Pierogi Fest

Gotta love the pierogi fest! Any delicious Polish delicacy that you can think of they have! From pierogis, to polishes, to potato pancakes it’s here! Even tried the taco pierogis this year for the first time, and not too bad. A must though is the steak pierogis from Freddy’s steakhouse, one of my favorites! I see that Ben’s pretzels and Jodi’s Italian ice had a stand this year, which was great because I enjoy both of those places. The fest really has a cool atmosphere. Great food, nice parades, good bands, a beer garden, what more could you ask for? I understand that the Pierogi Fest has actually surpassed Taste of Chicago for the title of most food vendors. People from all over the world come to the fest. So if you’ve never been here come on down and give them a try. It gets a little crowded, but it’s well worth it.

After knowing about Pierogi Fest for YEARS, I finally had the opportunity to go today and it was everything I had hoped for, except not getting to meet Mr. Pierogi. Sad.
Just to let people who read this know, Pierogi Fest is held for 3 days every July. It’s free to attend. There are TONS of food vendors, pierogi, pretzels, pizza, turkey legs, you name it! There’s a separate section for beer, which is a weird set-​up. They check your ID, you go in and buy drink tickets for $ 5 and then go into a tent and get a drink in exchange for a ticket. Are they trying to get around some kind of law? They have Miller Lite on draft, Redds, Apple Cider, etc.
But ok so the pierogis. It’s all about Dan’s. I went straight there because I heard about how good they are and Dan didn’t fail me. Oh my god, I’ve never had pierogis this perfect and delicious. And they let you get as many as you want of different kinds — shredded beef, potato, potato and sweet cheese, potato and cheddar cheese, kraut, mushroom, spinach, cherry, blueberry, strawberry and plum. In addition to my selections, I indulged in a cabbage roll and I’m glad I did — it was savory and delicious! Dan’s has a crazy line, but it’s worth it. Don’t bother with the other vendors; a guy suggested Center for pierogis and they were no good; the exterior was hard and fried-​like, not the soft, pasta-​like shell it should be. Nope. Dan’s all the way.
We stayed for several hours. I got a cool shirt and we watched the parade. And polka music and dancers everywhere. Parade was alright, nothing too exciting. It would have been better to have a seat, but we had to stand and could barely see over the mobs of people. After the parade, it got SO packed we could barely move in the streets! It was like New York City on Christmas Eve or DragonCon in Atlanta. I’m glad so many people can appreciate pierogis, though! I hope I get to go back sometime. :)

One of the few things in this super small town to look forward to each year. It is packed to the brim with great food, sweaty people, and awesome music. There isn’t a year that I haven’t gone if I’m in town. The parade is fun to watch, and it is something that everyone should experience if given the chance!

food was great. what i got to taste. my kids were not so happy. just to much for them. on the day we went i think they were tired. ok now on the parade. i was not happy. the parade was awesome !!!
CAPS I AM MAD LOL
the people viewing it aweful no manors would not sit down so the kids could see swore the whole time smoked and ashed on me. almost got in a fight when people ask other to sit they came late so they went in front of the early people and stood the whole time how rude. it was the worst crowd i have ever been in in my life!!! it may be better if you were not sitting were i was i was told the cops were about 3 feet away from stepping in. … i think drunk was the big problem. but most peope seemed to handle them selves ok but manors would be nice they seemed to be out the window here

I cannot get enough of this festival, it is such a blast! I visit every year from the Northwest suburbs with my mom and boyfriend. There are so many fun things to choose from!
Examples:
1) Stand upon stand of amazingly delicious comfort food. This is really the highlight of the festival. So many varieties of pierogis, but not just polish food there. I have also gotten delicious Asian food, fried green tomato’s, etc., but I am sure there is much more that I didn’t pay attention to. I don’t know how much fun you will have if you are not planning on eating something fried, but they may have healthy food. (I have never made an effort to look for it here, lol)
2) Lots of gift shops to explore. This is my mom’s favorite part. Even if you are not into gift shops, there are a large number of stands that sell cute merchandize like shirts and pierogi-​shaped soap. It is usually hot each time we go, so the gift shops are also great for an escape to the a.c. (haha)
3) I am not a beer drinker, but they have a big beer garden in the back of the festival, which is my boyfriends favorite part.
4) The people there are always really friendly, especially the women dressed in babushkas. They are hilarious! Last year I got a picture with them.
5) It seems like a great place to bring children. They have face painting, little theatrical shows, and games like throwing a ball to try and dunk people into water pools.
6) A pretty area of town that is nice to walk around. The buildings are cute and people bring their dogs to enjoy the fest. The fest can get pretty crowded but that is to be expected. The side streets are peaceful to walk down if you want to get away from the crowd for a bit.
All in all, I definitely recommend coming here if you have never done so. The drive is easy, there is a TON of food, and beer/​gift ships galore. I always have a great time!
–UPDATE–
It was even better than I had remembered! We managed to find a spinach feta pierogi [amazing], cheese feta pierogi, and potato bacon kraut pierogi, when I have never known these to exist. The bakery down towards the end on the right gave away free fudge samples, and we tried this amazing thing called an onion blossom. You need napkins and a table to eat this thing, lol. Like an extremely delicious onion ring, but they take an onion and slice it in a way where the base holds the sections together and the entire thing is fried, where you can then pluck the sections off from the top. Great for sharing!
Also, avoid the port-​a-​potties because there are actually very clean bathroom stations with flushing toilets and sinks.
If you didn’t go this year, GO NEXT TIME!

I love pierogi; what a great idea to base a festival on. I first heard about pierogi Fest about five years ago, shortly after moving to Chicago. Until this summer I hadn’t had the opportunity to return since then, but I’ve already marked it on my calendar for next year.
I went in the morning Friday and it was a really manageable crowd — that is to say, not much crowd at all. The food was great; I was a bit more adventurous than I was last time, having never had a polish sausage before (I’ve been missing out). Other treats included haluski, dill pickle soup, potato pancakes, corn on the cob, and fried pickles, amongst many other things… including pierogi, of course. There were dessert pierogi, cheese, vegetable pierogi, alligator pierogi… almost anything your heart desires. Prices are pretty reasonable for such a festival, and servings are plentiful. The old fashioned soda booth is a steal; they have something like 8 flavors (birch beer, sarsaparilla, cream soda, and orange, amongst others) and there are two booths set up so once you’re getting thirsty again you can fill up at the other booth — your cup gives you unlimited refills as long as you have that day’s tag on it. Bring one of the booth’s cup from a previous year and the deal is even better. As an added treat, one of the bakeries in town was selling paczki for the weekend (and let me tell you, the line made it seem like they were going out of style).
I can’t end my review without mentioning one of the Coolest Things Ever — the Dunk Tank. Yeah, yeah, you say… who hasn’t seen a bunch of pre-​pubescent boys taking their turn in the tank to earn some money for their football team? No no, my friends. Here at pierogi Fest, you’re dunking nuns. Oh yes, you read that correctly — Carmelite nuns, to be precise. Now some of you may have more aggressions to take out on the Catholic Church than I (especially if you attended parochial school and had your fingers rapped a few times), but my closest experience with nuns has been to spin around my living room with a pillowcase on my head like I was Fräulein Maria. I have to say, I like that these nuns have a sense of humor, and if I had a throwing arm I would have ponied up a bit of money to take a shot. Instead, I got bought an awesome T-​shirt that reads, «I dunked a REAL nun at pierogi Fest», had it autographed by one of the sisters, and banked a few extra points with Jesus et al.
Not a bad way to spend a weekend.

Finally went back, after missing it in 2012. Despite that I weirdly didn’t see the ‘dunk a nun’ tank, it was still as great as ever.
I’m starting to love this fest more than most festivals in the Chicago area, that I’ve gotten to the point where I never again want to have a year where I don’t do one visit to this festival again. It’s THAT awesome of a fest.

Great time to eat, drink, and be merry. The once a year Pierogi Fest has become an annual must for my friends and family. Best pierogies… Dan’s! All the way at the end. Be sure to grab some before you head out… even if there is a little bit of a wait/​line. Check out Bulldog Brewery too!!! Great crafts and solidly married food.

Whiting Pierogi Fest — an interesting mix of food, people and music.
This is my 2^nd year going and in general it’s your typical food festival with dozens of food stands, a big beer garden (with arts and crafts), music tents and a SERIOUS lack of garbage cans that aren’t overflowing.
That being said, here’s some of my favorite Food vendors: Dans Pierogis, Kasias Pierogis, We-​R-​Nuts, Big Franks and Buffalo Billy’s Old West Soda.
Both Dan’s and Kasia’s had some Über pierogis, my personal favorite were the Mushroom ‘n Kraut ones at Dan’s though. I’d recommend AVOIDING the strawberry or cherry pierogis from Bulldog… we’d bought 3 of each and they just weren’t up to par :(
Things to expect every year:
Big crowds
Lots of pierogis
Sloppy drunks in the beer garden
Live Music
Hard Parking (see Amanda K’s tip for easy parking)
Feet run over by strollers
Overeating
I like the Whiting Pierogi Fest, I plan on coming yearly for sure.

Dupa shorts (Polish booty shorts), raunchy Polish shirts (I only love him for his kielbasa), and dunking nuns in vats of water. All this can be yours, plus 5 lbs of newly acquired fat if you make a trip to Pierogi Fest.
While many Chicagoans will scoff at travelling ‘all the way’ to Indiana, I can easily say that Whiting is closer to the loop than my house is to the loop. So do not let the state boarder stop you from attending.
You got Starbuska’s serving up coffee, babushkas frying up potato pancakes, blintzes with sweet cheese, a mixture of non-​polish dishes (skip these because you can get a burger anywhere), and the pride and joy of the fest PIEROGIS.
There are many vendors serving home made dumlings, and then there is Kasia’s. I would skip Kasia’s as it is in every grovery store and I don’t need to overpay for factory pierogi.
I went for Nachogis (they called them fully loaded, but my name is much better). These were battered and deep fried potato pierogi covered in: Nacho cheese, beef and bean chili, jalopenos, green onion, olives, and bacon. Not traditional, but worth a try. I then went for a ¼ lb pierogi from another vendor. If I wasn’t feeling so full afterwards I would have gone for some fruit pierogi from another place.

One of Indiana’s best festivals. I am not sure why «Buttera» gave it one star without even attending the fesival simply because people charged for parking — that’s pretty typical of any festival, and there is plenty of parking on the side streets, if you don’t mind walking a couple of blocks.
The various pierogi vendors are creative and fun. Piergoi are very affordable, and the best are worth standing in line for. There are also tons of booths with typical fair junk food, but why would you even bother? There are potato-​cheddar pierogi, spinach, mushroom, pizza, beef. .. And don’t miss the Calumet Bakery and Lykos European Market, which serves delicious stuffed cabbage and has a lively collection of homemade food to take home, as well as what looks like the owner’s cast-​off from Meijer and other stores.
There are several stages with music, and a large beer garden. Performers do traditional Polish dances, and there’s a polka contest, but it’s also very tongue-​in-​cheek: the polka contest is hosted by Polkahontas, there’s a dunk-​a-​nun booth, a Mr. Pierogi, etc.
Definitely worth a road trip on a nice July weekend.

I used to think I didn’t like pierogi; then I had a real, hand-​made by an actual Polish women pierodi and realized I just don’t like the frozen, boxed perogis you buy at the Jewel…
So we headed to Pierogi Fest Saturday afternoon. We arrive about 2:30 and parked with ease in the high school parking lot that was suggested on the website. (It was free.) The shuttle was a school bus and it was waiting for people when we arrived. However, we had two strollers and two small children so we decided to forego it and just walk. (Plus, it certainly couldn’t hurt to burn off a few calories in advance of stuffing our faces.)
We spent about 2 hours at the fest (We would have stayed longer, but had another commitment that evening.) and didn’t even make it all the way down to the craft fair section.) We spent some time in the kiddie rides area where our friends’ two year old rode the bumpy barrels and spent some time in the inflatable maze.
We sampled pierogi (and other food) from a few difference places and all of it was delicious as expected! We also grabbed some strudel to take home with us.
Prices actually seemed reasonable too! I always expect prices to be higher at «fest,» but this particular one didn’t feel like highway robbery.
It was crowded, but it didn’t start to feel «too crowded» until we were heading out around 4:30.
We will definitely be heading back next year!

Great festival delicous food !!! Oh so much food !!! Nice crafts!

Lots of fun at this one-​of-​a-​kind fest — filled with food, a beer garden, various musical acts, and rides for the kids. Held in Whiting Indiana every year, the food sellers specialize in pierogi (dough pockets filled with cheese/​meat/​potato/​kraut/​or prune), polish sausage, potato pancakes, halushky (noodles or dumplings and cabbage), and holupki (stuffed cabbage). I am a Canadian boy but have grown to love these eastern European foods. Try them and you won’t be sorry. Prices are reasonable too. We usually go on Friday afternoons when the fest begins, and we can avoid the crowds. But this year it was jam packed all the time. Great fun at a singularly Midwestern ethnic affair.

My aunt convinced me to drive from Chicago to meet her and her girlfriends in Whiting for the Pierogi Fest this past weekend. It was everything I expected and more: Lots and lots of polish food, butter, oil, polka, and beer… plus lots of other little Whiting nuggets of goodness. From roller skating Dunk-​a-​Nuns, to the Starbuska coffee booth, the Pierogi Fest was unlike any other festival I’ve been to. Sure, you have your overpriced fair food but once you make it deep into the festival you get the good stuff: real pierogies, potato pancakes and tons of sausage. If you don’t have anything going on the last weekend of July next year, take a trip down to Whiting and check it out for yourself… no Unilocal review can give this Polish party justice.

DUNK A NUN!
Our family and the mother out law went here on Saturday and we had a nice time. We arrived right at 11 am and there was not many people here but the streets filled up by the time we left around 1:30. We parked on a side street for free and pretty close to the fest. We sampled many pierogi from many of the booths set up. We also tried a couple of different sausages. The longer the line at the booth the better the food. Our highlight was my son trying to dunk a nun. He came close but couldn’t do it. All in all we had a real nice time and plan on coming back next year.

Who’d a thunk you could have so much fun, in (of all places), Whiting Indiana? Not me, that’s for sure. As usual, my low expectations for this event were wrong. Very Wrong!
I’m not Polish, never met Lech Walesa, and have told my share of bad, Polish jokes. But I love me some Pierogi’s. This festival of fatty, Eastern European food offered every Pierogi imaginable. I ate Steak Pierogi’s, Japeleno and Cheese Pierogi’s and the classic, Potato Pierogi. I may not be Polish, but I was on this day. I ate enough Pierogi’s to make Bobby Vinton proud.
The people of Whiting do an amazing job with this festival. It’s set up on three city blocks in Downtown Whiting (if there is such a thing). Not only does Pierogi fest offer a fabulous variety of food, there is plenty of shopping as well. There were booth’s peddling everything from Hot Tubs to Candles. Most of the items were quite tacky, but it was still fun to browse around and check out all the eclectic items. All in all, it was a five star day. My wife even bought a Pony. A statue of a Pony, that is.
Here’s the delicious bottom line: If you want to be Polish, if only for a day. Head on down to Whiting and enjoy Pierogi fest. I guarantee you will walk away with a full stomach, and shit-​eating grin on your face. Yes folks. It was that much fun.

Living close to Whiting (within a 10 minute drive) this is always a highlight of my summer. Yes its crowded and yea it can be crazy, but what it comes down to is a community celebration of that filled dumpling popular in Eastern European households… uh huh the pierogi.
As the venue takes place on Whiting’s city streets, parking can be interesting… this year I noticed the local folk were partaking a tradition we Chicagoans cherish, that is the chairs on the street in what could be a prized parking spot for a non-​local. So a little driving around and I found parking a few blocks from the entrance to the fest. If hunting for a cherished spot near the venue is not your thing, never fear as they do have (free!) remote parking available (at 2 lots) with shuttles running to and from the entrance to the events… it is $ 1 for the shuttle but is worth it.
The venue itself takes up several city blocks with multiple vendors from Polish/​Eastern European shirts/​trinkets to the food… and don’t worry if you aren’t a lover of all things pierogi, there are other foods you can indulge in including Alligator meat and poboys along with several dessert areas (including one with fried twinkies). This year was the year of the Halupki (which for the uneducated is meat and rice wrapped in a cabbage leaf in tomato sauce) so plenty of that (and its Polish cousin, globacki) was also to be found.
There is also a beer garden at the east end of fest (near the Arts & Crafts area) and a certain vendor where you can buy a huge mug and refill it for free all that particular day.
In addition to the vendors, several of the area businesses are open so one could take a break from the warm weather outside. There are a couple of delis that are open and a bakery which sells another Polish delicacy, the paczki.
There is plenty of entertainment from Polish Dancers to polka bands and various contests throughout the fest. The big highlight of the weekend is the parade featuring the the Babushka Brigade and Mr. Pierogi on Friday night.
All in all, its a great time. With a little patience and some smiles, one could have a lot of fun at this venue. Next year the fest will be July 26−28^th so see you there!

«For a second, I thought Mr. Pierogi wasn’t wearing pants.»
I thought about what one of my companions said. Would the beloved to many mascot of a destination food festival (I’m not kidding, it’s been featured on the Food Network and was named one of ten weirdest festivals in the U.S.), be in public sans a bottom layer of clothing — possibly exposing to the world his kielbasa? Finally, looking at the character again, I responded, «he’s wearing shorts, but I wouldn’t put it past him. Pierogi Fest is just that weird.»
Slightly creepy costume representations of titular foods aside, a trip to Pierogi Fest (just across the Indiana border from Chicago) is a trip to another universe. It’s a place where old country meets old times and results in polka bands being star attractions as young and old (and possibly related to the group) gaze on in wonder. A place where 1970s fashion can be all the rage again. And where an overly-​friendly potato treat shaped man can have a fan club (and beg you to sign up for it).
The pierogis themselves, however, are the real stars. The booths selling them span a couple of city blocks. Each purveyor will have a variety of fillings from the familar potato and desert fillings (mmmm, cherry) to stuff better left to veggie maki (uhhhh, artichoke). Going in as a group and buying in bulk is a good deal as most stalls start discounting once you get to three pierogis but most stands sell the pierogis at $ 1 a piece.
But save a little money if you’re into ironic t-​shirts. There are some weird ones to be found (including one that started a «Hey, Nice Pierogis» trend amongst my friends last year).
About the only one missing was a «Keep Pierogi Fest Weird» shirt. Sadly, the festival wasn’t as odd this year as there was a limited music program on Sunday (even though there seemed to be more merchants). It might earn back another star next year, but it’s going to have to freak me out a little more. Maybe it could start with Mr. Pierogi actually not wearing pants. No, on second thought, that sweaty, huggy, man needs to keep them on.

Bring on the fat pants!
Friendly tips for getting the most out of Pierogi Fest:
* Wear stretchy pants, if you’re lucky you will be eating a lot of heavy food
* Don’t go overboard at one stand! Pace yourself, there are probably 10 more like it
* Don’t wait in line for Kasia’s if you’re from Chicago, you can get those any time (no offense Kasia)
* You can get pierogis to take home so you don’t have to gorge yourself on them at the fest
Going to Pierogi Fest with 2 seasoned veterans definitely helped me avoid making any rookie mistakes. The first stand (the name escapes me) we visited had no wait, I procured two pierogis — potato and cheddar and kraut. The kraut was just ok it lacked the sour I was going for, but the potato-​cheddar was delectable. The second stand we hit was Dan’s, which had a 20 minute wait. At Dan’s I got 3 pierogi — potato and cheddar, potato and spinach. I was disappointed by Dan’s for a few reasons: (1) the pierogi delivery system was a mess, orders came out haphazardly; (2) the spinach and potato-​cheese pierogi erred on the bland side, but the potato was quite good; and (3) the end product didn’t justify the long wait.
Pierogi Fest is more than just pierogis and Mr. Pierogi (yes, there really is a guy dressed up as a pierogi); there is music (lots of polka), dancing, a beer garden, other Polish and non-​Polish delicacies and craft goods. As far as pierogis go there’s something for everyone — veggie friendly pierogis, meat-​based pierogis, sweet pierogis and even taco pierogis. If you’re a root beer fan Wild Bill’s Old Fashioned Soda has a stand, you can get a mug and get free refills during the fest, the catch is you have to brave the inevitable long lines.
Pierogi unrelated this fest had some of the most amazing portable bathrooms I’ve ever seen. There was a single porta-​potty next to the line for Dan’s, which looked vile so I was glad to find an alternative that wasn’t a secluded shrub. What an alternative it was, these were the Rolls Royce of portable bathrooms! It was a trailer with a mens and womens side and 5 private stalls on each. They were clean, well stocked and even had a real sink to wash your hands.
Pierogi Fest is a short trip over the IL-​IN border in Whiting, IN. You can take Lake Shore Drive/​41 all the way there and the fest lasts 3 days.
Bottom line: After 5 pierogis and half a funnel cake I settled into a blissful carb coma and didn’t need to blow a large wad of cash to do so.