59th Thanksgiving Polka Weekend with 10 Bands and Denis Novato, World Accordion Champion

Treat yourself to a spectacular festival of music and dancing at the 59th annual Thanksgiving Polka Weekend, presented by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame, Friday and Saturday, November 24 and 25, 2023. The Holiday Inn Cleveland South in Independence, Ohio, becomes America’s polka headquarters with the finest Cleveland-Style entertainers, plus Denis Novato, the world diatonic accordion champion in a rare U.S. appearance. The high point is the 2023 Polka Music Awards Show in the Grand Ballroom on Saturday, November 25.

Denis Novato thrills you with his virtuoso accordion playing. He has won more than twenty competitions, including the world diatonic championship. Of his many recordings, the Slovenian native of Trieste, Italy, is especially proud of his appearance on a Grammy-nominated album of Walter Ostanek, Canada’s Polka King, who will perform. Joey Miskulin, the Grammy-winning accordionist from Nashville’s Riders in the Sky, also makes a special appearance.

Ten Cleveland-Style and Slovenian-Style orchestras and entertainers play for two days of dancing. The line-up includes Frankenmuth’s Sweetheart Linda Lee Brown, Hall of Famer Eddie Rodick, Youngstown’s Bill Bevec Band, the Polka Classics from Detroit, Clevelanders Fred Ziwich and Anthony Culkar, and Klancnik and Friends.  Music is Friday from 2:00 to midnight and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to midnight. The curtain rises on the gala Polka Music Awards Show on Saturday, November 25, at 1:00. After the stage show, Father Norm Gajdzinski and Kathy Hlad and Friends celebrate the Polka Mass. There is also a potica nut roll baking demonstration Saturday morning at 10:00. Find polka-themed gifts and recordings in the Polka Pop-up Shop.

Dance admission Friday, November 24, and Saturday, November 25, is $20 per person. Awards Show tickets are $25 each. Save $10 with a Weekend Polka Pass –both dances and the Awards Show are only $55 per person. The Saturday Show and Dance Duo ticket is $35 each. Free parking. 18 and under free.  For dance and show tickets, call the Polka Hall of Fame, (216) 261-FAME, toll-free (866) 66-POLKA, or PolkaShop@aol.com. The Polka Hall of Fame is in the historic old Euclid City Hall, 605 East 222nd Street, in Euclid, Ohio, open Wednesday and Saturday, 11 to 4. Check out PolkaFame.com for all things polka.

The Thanksgiving Polka Weekend is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Reserve rooms at a special reduced rate, including free parking, (216) 524-8050. The Holiday Inn Cleveland South is at 6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio, convenient to I-77 and I-480.