Bridging Ethnic Divides | Gardens | Greenspace
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Festivals (2 of 3)
Pierogi Fest

© The Field Museum

Pierogi Fest celebrates the rich Slavic heritage of the region, (that bridges generations, ethnicity and neighborhoods) bringing a diverse crowd to the Whiting downtown district. The weekend-long festival begins with a parade on Friday night that centers around Slavic ethnicity and includes gender-crossing. It is a spectacle celebrating Whiting's extensive immigrant history, and while it's focused on the area's Eastern European history, the growing Latino population is also represented through performance and vendors along 119th Street.

At right are some of the regional connections to Pierogi Fest.

• The festival is popular throughout the region.
• Slavic vendors come from all over the region to sell pierogis. Several local Mexican restaurants also have booths.
• Television crews from Chicago, Indianapolis and even national networks attend the event.
• Slavic dancers come to the festival from as far away as Montreal or as close as Whiting to dance at the festival. Mexican performers are also invited and given stage time.

  
  
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