AUTHOR’S NOTE: I returned to this festival in 2019.
You can read that experience at…
https://ohiofestivals.net/perch-peach-pierogi-polka-festival/
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Over this Labor Day weekend, if you walked through downtown Port Clinton…
…past the mural…
…and Wylie Walleye…
…you would have found the Perch, Peach, Pierogi and Polka Festival.
You read it correctly….
…the Perch, Peach, Pierogi and Polka Festival.
Hosted by the Knights of Columbus Council 1750, this small, but entertaining, festival had everything its name suggested and more for a $3 admission.
Right at the festival entrance sat a stage and floor for Polka bands…
…and impressive dancers
Beyond that, there were plenty of tables and chairs….
…for both spectators and diners.
The easily found food line went to the back of the tent….
…where festival goers ordered and paid for perch, peaches, and pierogies…
…as well as potatoes, pizzas, Pivo and pop (just imagine what the shirt could look like!).
But instead of being given those food tickets I despise so much, the Knights of Columbus used….
…these colorful and food-specific tokens.
The token system was the perfect idea. There was no need to count out food tickets or deal with money while juggling plates of food at the serving line. Also, food servers only had to make a minimal effort to make sure that the correct token was deposited…
…into the corresponding token bin, only to be later collected and returned for reuse at the food purchase table.
This way, volunteers could concentrate on their specific tasks….
…like cooking…
…and serving some delicious food.
Julia and I stuck with the festival title items….
…splitting a perch dinner, a pierogi plate…
…and a peach cobbler (more like pie, really) with Toft’s ice cream.
We were more than pleased with our selections….
…and comforted to know that it was also local.
After we ate, we were able to enter the Knights of Columbus building, which was used to sell raffle tickets and shirts, while providing a handful of vendor booths selling things from….
…flashing leis…
…to Tupperware (useful for taking more perch home!).
Near the doors that led to the tent….
…they sold homemade baked goods at really low prices.
We got the plate of three cupcakes at the lower left for only $1.50 and they were great.
In fact, everything was great!
The Perch, Peach, Pierogi and Polka Festival was a fun, friendly festival phenomenon where the food was fresh and flavorful.
As if you didn’t know that was coming.