Ethnic heritage and the love of food will be shared Saturday in Shenandoah during the annual Kielbasi Festival.
The annual event, sponsored by Downtown Shenandoah Inc., will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on North Main Street. Mary Luscavage, Main Street manager, said thousands of people are expected to attend the event. She said last year's festival drew a crowd of about 5,000.
"It's something different and everybody likes Eastern European food," she said.
Luscavage said the festival is a celebration of Eastern European heritage, especially the cuisine. In addition to the festival's namesake, she said vendors will be serving traditional food such as halupki, halushki, bundukies and babka.
The main attraction at the festival will be the kielbasi-making contest. Luscavage said the contest is divided into two categories - fresh and smoked. She said contestants can register their homemade kielbasi until noon Saturday; however, advanced registration is preferred by calling the DSI office at 570-462-2060. Contestants are required to provide a ring of cooked kielbasi in a bag labeled with their name and category.
As of Tuesday, Luscavage said 10 contestants had registered, although many more are expected by Saturday.
"We have a lot of people come in that day to register," she said.
Luscavage said awards will be given to the first- and second-place winners, with the victors taking home the "coveted" PIG Trophy.
Judging the contest will be Shenandoah's three "Kielbasi Kings" from Kowalonek's Kielbasy Shop, Capital Food Market and Lucky's Deli.
In addition to their judging duties, the kings will have stands for their kielbasi. Luscavage said every year the kings do something special but it is kept a secret until the festival.
Shenandoah's other iconic ethnic food maker, Mrs. T's Pierogies, will also have a stand for its pasta pockets.
Although the organizers try to keep the festival about Eastern European traditions, Luscavage said other picnic foods will also be available, including hot dogs, hamburgers and ribs.
"We try to keep it as ethnic as possible but we do have American foods," she said.
At American Legion Memorial Garden, the Shenandoah All-Star Polka Band will provide entertainment from noon to 3 p.m. Luscavage said a strolling accordion player, a new musical act added to this year's festival, will also help create a block party atmosphere.
Arts and craft vendors will line the streets, selling ethnic pieces such as Matryoshka dolls, straw ornaments and Polish pottery. DSI will also have a stand with official Kielbasi Festival T-shirts, historic throws and ethnic ornaments.
Luscavage said the festival, now in its seventh year, continues to grow. In previous years, the festival attracted people from states up and down the East Coast, including North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Connecticut.
She said people have called her to find activities in the area to fill a weekend trip.
"Part of our mission is to be a tourist attraction," Luscavage said.
For more information on the Kielbasi Festival, visit the DSI website at www.downtownshenandoah.com.