Three accordionists to be inducted into Polka Hall of Fame

T hree accordionists will be inducted into the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame during the 30th annual awards ceremony set for Nov. 25.

Stan Blout, Kathy Hlad and Frank Stanger were voted for their lifetime achievements in polka music by Hall of Fame members and they will be inducted at 2 p.m., Nov. 25, in the Grand Ballroom of the Downtown Marriott Hotel on Cleveland’s Public Square.

The Awards Show is the high point of the annual three-day Thanksgiving Polka Music Weekend hosted by the Polka Hall of Fame, according to a news release. This year’s two- hour stage show, “Take a Polka Road Trip,” features TV’s Barefoot Becky and Canada’s Polka King Walter Ostanek, among other entertainers.

In addition to the inductions, 12 annual polka music awards are given, including Band of the Year and Album of the Year.

The event attracts polka entertainers and fans from the U.S. and Canada with three days of music and dancing, Nov. 23-25. Performers will include Nashville’s Joey Miskulin (Riders in the Sky), Barefoot Becky, New York’s Fritz’s Polka Band, the Don Wojtila Orchestra, and reigning Band of the Year, the Jeff Pecon Orchestra, the release stated. The stage orchestra is directed by Tom Mroc- zka, and a Polka Mass will be conducted by “Minnesota’s Polka Priest,” the Rev. Frank Perkovich.

Dance admission Nov. 23 and 24 is $20 per person and $10 on Nov. 25. Those 18 and under are admitted for free. The fee includes free indoor parking. Awards show tickets are $25 each.