Hosts 12th annual blessing of instruments
At 7 p.m. tonight, as part of the opening ceremony of the Dyngus Day Buffalo Festival, the official kick-off event will include the traditional blessing of the instruments at Pvt. Leonard Post VFW, 2450 Walden Ave., Cheektowaga.
The largest one-day gathering of polka bands from all across the nation not only brings an enormous amount of dancing, but a bevy of musicians, as well. This annual tradition started in 2007 and is an anticipated event for musicians and polka fans alike.
A Polish-American tradition, Dyngus Day celebrates the end of the restrictive observance of Lent and the joy of Easter. Over the decades, Buffalo, has become the "Dyngus Day Capital of the World," attracting thousands of people from across the northeast U.S.
Although celebrated in Buffalo's Polonia neighborhood since the arrival of the first Poles in the 1870s, the city's first modern Dyngus Day celebration was held 53 years ago by the Chopin Singing Society, a tradition that continues today.
Dyngus Day Buffalo, the provider of marketing and organizational support to area celebrations, was founded in 2005.
For more information and details about Dyngus Day activities and history, visit
www.dyngusday.com.
