Dyngus Day is back in Western New York on Monday with parades, polka music, and all‑day celebrations planned.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Western New York is preparing to celebrate its Polish heritage in full force on Dyngus Day on Monday, with parades returning to Buffalo and North Tonawanda and a full day of festivities planned in Buffalo’s Polonia District.
The annual post-Easter celebration will feature two large parades alongside live entertainment, food, and dancing throughout the region. In Buffalo’s Polonia neighborhood, the Adam Mickiewicz Library is set to host a daylong event beginning at noon.
Organizers say the celebration will include live polka music, a staple of the holiday, with performers preparing special additions for this year’s event.
One band member highlighted the group’s long history and excitement about returning.
“Our band has been around for 25 years, and we’ve been putting on polka shows, mostly German style, but we were asked last year to play at the library and we had a great time, and we were invited back which is wonderful,” Dave Wendel of the Parkside Avenue Brass told 2 On Your Side. “So we spent the entire year adding more music, more appropriate music, and we are looking forward this year to just having a great time down there.”
Dyngus Day, traditionally celebrated on the Monday after Easter, is one of the largest Polish-American cultural events in Western New York, drawing crowds to honor heritage through music, dance, and community gatherings.
Tickets for the Adam Mickiewicz Library event are available for $10 online or $15 at the door. Organizers say festivities will begin at noon and continue throughout the day.