The Paczki Day Party kicked off today with Polish treats and feasts at Eastern Market.
Thousands of people attended the one-day event, which traditionally paves the way for Fat Tuesday.
45-year-old Rodney Srodek moved to Michigan from Poland in 1985.
"I love my Polish heritage," said Rodney.
"What do you love about it?" I asked
"The family aspect, Polish music, and Polish food," Rodney replied.
Rodney is the proud owner of Srodek's, an establishment that dates back to 1981.
"My grandparents started this shop. We have two bricks and mortars... Food truck, I started probably around 11 years ago," said Rodney.
"What is your specialty?" I asked.
"Pierogi and Kiszka," Rodney said.
"What makes your food authentic?" I asked.
"My great grandmother's recipe... it's passed down," Rodney said.
And that's why hundreds of people were in Detroit's Eastern Market to dive into Polish heritage as part of the annual Paczki Day Party.
"What's the one aspect of this event that you love?" I asked an attendee.
"I believe it's the Polish Vodka, their Paczki vodka and Paczki itself." Mike said.
Husband and Wife, Mike and Anne Wyszczelski attend the event yearly to pay tribute to their Polish roots.
"What's the secret recipe for being married for 35 years?" I asked.
"Lots of Polish Vodka," said Anne.
"Polish food," said Mike.
It turns out the party's host, Detroit City Distillery's top-selling item, is derived from something Polish.
"7 years ago, Steve, the boss of the distillery, went to Hamtramck and got 6 dozen Paczki. Through that, we create Paczki Day Vodka. That started super niche. A couple of hundred bottles, and now it's expanded to thousands of bottles across the state," Ryan said.
Even though this event wrapped up today, The Distillery's Ryan Klosowski says thousands of people attend the one-day event, and every year, it gets bigger and better.
"It's just something we really look forward to every year," said Ryan.
This year, Fat Tuesday falls on March 4th, and the city of Hamtramck is all set once again to celebrate the Polish culture.
