R P.
Yelp
This year, 2015, was our first year attending Pierogi Fest. Although it ran Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, we went on Sunday.
1. Parking: Getting there early means you can certainly park on residential streets. By early I mean 9-9:30 a.m. Residents will put chairs or other objects in spots in front of their houses if they don't want you to park there. We decided to park at the designated free parking lot on Calumet and pay the dollar each way for the trolley. The huge upside to this is that when you're ready to go home you can get back on the highway quickly, without having to navigate unfamiliar neighborhood streets. I'd recommend it.
Don't pay to park! There were two areas within walking distance of the fest that were charging $18 and $20. Don't waste your money. It's unnecessary when there is free parking everywhere.
2. Food: Well, it *is* Pierogi Fest! Everyone says Dan's is the best, and we decided to wait on line for about 35 minutes (short!) for the privilege of tasting them. Note that by the time Sunday rolled around, Dan was out of the most popular frozen flavors of his pierogies, so if you are bringing some home next year, definitely get there on Friday or Saturday.
Bring cash, but there were some stands that accepted credit cards. But why hold up the line? Cash is best.
Dan's were palm-sized and amply filled with stuffing as people have mentioned, and then they are placed on a flat top fryer to heat up. If you're used to your pierogi boiled or deep fried the taste is noticeably different. However, they're not jaw-dropping amazing either. They taste like a good, homemade pierogi should, unlike anything you can buy at the store, but nothing spectacular. I also tried his halupki (stuffed cabbage) and potato pancake. While the cabbage was soft and able to be cut with a fork, the insides weren't moist enough and crumbled apart. The pancake was average, and barely seasoned. I think Dan's is popular mainly because he's a Whiting native.
3. Crowds: If there's anything you particularly want to try as far as food, go buy it as soon as you get to the fest EARLY. Otherwise, you and the rest of humanity are going to be standing in a long line waiting for it. It may seem weird to eat pierogies at 10 a.m. in the morning, but believe me, by the time lunchtime rolls around, you'll be standing there waiting for an hour or more. Whatever you decide to eat, plan on eating it while you stand or walk, because there's basically nowhere to sit by the time the crowds show up.
Because the fest is held on what is essentially Whiting's main street through downtown, there's not a lot of room to walk. All the stands are set up in the street to leave the sidewalks clear, which means you and thousands of others turn into a human river of upstream and downstream to get through. If you're carrying anything, holding anything, eating anything, drinking anything, pushing a baby stroller, or whatever, you better hold on to it for dear life.
And because this is an event held outdoors, non-smokers should expect to inhale plenty of cigarette and cigar smoke as the day goes on, because you can't get away from it.
4. Kids: There's a play area for kids with rides and things, and people brought their very young children, but it's a food and drink fest. It's crowded, hot, and the events being held cater to adults, not children. There's not much for them to see or do outside of the little rides.
If you expect to hold you child's hand and allow him/her to walk next to you and not get trampled, think again. It's simply impossible in the middle of the street. It's safer to walk on the sidewalks, but then you miss seeing what the stands have to sell. People strap their kids in strollers, which present their own problems running over people's feet because it's really too crowded for them.
Basically, if you want to go, get there early because it's hard to really do anything with so many people congregating in such a small space. Get on line for food early, then take your time and enjoy the rest of the fest after you've gotten to taste what you'd like. Otherwise, you'll spend a lot of time waiting on line and not having fun.
