North Tonawanda Hosting Dyngus Day Parade This Year

More and more things are beginning to open back up, and life is starting to go back to normal...at least a little.  One of Buffalo's biggest traditions will be celebrated in Tonawanda this year.

When spring begins to pop up across Western New York, people here begin to get excited for three big holidays.  The first of course is St. Patrick's Day.  There are normally parades in downtown Buffalo and South Buffalo.  But those have been canceled this year.

The second is Easter.  People come from all over to head down to the Broadway Market and get everything they need for their Easter feast.

Then the following day, it's Dyngus Day.  If you've never heard of Dyngus Day, it's a Polish celebration that is always held the day after Easter.  It's a day to celebrate Polish culture, eat Polish foods, and yes...drink polish drinks.  Women run around squirting people with squirt guns and men carry pussy willows to "smack" the girls with.  It's crazy.

Needless to say, it's a holiday that we love to observe here in Buffalo.

This year, according to WIVB, the city of North Tonawanda is intending on holding a Dyngus Day Parade on Oliver Street.  It'll go from between 11th and 1st Avenue, ending at Dom Polski’s.  The street will be closed from 4:30-7:30 PM.

They did add that plans will be contingent on residents’ safety during the pandemic, some changes could occur.

This will be the biggest question mark of the whole thing.  How will they hold a parade that will unquestionably be a reason to gather people and still ensure that people will maintain social distancing and stay safe?

We will have to wait and see.  For now, we will just enjoy the fact that they are doing their best to keep a major tradition alive here in Western New York.