Nearly 40,000 pierogi are ready for Detroit church's annual weekend festival

Handmade pierogi by church volunteers are the highlight at the Sweetest Heart of Mary annual Pierogi Festival.
Handmade pierogi by church volunteers are the highlight at the Sweetest Heart of Mary annual Pierogi Festival.

A large rosary hangs from the trunk of a pine tree, the big tents are up and tens of thousands of pierogi are stuffed into church freezers.

It's a pierogipalooza Friday through Sunday at Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church on the city's east side — one of Detroit's oldest and most beautiful, ornate churches.

The church's annual pierogi festival is back for its 41st run.

"We always hung the rosary (in the tree) to ensure it will be a great weekend," said Marianne Peggie, operations manager for Sweetest Heart of Mary and longtime parishioner and volunteer.

As in years past, the church is expecting big crowds. The church's pierogi are handmade on-site by church volunteers. In addition to pierogi, there will be a variety of Polish foods, including stuffed cabbage, city chicken, kielbasa, potato pancakes and fruit-filled crepes.

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While the church sells pierogi year-round, on Saturday and Sunday during the festival, 38,000 will be available frozen or as part of a dinner, Peggie said.

"We sell them year-round but freeze them throughout the year," Peggie said. "We have 38,000 frozen ready to provide for the festival.

"We can make thousands in a weekend. We have just that many volunteers to make them."

Three varieties of pierogi — potato-cheddar, farmer's cheese and kraut — will be available for sale frozen by the dozen or cooked for pierogi dinners.

Frozen pierogi are $10 a dozen or $5 for half-dozen. A dinner with six large pierogi and cole slaw is $12 or $8 for a half-dinner.

The Polish platter dinner costs $15 and includes a stuffed cabbage, a smoked kielbasa, two potato-cheddar pierogi, sauerkraut and beets. There's also a beer tent with Polish beer, a bake sale and specialty vendors on hand, according to organizers.

A crowd gathers at the Sweetest Heart of Mary pierogi festival that's held annually.
A crowd gathers at the Sweetest Heart of Mary pierogi festival that's held annually.

Festival events include a lineup of Polish bands and Polish dance troupe all three days. On Friday, the festival kicks off and is open from 5-10 p.m. with a performance by the Polish Muslims. Also on Friday, there will be food trucks from Srodek's and Polish Village Café offering up pierogi and other specialties.

The church's pierogi will be available from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. A polka mass at the church is 4 p.m. Saturday. The Steve Drzewicki Band and the Kielbasa Kings perform on Saturday. On Sunday, the New Brass Express performs.

Another highlight of the festival is the church's renowned resale shop with donated items.

Inside the resale shop at Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit for its annual pierogi festival.
Inside the resale shop at Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit for its annual pierogi festival.

"There's everything from Waterford crystal to Tupperware, furniture, toys and games to kitchenware and sets of china," Peggie said.

On display in the vendor tent will be the Vatican exhibit of Eucharistic miracles that have happened in Poland.

The pierogi festival is one of the church's major fundraisers. In addition to the festival, it does 90 weddings a year, have monthly fundraising dinners and is also well-known for its Lenten Fish Fry.

Sweetest Heart of Mary, 4440 Russell, Detroit; motherofdivinemercy.org.

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pierogi Festival coming to Detroit's Sweetest Heart of Mary Church