie and then a faster upbeat tempo with Blue Magic. After a few sets of each band, I was off to yet one more stop.
Finally, back to Val’s Dyngus Day for Polka Family and New Generation. This last, end-of-our-night stop was energy-packed times a thousand. It was the first time I was to hear New Generation, I was unsure what to expect. I had listened to a few songs online but that did not do justice to seeing them perform live. This band has a great stage presence, sound, and vitality that encourages the crowd to get up and dance. Alternating with New Generation was Polka Family, always a fan favorite. Hank Guzevich and the guys kept up the stamina making it hard to leave the front of the stage.
While many of us were in the hall enjoying polka music, there were hundreds of attendees in the M-Hotel’s courtyard indulging in country music by Hazzard County and classic rock by Flipside. Bakowski works so hard to make his Dyngus Day event is all-inclusive, and this year was no exception; we had the very best time with top tier polka bands. Thanks, Val, for all of the love and hard work you put into bringing some of the best polka music to Western New York.
UPCOMING. Polka Fireworks will observe 50 years at Seven Springs Resort this July The event will take place July 2-5with entertainment featuring Polka Family, Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push, Maestro’s Men, John Gora & Gorale, Frank Liszka’s Blue Magic, Larry Trojak’s “Live It Up,” Crusade featuring Eddie Biegaj, The Beat, DynaBrass, Buffalo Concertina All-Stars, and Ryan Joseph. You can visit https://polkafireworks.com for all of the information you will need.
Frankenmuth Summer Music Festival’s stellar lineup is set for August 6-9, 2025 at Heritage Park, with three days of nonstop music. Bands appearing for the event are Stephanie; New Brass Express; John Gora & Gorale; Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push; Dennis Polisky & the Maestro’s Men; Buffalo’s Concertina All Stars; DynaVersaStickToneAires; Frankie Liszka & Blue Magic; Polka Family; Jimmy Weber & The Sounds; The Beat; and Polka Country Musicians.
RADIO WAVES. Sundays in Buffalo will not be the same as Greg Chwojdak bids farewell after almost 50 years of polka radio. (See story on page 20). Chwojdak has been entertaining generations of polka fans since 1976, and has decided it to time to retire from his radio show. We wish him the best and thank him for so many years of dedication to the polka fans of Western New York.
This year Seth Drzewicki celebrates his 25th anniversary as a polka DJ. He began at WTRK 89.1 FM in Bay City, Mich., and currently rotates DJ duties on WSAM 1400 AM and 92.3 FM for its Sunday morning polka show, which airs from 10:00 a.m. – noon.
