Chicago's Hidden Gem: Inside the International Polka Association and Its Hall of Fame

Tucked away in the working-class heartbeat of Chicago is a music institution you probably didn’t know existed—but definitely should. It’s not a dive bar, or a record store, or some half-forgotten venue from the glory days of garage rock. No, this is something entirely different. Something with more accordion.

Welcome to the International Polka Association, home of the Polka Music Hall of Fame—a place where the beer flows, the brass blares, and the old-world rhythm of Eastern Europe meets Midwestern soul.

You might laugh. Go ahead. But somewhere, Gus Polinski—the beloved “Polka King of the Midwest” from Home Alone—is nodding in approval.

Chicago didn’t just embrace polka. It invented the American polka scene as we know it. Back in 1960, moonlight dances were already catching fire across the South Side—smoky halls full of couples spinning to the sounds of clarinets, concertinas, and pounding drums. By 1963, those late-night stompers grew into the very first National Polka Convention, a sweaty, joyful explosion of sound and culture that laid the groundwork for a movement.

Then came 1968. The Vietnam War raged, Motown ruled, and rock was on the rise—but in Chicago, a group of true believers formed the International Polka Association, a not-for-profit dedicated to keeping the pulse of polka alive. Since then, they’ve been the genre’s beating heart—throwing down annual festivals, honoring legends, and inducting icons into their Hall of Fame like it’s the Rock & Roll Hall in Cleveland… only with more sausage.

This isn’t kitsch. This is culture. The IPA’s mission is pure: preserve the past, promote the present, and polka like hell into the future. That means supporting artists, staging live events, and offering fans a shrine—yes, an actual museum—to the enduring weirdness and joy of polka.

You don’t have to be Polish to get it. You just have to feel the rhythm. And trust us—once that oompah beat gets inside you, it doesn’t leave.

So if you’re ready to step inside one of Chicago’s strangest and most soulful hidden gems, give the IPA a call. You can reach them at 1-800-TO-POLKA (that’s 1-800-867-6552), or holler at their guy, Rick Rzeszutko, at 1-312-758-7490 to set up a visit.

Just don’t be surprised if you walk out humming a tune and Googling where to buy an accordion.

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