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    Pierogi Fest

    4.2 (77 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    My fave street!
    Dolores Z.

    A good time! Lots of food vendors, some arts and crafts, lots of live music, a few carnival games and rides for the kiddos! Best of all, it's a peaceful crowd out to enjoy a day out in a festival atmosphere! Fun!

    Kay J.

    There is nothin' like this in the WORLD! Food, Beer and PIRROGIS - Heaven on The Lake.

    PIEROGIS
    James G.

    Although this is a pierogi-fest, there is plenty of other foods including pizza, sausages, fried green tomatoes and okra, gyros, and much more. There is something there for everyone. I went early and didn't have a problem finding parking right outside of the event but when I left, people were using event parking lots and taking shuttles. I am glad that I brought cash, there were a lot of "Cash Only" signs. Overall, it was a fun festival! I would definitely go back!

    Abigaile W.

    Everything. I love celebrating my Polska roots with Mr.Pierogi and the crew. I also love the pierogis and potato pancakes.

    Allison F.

    I can sum up my day at Pierogi Fest in two words: pierogis + crowds. However, the pierogis are worth the crowds, especially since there are multiple locations for specific vendors along the main street in downtown Whiting. Some pro tips: (01) Come early in the day, not only for less congestion, but also because vendors will be stocked with their food supply. I was there on a Saturday at 4 PM and already certain favorite pierogi varieties were already gone. (02) There is free parking/shuttles less than 1 mile from the fest. Use 'em instead of paying $20. (03) Have cash handy. Some vendors don't take card. (04) Order from a vendor that allows you to mix and match. I was able to try seven different types of pierogis that way. (05) Before leaving Whiting, walk off your pierogi coma at the nearby lakefront park and beach.

    Indya S.

    First time visit in a long! A northern western staple to the Whiting town, The Pierogi Fest was a family fun time! Kinda crowded but not too bad. Parking was a nightmare but the city offered parking at nearby schools and shuttles to the fest. All around a great time for the family on the weekend!

    The Kraut Stacker from S & S Delights.  Holy cow, sooo good.
    Steve H.

    So glad we came back to Pierogifest again this year! This is such a great time. Very family friendly. Good diversity of food offerings, most at a good price point. However it is Pierogifest, and there is no shortage of Pierogi to be had! Take your time to stroll down the event, as you aren't doing to do it quickly anyway. The fastest route is on the sidewalks, but you cannot access the scrumptious offering from there. Two vendors I have to single out for gosh darn good damn food are Sweet and Savory Delights from Crown Point. Second is Big Frank's Sausage from East Chicago. S & S made me, by virtue of creating it, get the Kraut Stacker sandwich. Amazing. Kraut, cheese, sausage, pierogi and mustard on marble rye. Wow. Really good pierogi as well. Big Franks has to have the best Polish sausage I have ever had. Sooo good and garlicky. Top notch. The adult drinks very reasonably priced at $5 each. Fun entertainment. Several different areas to listen to live music. We will return next year. Definitely!

    Peter M.

    I was expecting corny based on reviews but this was over the top corny . . . and, I loved it. We were greeted at the fest entrance and in other areas by the busias which are various people (one with a full beard) dressed as elderly Polish grandmother's. They were fun and joking with everyone. We also saw a performance by Mr. Pierogi and the Pierogiettes (each of the ladies was a different pierogi variety). They did various parody songs about pierogies that were actually clever and funny. There was also a dunk the num booth with actual nuns raising money for their order. Of course there were MANY Polish food vendors as well as other food choices and a beer tent with about ten beer choices. In the two hours we were there, there were three different performances happening on three different stages. This is a very large fest that stretches for about a half mile and is well worth visiting.

    CC's Specialties at Pierogifest 2018
    Kyle J.

    I had literally heard of Pierogifest two weeks before the event and being half Polish, had to try and get there! The downtown portion of Whiting was really charming and would make a nice place to stroll along going from store to restaurant to bar and repeat again and again. It was very crowded but not ridiculously uncomfortable. All the vendors were pushing food out fast and even though some lines were REALLY long, I was never standing still for more than a minute before I was moving again. The weather on Saturday was also as good as you could ask for, sunny with a decent breeze in the mid 70s made for a great time to be outside! My wife and I thought it was well organized and signage for different stages/areas and booths were easy to spot and read. We enjoyed the live music and the different dance groups that were there performing traditional dances! I look forward to getting to spend more time here at Pierogifest 2019!

    It's polka time
    Funk D.

    Chris G, this one is for you my pierogi pal... As city festivals go, Pierogi Fest will put the saur in yer kraut, the kiel in yer basa, the stuffed in yer cabbage and the Polish in yer sausage! We Funksters have had the great good fortune to roam festivals from New Mexico to New York and Michigan to Louisiana. But leave it to quiet little blue collar Whiting Indiana to put on one of the best ethnic city party's celebrating of all silly things, the cheese & potato dumpling...aka the Polish Pierogi! The smells and tastes from grilling foods, the sounds from the polka stage dancers and the libations from the beer gardens all made for some of the best fun the delectable Mrs Funk and I have had all summer. And we had that fun along with 300,000 of our best friends... No kidding! And I'm not even gonna talk about the Kolaczki, poppy seed roll, paczki and polish tea cookies to be had. But wait a minute... Hey, who stole the Kieshka?!?

    Whiting's time of year to shine.
    Michael G.

    "For a second, I thought Mr. Pierogi wasn't wearing pants." I thought about what one of my companions said. Would the beloved to many mascot of a destination food festival (I'm not kidding, it's been featured on the Food Network and was named one of ten weirdest festivals in the U.S.), be in public sans a bottom layer of clothing - possibly exposing to the world his kielbasa? Finally, looking at the character again, I responded, "he's wearing shorts, but I wouldn't put it past him. Pierogi Fest is just that weird." Slightly creepy costume representations of titular foods aside, a trip to Pierogi Fest (just across the Indiana border from Chicago) is a trip to another universe. It's a place where old country meets old times and results in polka bands being star attractions as young and old (and possibly related to the group) gaze on in wonder. A place where 1970s fashion can be all the rage again. And where an overly-friendly potato treat shaped man can have a fan club (and beg you to sign up for it). The pierogis themselves, however, are the real stars. The booths selling them span a couple of city blocks. Each purveyor will have a variety of fillings from the familar potato and desert fillings (mmmm, cherry) to stuff better left to veggie maki (uhhhh, artichoke). Going in as a group and buying in bulk is a good deal as most stalls start discounting once you get to three pierogis but most stands sell the pierogis at $1 a piece. But save a little money if you're into ironic t-shirts. There are some weird ones to be found (including one that started a "Hey, Nice Pierogis" trend amongst my friends last year). About the only one missing was a "Keep Pierogi Fest Weird" shirt. Sadly, the festival wasn't as odd this year as there was a limited music program on Sunday (even though there seemed to be more merchants). It might earn back another star next year, but it's going to have to freak me out a little more. Maybe it could start with Mr. Pierogi actually not wearing pants. No, on second thought, that sweaty, huggy, man needs to keep them on.

    Mr Pierogi
    E H.

    The Annual Pierogi Fest in Whiting, IN tends to get a bit of press from locals like Fox Thing in the Morning, WGN, etc to the big boys like the Food Network. This little gathering is nowhere as organized as events such as Taste of Randolph and is definitely nowhere nearly as commercialized. There's a mix of mom'n'pop shops setting up stands selling pierogies with the occasional BBQ and Italian sausage stand thrown in for good measure. Along with the food, there's also a handful of small musical acts and dances - don't forget the wacky Polka Parade that'll probably scare you right back home... crazy stuff. It feels more like a neighborhood block party than a festival (Most stands didn't even have real signs - only construction paper w/ hastily written prices by magic marker). Walking through the 4-5 blocks of pierogi stands in sweltering humid heat really takes a toll. To keep cool, there are lemonade stands, ice cream stands, and a makeshift beer garden - they only had 2 beers and some Mike's Hard Lemonade... but a bottle of Mike's Lime really hit the spot. I'd put this one under those events I'd generally go to once just to say I did. Things I liked: the Gyrogis (I'm not sure there was even meat in those), the blintzes, polka dances, and shirts that say "Hey, Nice Pierogies." Things I didn't like: the heat, the "meat" pierogies (takes mystery meats to a whole new level), "gator" sausage (didn't even taste like chicken), and Mr Pierogi was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. If you're feeling brave and want a funny t-shirt or silly pic with Mr Pierogi, head on down. As for me, I'm not going back unless the weather's down to the 80's and I've nothing better to do.... again.

    Horseshoe Casino was here slingin' some burgers.
    Christian K.

    Whiting Pierogi Fest - an interesting mix of food, people and music. This is my 2nd year going and in general it's your typical food festival with dozens of food stands, a big beer garden (with arts and crafts), music tents and a SERIOUS lack of garbage cans that aren't overflowing. That being said, here's some of my favorite Food vendors: Dans Pierogis, Kasias Pierogis, We-R-Nuts, Big Franks and Buffalo Billy's Old West Soda. Both Dan's and Kasia's had some Über pierogis, my personal favorite were the Mushroom 'n Kraut ones at Dan's though. I'd recommend AVOIDING the strawberry or cherry pierogis from Bulldog... we'd bought 3 of each and they just weren't up to par :( Things to expect every year: Big crowds Lots of pierogis Sloppy drunks in the beer garden Live Music Hard Parking (see Amanda K's tip for easy parking) Feet run over by strollers Overeating I like the Whiting Pierogi Fest, I plan on coming yearly for sure.

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    Fun, good sausage but most of the pierogi I had were rubbery and fillings over salted from different vendors.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Pierogi Fest

    Any past attendees... are there any vegan pierogi to be had at the fest? :-)

    Yes! Plum and potato come to mind. Delicious I might add!

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Pierogi Fest

    - Bring friends so you can sample as many varieties of pierogis as possible - Pierogis are really inexpensive!

    Mentioned in 23 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Fiesta del Sol - A super large tamale! This was at least 3-4 servings for $12.00.

    Fiesta del Sol

    4.3(12 reviews)
    14.9 miPilsen

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    Fiesta del Sol - I got one of the smaller sized decorative pom poms.

    I got one of the smaller sized decorative pom poms.

    Fiesta del Sol - The line for one of several Michelada tents.

    The line for one of several Michelada tents.

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    This is a pretty decent-sized festival for the burbs. It has the typical carnival rides on the side…read moreand food tents setup that you usually see in suburban festival. I decided to check it out after a Northbrookian (or is it "Northbrook-ite"?) kept saying how awesome it was and that he so far went on the previous two days. Most be good, I though, eh? I have to agree that it was pretty good. The weather was perfect on Sunday and its right next to the Metra stop so there was parking that was really close by. So unlike other suburban festivals that are held in residential parks (think Arlington Heights Frontier Days) you don't have to take a tour of the neighborhood and drive around in circles looking for somewhere to park. The food there was decent and "festival priced" -- the currency there is tickets, tickets, tickets and they were selling 1-ticket for 50cents. I got the beef brisket sammich at some BBQ place called TK's which was awesome, and I shall "bookmark". This place showcased a lot of Northbrook restaurants that I shall try out in the near future. My forgetful memory entails that I'll need to lookup the names again :-/ Overall, a decent-sized festival that is worth checking out if you're in the burbs.

    Rides, games, music, food, people That IS NB days fest. Located in downtown Northbrook, the village…read moregreen turns into a huge carnival area with food/game/ride vendors plus a large stage area with live music. The kids love it, big enough to have fun, small enough to still be some what contained. Rides can get expensive, they used to have a band deal but not sure what the current status of that is. This event fires up on a Wednesday in late July and soldiers on through until Sunday evening.

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    Northbrook Days Festival - 5 days of Carnival, Live Music, Food, and Family Fun!

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    Pierogi Fest - festivals - Updated May 2026

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