I went to the 2014 Whiting Pierogi Fest yesterday. In its 20th year, the festival draws almost 200,000 visitors annually to Whiting, Indiana. Originally from central and eastern Europe, pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough that are boiled before being baked or fried, usually in butter with onions. They’re usually stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit. However the festival featured alligator pierogi, taco pierogi and pizza pierogi as well.

Pictured above is Jim Augustyn. He renewed his wedding vows to his wife, Melody, at Pierogi Fest around 4 p.m. the day I was there. Everyone in his wedding party were in Star Wars themed outfits. Jim told me Mr. Pierogi officiated and showed me their new wedding bands. Hers said “I love you” and his said “I know.”

My beautiful girlfriend, wearing a pierogi foam hat and understandably excited for the festival and the variety of pierogi it had to offer.

Mrs. Helen Kocan was born Nov. 17, 1916 and became the national president of Whiting’s First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association for more than three decades. She’s was a very affluent figure within the history of Whiting, as seen by the signs posted around the festival urging people to not pee in the city’s alleys.

Dunk-A-Nun. I feel that’s pretty self explanatory. I heard cheers twice while I was at the festival near this area related to the sister getting dunked. Later I saw a kid walking around in a “I dunked a nun” tee-shirt.

Studio 659  is celebrating the City of Whiting’s 125th Anniversary with art from the community. I popped in the gallery and saw this hanging on the wall. It’s from the Oct. 10, 1903 edition of The Whiting Saturday Sun.

 And finally, to compliment the variety of pierogi at the festival there was a wide assortment of meat kabobs and giant polish sausages. Looking forward to next year. Ω