The air in Cedar will once again be filled with accordion music, kielbasa smoke and happy voices this week, Thursday through Sunday, as the Cedar Polka Fest returns for its 44th year, Thursday, Aug. 27-30.
The festival, one of the last of its kind still running in the country, draws an estimated 10,000 people to Cedar over four days. It’s all put on with the help of a small army of
volunteers, coordinated through the Cedar Chamber of Commerce, who staff everything from the beer tent to the parade route in exchange for free admission and a couple of drinks.
The music lineup features returning favorites Bavarski, The Diddle Styx and Polka Generations, along with the Dynabrass and the Scottville Clown Band, who help round things out on Saturday.
Beyond the music, the festival will keep its usual mix of small-town traditions. A grand parade starts at noon on Saturday featuring the Scottville Clown Band, which has been a staple of the
festival for years. Sunday morning brings a traditional Polish Mass as a nod to the town’s Polish
heritage that first sparked the festival over four decades ago, followed by a car show. An arts and
crafts fair will run throughout the weekend, and Ultimate Air Dogs will hold the always popular dog jumping competition.
New this year, runners in the Run 4 Kielbasa race and the Run 2 The Pierogi, will receive free festival entry and a drink ticket with registration.
More information can be found at cedarpolkafest.org
