The Polish-American Community of Toledo (PACT) has announced that the organization is looking for contestants for the 2020 Kielbasa Cook-Off to be held on Sunday, February 23, from 1 – 6 p.m. at the St. Clement’s Community Center, 2990 Tremainsville Rd., Toledo.
The Kielbasa Cook-Off features homemade kielbasa from old family recipes. The event, opened to the public, allows people to sample the special kielbasa recipes and vote for their favorite. Amateur kielbasa makers from all over the area compete for the title of Kielbasa “King” or “Queen”. The event was last held in 2019 and over 1,400 people attended as ten teams battled for the bragging rights. The team of Ski’s Sausage lead by Dan Evanski of Chelsea, MI earned the title Kielbasa King after capturing both the celebrity judging and crowd favorite. Lenny & Spud's Fresh Kielbasa lead by George Wolfer from Cincinnati finished second, and Mike Hofner / Ron Smith, and the team of Dziadzia & Busia's Old Fashion Kielbasa from Maumee finished third.
In addition to earning the distinction of having the best homemade kielbasa in the area, contestants can also receive cash awards and / or trophies for their efforts. The competition is open to anyone that makes their own kielbasa. Commercial entries will not be part of the cook-off.
“People in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan are so proud of their ethnic heritage. Most families have those special homemade recipes that have been passed down from generation-to-generation. PACT is looking for best homemade kielbasa recipe. This is a friendly competition. We want to taste that secret family recipe for kielbasa,” said Tom Pruss, event chairman and PACT board member.
In addition to kielbasa, there will be plenty of beer, sweet & sour cabbage, coffee cake and other Polish delicacies to go along with the kielbasa. Admission is $5 per person and $3 for PACT members. Money raised by the Kielbasa Cook-Off will go to fund PACT’s Capital Campaign to help fund the development of a Polish Cultural Center in the Toledo area.
PACT would like to hear from interested contestants no later than February 3, 2020. Amateur kielbasa makers who are interested in participating can contact Mr. Pruss at 419-320-2396 or PACT board member, Rozanne Swemba Nitschke at 419-944-5312, or email PACT at info@polishcommunity.org.