Polish Pride: Michiana Enjoys Another Dyngus Day

While families everywhere were celebrating Easter this weekend, many Hoosiers with Polish heritage are extending festivities to today in honor of Dyngus Day. Most popular in the northern part of the state, the day features a combination of revelry and politics — and some rather interesting rituals (if you’re a guy, keep an eye out for flying plates headed in your direction). WNDU.com reports:

Michiana is celebrating Dyngus Day on Monday. The Polish holiday is the unofficial kick-off to the political season.

The West Side Democratic and Civic Club in South Bend will serve Polish food and allow people to meet political candidates face-to-face.

The event kicks off at 9:00 a.m. The club is located at 617 South Warren Street. There will be political guests stopping by all day, including Democrat and gubernatorial candidate John Gregg.

St. Joseph County Republican Headquarters is hosting a pancake breakfast from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence and congressional candidate Jackie Walorski will make an appearance.

The headquarters is located at 4133 South Main Street in South Bend.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will continue the tradition of renaming streets starting at 10:00 a.m. He’ll reveal the "Dyngus Day" sign at the corner of Ford and Warren and the "Solidarity Day" sign at Western and Laurel. The annual "Solidarity Day" celebration takes place at the Elks Lodge in South Bend afterward. "Solidarity Day" started back in 1971 as a way to unite people of all races.

Monday also marks Mayor Buttigieg’s 100th day in office.

For more on the history of Dyngus Day, read this write-up about where it came from and what it entails.

No Joke! It’s Time to Turn a Healthy Page

I must admit that the irony is not lost on me. I’m a self-proclaimed pastry connoisseur and procurer of sugar-laden snacks, so the fact that I’m writing a blog promoting healthy food choices may surprise people who know me. But the truth is, I want to start eating healthier (did I just hear a pin drop?). That’s why a recent BizVoice® story – one that appeared in our inaugural wellness issue – was particularly fun to write.

The article focused on cultivating connections among local food artisans and producers. One resource I described was Edible Communities, Inc., (ECI) the world’s leading network of magazines dedicated to the local food movement. Hoosiers are represented in three of them: edible LOUISVILLE, edible INDY (debuted in June) and edible MICHIANA (launched this month). Each features profiles of local artisans and producers; colorful photos of mouthwatering cuisine; recipes and more.

Now, I’m no Gordon Ramsey — though a new indulgence of mine is watching old episodes of
Kitchen Nightmares, in which he visits fledgling restaurants to deliver tough love as only he can (mainly, it involves barking orders and moving staff to tears). I am, however, inspired to whip up a (healthy) culinary masterpiece.

Recipe for success… or disaster? Stay tuned!