A parade we had not expected trapped us on opposite sides of a street Sunday afternoon but, with the summer air filled with both polka music and the enticing smell of grilled polish sausage, neither of us minded.
We parked our cars on our respective sides of Pulaski Street and settled in to enjoy the show, because when you stumble into a big ole slice of Americana like the Pulaski Polka Days Parade, you really have to pause and enjoy.
Delighted with the spectacle, I made my way west toward Vince, who had stationed himself on the steps of Assumption Blessed Virgin Mary Church, the largest rural Catholic Church in the United States.
Between us marched bands, dignitaries, dancers, and, most popularly, the Pulaski High School 2013 state champion basketball team sporting their team slogan “Yup!” on T-Shirts and a cleverly decorated float.
We saw huge farm implements, fire trucks, giant cheeseburgers, and float after float of cheerful polka bands.
I darted between a polka band and a candy tossing Boy Scout troop and made it safely across the street to join Vince on the church steps.
The parade, which lasted well over 90 minutes, was a mere prelude to the afternoon’s activities, which included dancing, food and general merriment.
We helped ourselves to holubki and a pierogi or two, then we hopped on the furthest dance floor on the grounds for a little discreet polka-ing. Just like last year, we wrapped up our trip to Pulaski Polka Days with a stop at Smurawa’s Bakery for some take home treats.
Will we be returning to Pulaski after this logistical hiccup that left us pleasantly pinned by a parade? Yup!
