It’s nearly time to shine up those dancing shoes for Assiniboia’s Polka Fest, because the 17th annual event is returning on July 19 and 20 for polka enthusiasts to enjoy some dancing at the Prince of Wales Centre auditorium.
On July 19, the dance will begin at 7 p.m. and run until midnight, before starting up again on July 20 at 2 p.m. until 11 p.m.
The music will be non-stop, with the Leon Ochs band and Len Gadica alternating their performances to keep the dancefloor moving, as they have done the last few years they've attended the dance.
Organizer Grant Sangster finds that the dance is very well attended, part of which, he reasons, is because of the locale.
“The Prince of Wales Centre in Assiniboia is a pretty extravagant place. The floor is kind of made for dancing,” said Sangster. “And the two bands are pretty well known.”
Polka Fest is considered part of the usual polka circuit and sees over 100 people travel down to take part in the two-day dance. There’s hardly any shortage of dancers to enjoy the music and the fun, some of which travel from all over — Saskatoon, Yorkton, even Medicine Hat.
The dance first began because a number of people in the community had a love for polka and wanted to share it, and that seems to be the spirit that has kept the event going for 17 years.
It is a chance to socialize over a love of polka and spend a weekend exploring someplace new, check out the local attractions and perhaps connect with a few new polka friends.
Although Polka Fest is a two-day event — and organizers are hoping to see familiar faces there for both days — it is possible to purchase admission for just one of the two days.
The Friday night shindig is $15, while the Saturday marathon is $25. A pass for the entire weekend is the most bang for your buck, however, for $35.
Attendees can pay their admission at the door, or if they’d like tickets in advance there are some available for purchase at the Prince of Wales Centre office.
