Roll out the paczki celebrations

Paczki Day is right around the corner.

By Charles Sercombe
Ah…Can you hear it?
Listen closely, and you can hear the siren call of paczki – yes, multiple paczki.
And every year, Hamtramck — and those who like to party in the Mardi Gras tradition, or who may have a questionable love of a certain pastry (just kidding, you crazy paczki lovers) — will descend on this town.
And the number one paczki gathering spot is New Palace Bakery (9833 Jos. Campau), where folks will line up in the cold and wait for an hour or more to order their dozen(s) of paczki.
Note to the newbies: you can get paczki a day or week earlier, or you can call in your order ahead of time and avoid the wait.
After that, many stay in town and hit our bars and restaurants for live bands all through the day and early evening. If you do go to New Palace first, you can join the festivities around the corner from the bakery at Whiskey in the Jar, where the debauchery rolls on all day long.
Which reminds us of the “old days” when Cathy Gordon owned New Dodge bar on Jos. Campau in the southend. On Paczki Day, the true and ribald spirit of Mardi Gras was uninhibited, with Gordon walking on top of the bar pouring drinks down the thirsty throats of customers.
Pretty wild, which is one reason why Hamtramck was known, at one time as: The Wild West of the Midwest.
For those who are paczki gluttons, there is a paczki eating contest, held at noon at PLAV Post 10 (11824 Jos. Campau). As usual, be forewarned: watching and participating in the contest is not – repeat not – for the faint of heart.
To us, it’s the longest 15 minutes of the year. As for the winner, they get their name etched into a silver-colored trophy, alongside all the other past “winners.”
Weather-wise, since this year Paczki Day comes a little earlier than usual, February is an unpredictable month. But, from what we see being forecast, it looks like there will be a warming up, and by that, we mean a high into the mid-30s and possibly even warmer.
Which is way better than the bitter cold we’ve been experiencing lately.
Of course, no matter how bitter cold it gets, a local remedy is to take a shot, or two or three, of Hamtramck’s official brandy: jezynowka, which is also known as “jezy.”
Again, not for the faint of heart.
For those who are health inclined, the festive week kicks off with the annual Paczki 5k Run this Saturday (Feb. 14).
The cost to run our public streets is $65. The run starts at 10 a.m., but there will be plenty of beer drinking and paczki eating beforehand in the shopping center at Jos. Campau and Holbrook.
For more information, go online to: runsignup.com
Hamtramck, as just about everyone in the universe knows, is a multi-cultural community with a sizeable Muslim population.
Talk about coincidences: The Muslim’s world’s most holy day is Ramadan, and guess what?
The first day of the month-long observance falls on Paczki Day.
Talk about a strange mix of cultures.
But this is the charm of Hamtramck. For every zig in this town, there’s an opposite zag.
Enjoy the day, folks, and all kidding aside, be safe – and, if you do imbibe, bring along a designated driver, or at least call a rideshare, taxi or friend for a ride home.
Posted Feb. 13, 2026