National Polka Festival

The 3 fraternal halls offer a lunch or dinner with Czech foods such as klobase (sausage), sauerkraut, and kolache, as well as live entertainment with traditional polka music and dancing.

Jack McKay agreed the idea could greatly benefit Ennis and the Czechoslovakian community in the area, and one of the largest polka festival in the country had its beginning.

Within three years the festival was a raging success with as many as 30,000 people attending from all over the country to enjoy music and entertainment at the four halls.

The Jodie Mikula Orchestra, Czech and Then Some, Texas Dutchmen, Dujka Brother's, Czechaholics, Malek's Fishermen, Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen, Jim Bochnicek Orchestra, Barry Boyce Trio, Squeezebox, Ennis Czech Boys, Fritz Hodde and the Fabulous Six, Alex Meixner, Vrazels' Polka Band, and many more bands from across Texas, the United States and the Czech Republic have played the festival.

Festivities begin with music and a king and queen contest on Friday night, followed by a 5K and 10K race and a 1K walk starting at 7 a.m. weather permitting.

Tent vendors wind through the streets offering a variety of goods from hand crafted art to clothes and food.

The party then moves to the community halls in town, Sokol, KJT and Knights of Columbus, where bands will perform and Czech food is offered throughout the weekend.

The city will have closed off parking along the route and crowds will begin gathering around 9 o'clock to get a good vantage point.