It’s all things strawberry at St. Florian’s annual festival

By Alan Madlane
The air will smell like a strawberry patch.
Well, maybe. Certainly, there will be strawberries, or strawberry-filled goodies, and they will be everywhere.
That’s why it’s called a Strawberry Festival, after all.
Yes, another long-time Hamtramck tradition is upon us again, and that is the St. Florian Church Strawberry Festival. And it’s a full slate of goings-on this year, which we’re now going to share with you, the beloved reader.
Who, hopefully, likes strawberry things. ‘Cause, you know… there’s going to be some.
The festival is set for next weekend, Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. In the past, it has gone off rain or shine (potentially important because, you know, we’ve had a lot of rain this spring… why are we having to tell you all this?).
Utilizing a large tent outside and the church’s basement-level hall, weather shouldn’t be a concern.
Saturday, May 2, it begins with a “soft open” at noon, with dinners (think Polish favorites like city chicken, kielbasa, pierogi, stuffed cabbage and nalesniki) and a bake sale available at that time, DJ Lukasz Wawer in the church’s lower level spinning tunes from 2-9 p.m., and mingling.
There will be a parade from the fire station, beginning at 3:30 p.m., making its way east on Caniff to Jos. Campau, and then proceeding south to Poland St., and finally back west a couple blocks to St. Florian, at 2626 Poland. That will be followed by a 4 p.m. Fireman’s Mass, in English.
St. Florian is the patron saint of firefighters.
Then, at 5 p.m., the festival opens in earnest, with the Polish Muslims once again entertaining as only they can, from 6:30-9:00, and the day wrapping up at 10 p.m.
As the sun rises on Sunday, May 3, there are of course Polish masses at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., plus an English-language one at 12:30 p.m. at the church.
The festival opens at noon, again with dinners and the bake sale going on until the food is eaten up and gone.
Music begins at 2 p.m. with The Honest to God Jug Band performing in the outside tent, playing until 5 p.m., and the Kielbasa Kings polka band in the church basement hall from 2-7 p.m.
The Gwiazda Dancers get kicking at 3 p.m., there will be a kids’ tent with crafts and games outside, and there will be free tours of the church building at 2, 3, 4 and 6 p.m. as well.
But hovering above it all will be the almighty strawberry, in all its infinite permutations.
You’ll be seeing red, and liking it.
Posted April 24, 2026