Whether it has been as the driver or an excited passenger, I have spent considerable time on the road traveling in (and sometimes on) all sorts of vehicles: cars, trucks, tractors, vans, go-karts, tour buses, ATVs, lawn mowers, and the occasional farm animal. And during that time, I’ve become an avid observer of how random travelers interact when they encounter one another.
Please check polkabeat.com, venue websites or call to confirm as we update the schedule daily.
Texas Folklife’s Big Squeeze 2022 was live and in person at the Bullock Texas State History Museum with young accordionists from around the state who have won the local run off contests to get to the level of state champion contests. Eleven accordionists under the age of 21 competed to win their category which was separated by age, under sixteen and sixteen to twenty-one. The categories were Polka, Zydeco, Cajun, and Conjunto. The winner of the Polka category was Elayne Doggett, age 10 of Plano; also competing in the Polka category was Timur Didych and Emily Nguyen. Elayne will next perform at the Accordion Kings and Queens Show in Houston in June.
Well, everyone, it has begun, and good gracious we are having FUN! The polka festivals and battle dances have been keeping us all on the dance floor. From New Taiton to Needville to a day at Blaze’s to Hallettsville for the biggie, then West and Schulenberg, and as you are reading this, we’ll be recovering from the National Polka Festival in Ennis. A couple of festivals in June to put on your calendar are the East Bernard Kolache Klobase Fest on June 12 and the Bremond Polski Dzien (Polish Days) June 24 and 25th.
A youngster at the Frelsburg Picnic on May 8 gets a lesson in polka dancing.