Market on the Square brings delicious food, live music, and tons of summer fun to City of Portage

The City of Whiting kicked off the 2026 Pierogi Fest on Friday, July 24. The Pierogi Fest tradition started decades ago as a small neighborhood celebration of Eastern European and has since evolved into one of Northwest Indiana’s most recognizable summer traditions.

Each year, visitors can explore a variety of food blends, entertainment, culture, and activities that have made Pierogi Fest so special over the years. As a result, this multi-day festival has served as an attraction for people of all ages.

“I think it really comes to the fact that the community rallies behind it,” said Joe Murzyn, executive director of the Whiting Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce. “I’m the only paid employee here, and it takes an army of volunteers to make sure that everyone comes in and has a good time. I think it’s sticking to the core of making it an ethnic festival while mixing a little bit of everything when it comes down to the food vendors and the entertainment.”

One of the festival’s most beloved traditions is the Polka Parade, which features local businesses, community organizations, elected officials, and volunteers dressed in costumes as they make their way through downtown Whiting. The parade reflects the overall personality of Pierogi Fest, which embraces community traditions while encouraging attendees to celebrate with a sense of humor and creativity.

The Polka Parade set the tone on opening day. Other fan favorite events include the Polka Dance Contest on Saturday, July 25, and the Pierogi Toss and Eating Contest on Sunday, July 26.

For performers, this year’s Pierogi Fest is celebrated on four stages. There will be exciting entertainment acts on each stage such as:

• Beer Garden Stage – Polka Confetti, Creatures of Habit, The Static Age, Day by Day, Polkaholics, I’m With Frank, Big City, Beatle Jam, Bats Outta Hell
• La Porte Avenue Stage – Steve Hurd, Elvis Diet, Nomad Planets, Danny Donuts and Grandpappy, Sgt. Sauerkrauts Band, Metropolly, Caught on Cline, Help Hounds, GOOD VIBEZ
• Olivier Stage – Polkaholics, The Happy Wanderers, Eddie Karosa Jr. and the Boys of Illinois, Buscia Cooking Show, Mr. Pierogi’s Songfest, Michelle’s Dance Center, Take Five, Polonia Polish Folk Dance Ensemble
• Sheridan Avenue Stage – Crosstown Exotics, EZ TONES, Eddie Wojcik, Soundz of Santana, The Dlayma Show, Steve Kellogg Magic, Hoosier Strings, Genie O and the Windy City Brass, Derek Caruso and the Blues Fuse, PROST, Phil Angotti

Downtown Whiting is completely transformed into a lively festival grounds every year for Pierogi Fest. Of course, the pierogi remain at the celebration. However, visitors are able to sample traditional versions of the popular Eastern European dish, along with unique variations for food options that are offered by vendors.

“We have one of the most professional-looking food trucks I’ve seen here, called Mustache Lily’s Pizza,” said Murzyn. “We have I Love Grill and Lemonade, and we have Boba Time. We’re trying to have a healthy mix of vendors and not just a bunch of pierogies, although we want the pierogies to feature predominantly. At the end of the day, this is Pierogie Fest, and we wanted to make sure that we’re sticking to our roots.”

Guests also have the opportunity to take part in competitions and demonstrations at Pierogi Fest. Creating an experience that is memorable for the attendees has not only been the main objective for the City of Whiting in creating the event, but also to ensure that the celebration only continues to grow every year.

Founded in 1889, Whiting has long been a part of the Northwest Indiana community. Combining a celebration like Pierogi Fest with the culture and history that this city has to offer for local residents is what keeps this event feeling like a staple tradition for many years, with the hope to continue it for many more.

“I just want to say thank you to all the volunteers that made this happen,” said Murzyn. “I want to say thank you to our mayor, our streets department, our fire department, our parks department, and everyone else involved in taking Pierogi Fest from an empty street to a street full of thousands of people here for a good time.”

To check out the full schedule of performers for the rest of Pierogi Fest weekend, you can visit pierogifest.net/schedule. For additional information on the City of Whiting and its upcoming events, visit whitingindiana.com.