Losing the Polish Parade opens a door for a new one

We know there are plenty of folks in town who are upset that the organizers of the Polish Day Parade have moved the event from Hamtramck to Warren.
It’s been no secret that parade organizers have long entertained this thought.
The parade has traditionally been held on Labor Day, which capped the long Hamtramck Labor Day Festival held that weekend. In the past, the relationship between festival organizers and the parade folks has been uneasy at times.
At times, festival organizers have argued that the parade folks should be pitching in money to help offset the cost of the extra police needed for the event.
Parade people argued that they had no budget, and should get credit for boosting the attendance of the festival.
The parade certainly did attract more visitors to the city, and its absence will be felt.
But Hamtramck is resilient. There is already talk of putting together a parade that celebrates Hamtramck.
We think that’s a fantastic idea, and we hope someone will pursue this right away, because it takes a lot of time to organize such an event.
An old tradition has now come to an end. We look forward to a brand new one starting up.
Posted Feb. 25, 2025