National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum

08/12/2026

Polka legend Ron Sluga turned 90 in style with wife Patty and fifty fellow musicians at a special event at SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio, on August 9, 2026.

He is the most accomplished banjo player and prominent side musician and vocalist on the Cleveland-style polka scene. He is best known for performing with America's Polka King Frankie Yankovic and other award-winning polka performers like Johnny Vadnal and Walter Ostanek. Ron was so popular as a young talent in the 1950s that he enjoyed his own national fan club.

Ron became the go-to banjoist in Ohio and Great Lakes polka circles. The National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame inducted him in 2005. Ron still appears on stage.

08/12/2026

Sausages and Squeezeboxes!
Polka Hall of Fame 22nd Sausage Festival
Saturday, September 12, 2026
SNPJ Farm, Kirtland, Ohio

Klobasa is King at the 22nd annual Slovenian Sausage Festival, hosted by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. Celebrate Saturday, September 12, 2026, with eight hours of non-stop music from noon to 8:00 p.m. at SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio. You can also vote for the vendor whose sausage you like best.

Fifty accordions squeeze to please on stage and at the jam sessions. Ten top Cleveland-Style bands and entertainers serve up peppy polkas and dreamy waltzes to help you burn up those extra calories. Bring your squeezebox or banjo and jam along. Sample a sausage from each maker and then choose your favorite. Pierogies, strudels and more await you between spins on the dance floor.

Each Slovenian sausage (kranjska klobasa) is made with cured and smoked pork with garlic and a savory blend of seasonings. The 2026 klobasa winners for the People’s Choice and the Jury Award are announced at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate. 18 and under free. SNPJ Farm is at 10946 Heath Road in Kirtland, Ohio, off Chardon Road (Route 6), three miles east of Route 306 and six miles west of Route 44. Order from the Polka Hall of Fame, 605 East 222nd Street, Euclid, next to Euclid City Hall. Open Wednesday and Saturday from 9:00 to 2:00. Call (216) 261-FAME, toll-free (866) 66-POLKA. Online at [email protected].

07/24/2026

Polka Hall of Fame Members: It’s Time to Vote!
Mail your blue ballot by Saturday, September 19

It takes a polka village to send out your ballot for Lifetime Achievement Awards and Greatest All-Time Polka Hits. Your blue ballot is in the mail and ready for members to vote. Many thanks to our members and friends of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame for volunteering to stuff the ballots and instructions in envelopes to mail to members in 32 states, Canada and Europe.

Tony Fortuna, Cheryl Pittard, Kathy Skrajner, Tom Mroczka, Joe Valencic, Rosemary Koss, John Muhvic, Debbie Rietze, Dave Skrajner and Sharen Ott.

07/24/2026

Polka Hall of Fame 2026 Award Nominees Announced -
Awards to Be Presented at the Thanksgiving Polka Weekend
Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28, 2026
Holiday Inn Cleveland South
6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio

Eight musicians have been nominated for the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum. Nominations have also been released for Greatest All-Time Polka Hit Song. Polka Hall of Fame members have until Friday, September 19, 2026, to return their ballots.

The organization’s membership have determined that these polka music achievers are to be considered for induction into the Polka Hall of Fame. Three will be chosen:
Mikey Dee, musician, vocalist and bandleader
Joe Grkman Jr, accordionist and bandleader
Hank Guzel, bassist and vocalist
Jerry Intihar, accordionist and bandelader
Ed Klancnik, drummer and bandleader
Bob Kravos, accordionist and bandleader
Eddie Liszewski, accordionist and bandleader
Alex Meixner, Accordionist and bandleader

The following polkas are nominated for Greatest All-Time Hit Song. Two are chosen:
Bye-Bye My Baby
Croatian Home Polka
Lake Erie Polka
Millie’s Polka
Pork Chops Polka
Oj Maricka Peglaj
Singers and Players (Smo pevci in godci)
What A Little Polka Can Do

Winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award are presented at the Polka Hall of Fame membership meeting and Thanksgiving Weekend Preview Party, Thursday, October 15, at 7:00 p.m., at the Polka Hall of Fame, 605 East 222nd Street in Euclid, Ohio. Greatest All-Time Hits will be performed. Trustees Honor Roll recipients will also be revealed.

Award winners are honored at the gala Polka Hall of Fame Awards presentations on Saturday, November 28, 2:00 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Cleveland South, 6001 Rockside Road, Independence, Ohio. The awards are the high point of the two-day Thanksgiving Polka Weekend. This year's musical acts include TV’s Alex Meixner, Nashville’s Joey Miskulin, and Canada’s Polka King Walter Ostanek.

The 62nd Thanksgiving Polka Weekend features two days of dancing, Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28, 2026. Tickets are on sale. Special reduced hotel room rates apply. Free parking. For hotel information, call the Holiday Inn Cleveland South, (216) 524-8050. For tickets, call (216) 261-FAME, toll-free (866) 66-POLKA, or write to PolkaShop @ aol.com. Check the Polka Hall of Fame website, PolkaFame.com.

New member applications for the purpose of voting MUST be received with payment at the Polka Hall of Fame before Saturday, September 5, 2026, to allow for processing, mailing ballots, and return. (U.S. addresses only).

The Polka Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1987 by musicians and leaders of Slovenian and ethnic organizations. It is located at 605 East 222nd Street in Euclid, Ohio, in the historic former Euclid City Hall. Hours are Wednesday and Saturday, 10:00 to 2:00. Admission is free. Polka t-shirts, apparel, novelties and recordings are available in the museum store.

07/21/2026

Polka Fest Salutes Banjo Legend Ron Sluga at 90
Sunday, August 9, 2026, 1:00 to 7:00
SNPJ Farm, 10946 Heath Road, Kirtland, Ohio

Ron Sluga is one of the legends of polka music’s golden age. Join the all-star tribute to the banjo and guitar artist who accompanied the greatest names in the business, Sunday, August 9, 2026, at SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio. The Bob Kravos Orchestra leads the Sluga salute with accordionist Jeff Pecon and guest artists, like Canada’s Polka King Walter Ostanek, from 2:00 to 6:00.

Ron Sluga turns 90 as the most accomplished banjo player and prominent side musician and vocalist on the Cleveland-style polka scene. He is best known for performing with America's Polka King Frankie Yankovic and other award-winning polka performers like Johnny Vadnal and Walter Ostanek. Ron was so popular as a young talent in the 1950s that he enjoyed his own national fan club.

Ron became the go-to banjoist in Ohio and Great Lakes polka circles. The National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame inducted him in 2005. Ron still appears on stage.

The Bob Kravos Orchestra performs for four hours of ballroom-style dancing, plus spotlight entertainers. Dinners are served from 1:00 on, along with sandwiches, refreshments and specials on the menu. Admission is $8; under 18 free. Your hosts are the members and friends of the SNPJ Farm Board and the Cleveland Federation of
Lodges of the Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ).

SNPJ Farm is just off Chardon Road (Route 6) at 10946 Heath Road in Kirtland, Ohio, three miles east of Route 306 and six miles west of Route 44. Note: Chardon Road is closed in Willoughby Hills. From points west, take I-90 to the Route 91 exit and head south to connect with Chardon Road. Contact 216-481-1379 for details.

05/01/2026

04/30/2026

Kathy Hlad leads the jam session at the 42nd Super Button Box Bash, hosted by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame.

04/25/2026

The Polka Hall of Fame Remembers
LINDA HOCHEVAR
Bandleader and Accordionist
1965 - 2026
2017 Trustees Honor Roll Inductee

Linda Hochevar’s love of Cleveland-Style Polka inspired her to organize a button box band, Magic Buttons. Linda grew up in Euclid, Ohio, surrounded by nationality music and inspired by her father, Richard, who played saxophone with the Frankie Kramer Orchestra. She took up the bass guitar and the diatonic accordion to join in the fun on stage.

On a bus trip in 1995, Linda met other button-boxers and brought them together as Magic Buttons. The award-winning group toured, recorded and appeared on television. Linda performed with the Mollie B and Jimmy Sturr, among others.

She is best known for her button box stylings with Frank Moravcik and his orchestra. Linda and Frank shared many adventures, traveling extensively, hosting bus trips and cruises, and even performing in the Netherlands. They also hosted the radio program Polka Lovers Lane, one of the first button-box shows on internet radio.

Linda is a past Polka Hall of Fame trustee and, since 1995, designed the Awards Show program book.