Celebrity, Carbs and Sweat – First Day of Pierogi Fest

If you watched CBS, Channel 2, news tonight in the Chicago area, you would have likely seen weatherman Steve Baskerville broadcasting live from Whiting, Ind.

We didn’t watch him on the news. But we saw him dancing the polka and signing autographs at the 16th Annual Pierogi Fest, the year of the Jello Mold.

We braved the 97-degree heat to see if we could get the kids sketched by Peter Anton, who is one of the featured outsider artists at Intuit. No such luck. After much searching and some investigating with the local Chamber of Commerce we learned he should be sketching caricatures at a cafe at the end of 119th St. But he wasn’t there.

We were early. He may be waiting for what we didn’t want, the crushing crowds drawn to the festival celebrating the doughy Eastern European pastry that has as many flavors as you can dream up fillings.

We enjoyed the food so much that we left with boxes of pierogi and potato pancakes in hand for munching later, in the air conditioned comfort of our home.

Not long after we walked in the door, the clouds burst and it started to pour. Home just in time. Although, sometime around 3:30 p.m. in the brutal heat, I would have welcomed a good, cooling rain.

Scenes from the first day of the festival:

Mom, it’s really really hot. I want to go home.