WHITING, Ind. (CBS) — After getting canceled by COVID-19 last year, Pierogi Fest will return this year in Whiting, Indiana.
It will be held from July 23 through July 25.
The annual summer festival celebrates all things Eastern European and draws more than 300,000 people.
Pierogi Fest is run almost entirely by a group of nearly 600 volunteers, and co-founder Tom Dabertin said in April of last year that people might not be comfortable holding such a large event in the summer of 2020.
But in the summer of 2021, Pierogi Fest will be back with extra cleaning procedures and additional picnic areas to control crowd size.
The festival features tons of food, including Pierogi (of course), and other Polish treats, hot dogs, ice cream, Mexican food, and more. There’s also plenty of beers and wines, and music all day long. Last year’s festival included more than 90 food booths and five stages of entertainment.
Retired CBS 2 meteorologist Steve Baskerville has repeatedly served as grand marshal, and considered the unofficial czar of Pierogi Fest.
TripAdvisor has named Pierogi Fest one of the wackiest festivals on the planet, and Oprah Winfrey named it one of her favorite things to do for five years straight. It’s also been named the Times of Northwest Indiana’s Best Festival for 15 years.