Cleveland sausage festival

Ten polka bands alternated from the stage inside the large dancing hall, as dancers circled the floor counter-clockwise, catching their collective breaths between numbers.

Other instrumentalists gathered outdoors to jam with their accordions, button boxes, squeezeboxes, drums, tubas and banjos.

I was among the judges tasting small slices of the sausages made by four area companies. They were served from vendor booths along a midway next to the dancehall. Many other foods, such as potica, blood sausage and a sausage-based dish called zelodec also were available. A full bar was indoors, along with an area for baked goods. But judges had to grade each anonymous taste in five categories including appearance, texture and uniqueness and taste.

Three generations of the Hocevar family work for the catering company, which is now busy catering clambakes for groups. His vendor stand also sold German bratwurst, sweet Italian sausages, and a mango-flavored sausage. It was canceled last year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The popular Sausage Festival skipped due to the pandemic.

Sixty- five musicians and bandleaders volunteered to perform for the annual fund- raiser for the Polka Hall of Fame. Slovenian sausages kranjske klobase are made with cured and smoked pork with garlic and a blend of seasonings. The four participating purveyors rely on century- old sausage recipes handed down by their Slovenian grandparents.

The National Cleveland- Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the city's home- grown dance music with audio exhibits, historic photographs and original instruments.

Open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 11 to 4. For more information, check the website at www. Three generations of the Hocevar family left front receive the jury prize banner at the 17th annual Slovenian Sausage Festival sponsored by the National Cleveland- Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum.