Here it comes: Paczki Day
Who likes Paczki Day? We all do, and it’s this coming Tuesday (Feb. 13).
By Charles Sercombe
Paczki Day comes early this year, and it’s just in time to help scrape away the gray winter doldrums around here.
This coming Tuesday, Feb. 13, is Hamtramck’s official city holiday, which is our modest version of Mardi Gras where we can let our hair down, indulge in a fattening paczki, and guzzle shots of “Jezy” (Polish brandy for the uninitiated) and then… well, anything goes.
The point of Paczki Day (also known in religious circles as Shrove Tuesday) is to feast before Lent begins the next day on Wednesday, which means a number of folks will straighten up for 40 days.
To kick the festivities off, once again the Paczki Run will close down a number of city streets at 8 a.m. this Saturday for about five annoying hours.
But seriously, thousands of visitors will be running wild in the streets — well, not “wild,” exactly –in order to get in shape for, you guessed it, the beer and booze drinking that starts as soon as the runners and walkers cross the finish line.
The race begins at 10 a.m.
Want to be a part of the run?
For details on how to participate, go online to: tour-de-detroit.org.
As for the real deal on Tuesday, all the usual suspects will be opening their doors for revelers.
You can start the day at 8 a.m. with a hearty eggs, sausage and hash browns breakfast at the Moose Lodge on Conant, and then keep going until all the grub is gone – all for $12.
Hamtramck’s favorite party band, The Polish Muslims, will once again get the bash going, first at Ant Hall from10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and later at Whiskey in the Jar starting at 2:30 p.m. and, if everyone is still standing, going until 5:00 p.m.
Small’s bar at Caniff and Conant will also host a bunch of rowdy, fun bands, and will be serving up their own special paczki-vodka bombs that will either light you up or lead to some embarrassing situation that will have your friends laughing at you for the rest of your life.
Nothing wrong with that!
Of course, it’s not Paczki Day without the traditional paczki eating contest geld at PLAV Post 10 hall, upstairs. For those strong of stomach and weak of mind, the contest starts at high noon.
Warning: after witnessing this, you may never eat another paczki.
But definitely stick around when Hamtramck’s other favorite “par-tay” guy, Danny D and his band The Vagabonds, hit the stage. Last time we were there, the gals were dancing on the stage.
Speaking of paczki, you can grab a dozen at New Palace Bakery, which usually has a long, long line, or at Family Donut. You can also beat the crowd and head over to Srodek’s Sausage and grab some of their delights and some of the best sausage and pierogi in town.
It’s gonna be a good one.
Posted Feb. 9, 2024
