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Celebrating Dyngus Day 2018 in Buffalo

Posted at 3:58 AM, Apr 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-02 23:15:18-04

"Everybody's Polish on Dyngus Day." It's a sentiment many in Western New York is familiar with, and word is starting to spread nationwide about the Polish-American holiday.

Thousands of people descended on Buffalo's "Historic Polonia" neighborhood on Monday for Dyngus Day festivities. The celebration kicked off Sunday with a "blessing of instruments" at the VFW Leonard Post in Cheektowaga. Polka bands brought their instruments to the VFW post to be blessed before Monday's performances. Dyngus Day organizers say this is the largest one-day gathering of polka bands in the country.

GALLERY: Check out our photos from Dyngus Day 2018

The big party started early Monday morning with a free Polish breakfast at The Anchor Inn in Cheektowaga. From there, families took the official Dyngus Day shuttle to one of many other events happening before the parade in Historic Polonia.

Parade organizer Eddie Dobosiewicz estimated between 40,000 and 50,000 people attended the parade and surrounding festivities.

You can find out more about the Dyngus Day celebrations on the festival's official website.

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