Slovenian Sausage Festival

National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum

605 East 222nd Street
Euclid, OH 44123

USA

E-mail: Polkashop@aol.com

Phone: 216-261-3263

Toll Free: 1-866-66POLKA

Fax: 216-261-4134

www.polkafame.com © National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum, 605 East 222nd Street, Euclid, OH 44123, USA.

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Slovenian Sausage Festival 2024

20th Slovenian Sausage Festival

Hosted by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum.

September 14,

SNPJ Farm, Kirtland, OH.

Polka Hall of Fame Slovenian Sausage Festival

Azman Quality Meats Takes Both Titles

at the Polka Hall of Fame Sausage Festival

More than 1,400 joined in the ultimate sausage party at the 20th Annual Slovenian Sausage Festival hosted by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 14, 2024. It was the distinctive savory-smoked recipe from Slovenia that drew folks to SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio, on a sunny autumn day. They sampled several vendors’ sausages, as did a panel of judges. Both came to the same conclusion: Azman Quality Meats of Euclid, Ohio, took titles as the People’s Choice and the Best of Fest judges’ prize for top Slovenian sausage.

Eight polka music ensembles volunteered to perform for the Polka Hall of Fame fund-raiser. Dancers worked off the calories from noon to nine in the evening. Many visitors brought accordions for pop-up jam sessions.

About sixty musicians performed, including Walter Ostanek, Canada’s Polka King.

“I grew up with polka music and Slovenian sausages,” said Erin Lawrence of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. “It’s a wonderful day of good food and good music that anyone can enjoy.” Erin served on the jury as Miss SNPJ 2025, representing the Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ), the country’s largest Slovenian-American organization.

The Slovenian sausage (kranjska klobasa, in Slovenian) is made of coarse-ground pork, flavored with garlic, salt and pepper, and cured by smoking. Recipes were brought to America by immigrants from Slovenia a century ago. The unique sausage is found in Slovenian communities from coast to coast.

As winner of the event, Bill Azman’s links are the official sausage sold at the 60th Thanksgiving Polka Weekend, presented by the Polka Hall of Fame at the Holiday Cleveland South in Independence, Ohio, Friday and Saturday, November 29 and 30.

The Slovenian Sausage Festival is held by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame, located in Euclid's historic original City Hall building. Audio exhibits, vintage photographs and celebrity accordions trace the story of the city's home-grown sound from its roots in the Slovenian neighborhoods to nationwide renown in the 1950s.

The Polka Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 605 East 222nd Street in Euclid, Ohio, in the city’s historic former city hall. For more information, check the website at PolkaFame.com or call (216) 621-FAME.

Azman Quality Meats of Euclid, Ohio, took both the People’s Choice and the jury’s Best of Fest awards at the 20th annual Slovenian Sausage Festival hosted by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame on September 14, 2024, at SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio. From left: Miss SNPJ 2025 Erin Lawrence; Polka Hall of Fame President John Muhvic; Marie Azman; Bill Azman; and Joe Valencic, Hall of Fame Vice President.