It was a chilly Dyngus day in South Bend, but the wind only enhanced the smells of grilled sausage as dozens gathered on the west side of South Bend to celebrate.
At the Elk’s Lodge on Western Avenue, Erskine Jenkins was out grilling all sorts of meat as he’s done for the past six years for the traditionally Polish holiday that's developed a unique South Bend flavor over the years.
“It’s a good day, meet the candidate and get to socialize and get to network,” Erskine said while monitoring his selection of meat.
Dyngus Day is celebrated the Monday after Easter each year as a way to mark the end of the Lenten season. Dyngus Day's origins aren't entirely clear, though it likely evolved from an Eastern European pagan ritual.
In South Bend, Dyngus Day sees kielbasa, pierogi and other Polish foods, but political candidates use the Polish holiday to kick off the primary campaign season.
South Bend mayor James Mueller, state senator David Niezgodski and other local officials stopped by the Elks Lodge before heading to the West Side Democratic Club where they were joined by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick and attorney general hopefuls Destiny Wells and Beth White.
"It's such a rich tradition to be on the west side of South Bend," Niezgodski told onlookers on Monday morning.
The Primary election is Tuesday, May 7 when some government seats are up for grabs in addition to a number of statewide offices, including governor.
