SHENANDOAH, Pa. — People marched through downtown Shenandoah with international flags and dressed in traditional wear, all for the Kielbasi Festival and Heritage Day.
An annual celebration showcasing the different cultures of the residents living in Shenandoah.
“I feel proud to be in this town with so many different cultures and ethnicities, and it's cool to see,” said Jesus Paniaga-Perez, from Shenandoah.
After the parade, thousands of people filled the street in downtown Shenandoah to support local vendors and eat food that's special to the area.
“My grandpa was a butcher, and that's where Kowalonek's got their start where I live at. He was a butcher making kielbasa, krakus, all the good meats,” explained Jeff Bohanaick from Shenandoah.
Jeff was one of hundreds who waited more than an hour for traditional Polish bleenies. He stood with Dave from Manhiem, who says the authentic potato pancakes are worth the wait.
“That’s how I taught my children, and they come up here, and they love it. I begged them for years to come, and they wouldn't come, but now they finally came; they can't stop,” added Dave Rombalski, Manheim.
Food is just one of the ways the festival teaches people about other cultures.
“People from here are originally, just like Polish or Irish or Italian, and it's like generations and generations going down the line, and it's just a lot of proud people that I think people need to see,” George Vesquez, from Shenandoah mentioned.
Highlighting how diverse the small community of Shenandoah really is.
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