Weekend Lineup
Week 2: polka online! 

Hope everyone is staying healthy! Dance and festival cancellations are listed on polkabeat.com. The list represents cancellations that I know about. If dances/live music are still on the schedule, please call the venue before heading out.

Tune in to Alex Meixner's Facebook page for a live stream concert on Friday, March 27 at 6PM Central Time. 

You have several polka options on youtube!

Buttonboxes by Walt Harfmann
The Manaccordionist by Kelsey Lien

Check out these TPN/polkabeat advertisers when live music returns!
Cistern Country Store - Take-out food
Krause's Cafe  - Take-out food
Mullins Prairie Store - Closed until April 1
Schroeder Hall  - All April events canceled or postponed
Houston VFW #10352  - No dances until after Easter
Sweet Home - Dances this weekend canceled
Goodtime Polka & Waltz Club - April 18 dance still on as of press time
Moravia Store - Closed until April 3
Elgin SPJST Lodge 18 - April 5 dance with Red Ravens canceled
Pavlas Tavern - April 4 Crawfish Boil w/Blue Denim Band still on as of press time
Swiss Alp Dance Club - April 19 dance with Lost Cause canceled


Pray and polka on!

Coming in April: Our cover story features wunnerful, wunnerful Lawrence Welk. Gary E. McKee shares interesting background on the orchestra leader and his love for performing and even living in Texas at one point. Gary's column tells us about Alex Meixner's mission to grow polka by working with El Campo high school students. As of press time, the Fiddlers Frolics in Hallettsville at the end of April was still on. Read about this popular festival's 50th anniversary and background on headliner Doug Kershaw. Justin Everett reviews the essential Johnny Cash album; visits with DJ Larry Sodek in La Grange; and features Mason Krause, who with friend and mentor, Mason Nesvadba, has formed the M&M Playboys. Of course, we have your April calendar of dances, festivals, and live music events. Please check venue and organization websites and Facebook pages to see if events are still on. Also check the calendar on polkabeat.com, which is updated daily.

Visit  texaspolkanews.com to see latest issue.


Photo Gallery 
2019 Hallettsville Festival
Click on photo to see images by Gary E. McKee

Since the fest did not happen last weekend, we thought we'd include photos from last year. 
2019 STX Polka & Sausage Fest
Click on photo to see images by Gary E. McKee

Polka Trending

Big Squeeze going virtual
I n adherence to CDC and local health authority guidelines, and to ensure the health and wellbeing of the statewide community, Texas Folklife is canceling all scheduled live events, performances and gallery operations until further notice. This includes all remaining 2020 Big Squeeze live auditions and concerts throughout the state and the finals competition at the Bullock Texas State History Museum (April 19). 

However, the Big Squeeze and other Texas Folklife programs will continue in virtual formats. The Big Squeeze youth accordion contest will accept video entries for any contestants who did not already try out at a live audition and/or live more than 20 miles from an audition that was not canceled. The video entry deadline has been extended to April 5, 2020. As usual, all contestants' auditions will be judged online via private video links. The semi-finals and finals will now also be judged online and announced in April and May respectively. Big Squeeze audition and competition information can be found
here.
 


Watch the videos  by Walt Harfmann of Czech Harvesters at TPMM Fundraiser in West...Walburg Boys at Leap Year Day party...Dujka Brothers in Elgin...Red Ravens in Cyclone...all five bands at the Ennis Czech Music Festival...SqueezeBox in Cyclone...Fritz Hodde & Fab 6 at NYE dance in Elgin...Walburg Boys on Dec. 28...Dujka Brothers, SqueezeBox, Chris Rybak at Tomball German Christmas Market

Watch the videos  by George Weber of Fritz Hodde/Fab 6 and 3-band jam at El Campo Polka Fest...Lost Cause at the PoLK of A dance...Das Ist Lustig and SqueezeBox at Tomball German Christmas Market...Red Ravens and Dujka Brothers at Ellinger Polka Fest...Czech & Then Some and The Moravians at Caldwell Kolache Festival
WEEKLY LAUGH
Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
"And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?" the reporter asked.
She simply replied, "No peer pressure."

Submitted by Shane Lala     Share your jokes: [email protected]
Texas Polka News
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