Paczki a sweet part of annual fest

Polish Village set for Fat Tuesday

Antoinette Goodloe, Jonathan Goodloe, and Neail Goodloe III, right, shop for paczki Sunday during the 24th annual ‘Paczkowy Fest’ in the historic Polish Village in Toledo.

It’s almost Fat Tuesday, so why worry about calories?

That’s what Beth Lewandowski said she will tell people lining up to buy the high-calorie packzi as their last indulgence before Lent.

“We promise on Tuesday there will be no calories in them,” said Mrs. Lewandowski, vice president of the neighborhood group Lagrange Village Council. “You are going to be fasting on Ash Wednesday. There is no counting on Tuesday with these.

PHOTO GALLERY: Paczkowy Fest in Toledo

The council is the sponsor of the annual “Paczkowy Fest” in the Old Library Building, at the corner of Lagrange Street and Central Avenue in the historic Polish Village.

The three-day sale started on Sunday and continues today from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It continues Tuesday at 5 a.m., ending when the last packzi (pronounced punch-key) is sold.

Mrs. Lewandowski said the tradition of indulging on the deep fried dessert goes back to the Middle Ages, when the Polish cleaned out their pantries to use up the sugar, butter, and eggs that might go to waste during Lent.

Ten varieties of packzi will be offered during the festival, including the traditional prune and granulated sugar. Also available are raspberry, custard, lemon, apricot, blueberry, apple, raisin, and chocolate.

Prices are $7 for six and $10 for a dozen. Polish coffee cakes are $10 and souvenir canvas tote bags are for sale at $3. Money raised will help support community programs of ONE Village.

The nearby Ohio Theatre, which recently completed the first phase of a renovation project, will be open for tours today from 3 to 6 p.m., and between 1 and 4 p.m on Tuesday.

The theater reopened in May with the expanded title of the Ohio Theatre and Event Center under the ownership of nonprofit community developer United North. It has been the venue for family movie nights, and hosted performances by the Toledo Symphony and the Toledo Ballet.

Nikki Morey, senior manager of community programming for United North, said the building is an icon of the Lagrange Street business district.

“We are using the theater as the critical anchor to the business district and revitalization of the neighborhood,” she said.

More than $1.2 million was spent on structural and mechanical improvements inside the old movie house and the organization is raising money for the second phase to pay for lobby, facade, and other exterior upgrades.

Contact Mark Reiter at: markreiter@theblade.com or 419-724-6199.