St. Florian Strawberry Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary
Hamtramck’s favorite party band, The Polish Muslims, will once again be a highlight at this weekend’s St. Florian Strawberry Festival. The Polish Muslims play on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. The festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
By Alan Madeleine
This weekend’s St. Florian Strawberry Festival is a little more sweet and juicy.
The festival marks its 50th anniversary.
Ever since it started in 1968 parishioners and residents have welcomed the festival and the warm weather it usually brings along with it. Well, you can count on warm weather almost every year.
The festival starts this Saturday, May 5 and continues through Sunday.
St. Florian is considered one of the Historical Patron Saints of Poland (among a dozen others, and not counting the three primary and two secondary major saints), having been so canonized by Pope Lucius III during his short four-year reign way back in the late 12th century.
St. Florian is also the patron saint of firefighters, who will hold a special march to the church and a Mass on Saturday afternoon to kick off the festivities.
Familiar staples will be the order of the weekend. For example, Polish food and cold Polish beer will be served. Likewise, Polish dance ensembles will do their thing. Well-known local musical combos the Polish Muslims – Hamtramck’s hometown favorite party band — and Kielbasa Kings will entertain, among others.
The Polish Muslims’ slot on Saturday, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., is not only fun, it also serves as a homecoming for St. Florian High School students. While the school is no longer there, the Florian spirit carries on.
Oh, but did we mention that there will be strawberries? Glorious strawberries. A Strawberry Bakery, in fact, which will serve up its fresh wares.
For those of you who love your worldly goods, the church is promoting $2,250.00 in prizes, to be raffled off at 9 p.m. Sunday night. Of course, it will take some money to (maybe) make some money.
The hours for the festival are relatively short, so don’t miss out. The festival kicks off Saturday evening at 5 p.m. and runs to 11 p.m. The longer hours are on Sunday, May 6, from 1 p.m. until the fest’s close at 10 p.m.
For those who don’t know, the church’s address is 2626 Poland St., at the southeast corner of Latham – just north of Holbrook.
The festival is free to attend. So let’s all get jammed up and jelly tight! Altogether now: Strawberries … Mmm.
Contact the church at (313) 871-2778 or the Festival Director at (313) 770-9349, or email them at stflorianparishevents@hotmail.com, for more information.
May 4, 2018
