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What's new for Dyngus Day Buffalo 2019: Longer parade route, Grammy-winning polka king & 'Dyngus Dash'

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Mon, Apr 15th 2019 07:30 pm

It’s only one week away from Dyngus Day 2019. On Monday, April 22, Buffalo – the “Dyngus Day Capital of the World” – will welcome hundreds of thousands of people to the historic Polonia district to share in the post-Lenten bash that celebrates spring, shows off Polish pride, promotes playful banter with pussy willows and features the top polka bands in the nation.

Some of the new elements added to the 13th annual Dyngus Day Buffalo Festival include:

•Longer Parade Route: The Dyngus Day Buffalo Parade at 5 p.m. will accommodate the growing crowds. It officially kicks off in front of Corpus Christi Church on Clark Street, then heads down Broadway to Fillmore and turns on Peckham Street. New for 2019, the parade will take a right on Memorial Drive near Pussy Willow Park and end at Memorial Drive near the intersection of William Street and Fillmore Ave.

•Expanded Pussy Willow Pass Shuttles: Buses will connect all official venues, including express bus service to and from parade from 12 different venue locations. A complete listing of official Dyngus Day Buffalo venues and shuttle routes can be found at www.DyngusDay.com.

•America’s Polka King to Perform at Pussy Willow Park: 18-time Grammy Award-winning artist Jimmy Sturr & his Orchestra will perform a three-hour show on the Main Stage at Pussy Willow Park at 8 p.m.

The Dyngus Day Festival at Pussy Willow Park opens at 2 p.m. and features continues live polka music all day.

•“Dyngus Day Diary” on Television: Can’t make it out on Dyngus Day? WKBW-TV Channel 7 will air a one-hour, live broadcast originating from Pussy Willow Park. Now in its fifth year, this Emmy-nominated program will air from 7-8 p.m. (Encore performance at noon Saturday, April 27.)

•Dyngus Day Krupnik: Locally distilled 1808 Krupnik has been named the official spirit of Dyngus Day Buffalo. All the ingredients for this popular Polish honey liquor are grown and sourced locally in Western New York. The Krupnik along with Krupnik-based cocktails will be available at the Dyngus Day Festival at Pussy Willow Park.

•Inaugural Dyngus Day Dash: Dyngus Day morning, runners and fun lovers of all ages will gather at the back of Houghton Park in the city’s Kaisertown neighborhood for the first Dyngus Day Dash, a pussy willow relay fun run where teams of two will run around a half-mile-long path. The first partner will hand off a pussy willow branch to his teammate at the halfway point who will then continue past the finish line. To register, participants can visit www.dyngusday.com

•Dyngus Day Buffalo Official Kick-Off: Dyngus is not just one day! Some of the biggest parties can be found starting on Easter Sunday. At 7 p.m., the Blessing of the Instruments will take place at the Leonard Post VFW, 2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga. The evening will include a tribute to Buffalo polka legend Gino Kurdziel who passed away in March. Hall of Fame Polka stars Al Piatkowski and Johnny Karas will join the Buffalo Touch Band in this special show.

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