- I'm Jake.

This is the Chardon Polka Band.

In our line of work, you never know what's going to happen next or who you might run into, because this is "The World According to Polka."

Today, "The World According to Polka" is coming to you from Pennsylvania, the Keystone state.

But what brings us here?

Well, it's 2026, and the Chardon Polka Band is back at Slovenefest, baby, as this event celebrates its 43rd year.

And our man on the street, Mr.

Bobby Buzecan, is out there getting the scoop on all these polka happenings.

- Hello, this is Bob, your on-the-scene reporter, here with Bozo.

- I've been coming here since the Slovenefest started in 1981, and I have not missed a Slovenefest yet.

- It's a very interesting place to come to because it's all about the Slovenian culture.

- I love the ethnic heritage.

I love the campsite.

I've been coming out here since I was six years old, and with my grandparents that came from the old country.

- It's the love of the polka.

- It's a great party.

("Pennsylvania Polka") ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ♪ Strike up the music the band has begun ♪ ♪ The Pennsylvania Polka ♪ Pick out your partner and join in the fun ♪ ♪ The Pennsylvania Polka ♪ It started in Scranton and it's now number one ♪ ♪ It's bound to entertain ya ♪ Everybody has a mania to do the polka from Pennsylvania ♪ ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ♪ While they're dancing ♪ Everybody's cares are quickly gone ♪ ♪ Sweet romancing ♪ This goes on and on until the dawn ♪ ♪ They're so carefree ♪ They're gay with laughter and happy as can be ♪ ♪ They stop to have a beer ♪ The crowd begins to cheer ♪ They kiss and then they start to dance again ♪ ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) - Hey!

Opa!

Woo hoo!

Hey!

("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) ("Pennsylvania Polka" continues) (audience cheering) That be "The Pennsylvania Polka."

- [Announcer] There's no better vacation destination than Pennsylvania, birthplace of Taylor Swift, Star Trek's Jonathan Frakes, and Marty McFly's arch nemesis, Biff.

You could see this giant boot, giant coffee pot, or investigate this UFO in Mars, PA, because you don't have to go to space to meet a Martian, you just have to visit Pennsylvania.

(graphics whooshing and reverberating) - So the grounds here at the SNPJ Rec Center in this delightful borough of Enon Valley, Pennsylvania are just gorgeous, a great place to bring you guys our very first song.

And we hope you enjoyed that old-timey hit from the Chardon Polka Band, but we aren't the only polka band you can find at Slovenefest today.

- Music is an important part of the Slovenefest, and we're lucky enough to have a musician here with us right now.

His name is Ed Klancnik, and he's the orchestra leader of Ed Klancnik and Friends.

Welcome to the program.

- Glad to be here.

- Tell us a little bit about your band.

- So when I was growing up, I played with my dad and my uncle.

They had a band together, then it was my dad's band.

We lost my dad in 2005, so I thought to myself, should I keep playing this or should I go do something else, like law school?

So I made the wise decision to be a polka musician.

And this band we put together with friends of mine over time.

The accordion player was actually, my dad kind of mentioned him, like, "Hey, after I'm gone, that'd be the guy I'd like."

We took this opportunity to put guys in the band from across the country, because our generation, there weren't enough musicians in our field to have a local band in any one place.

But there was one good one in Denver, there was a Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, you know, there was a smattering of people.

So we decided to have one band that brings everyone together into a band to play the way we wanted to play, and to guarantee we could keep playing 'cause the bands we were in, the guys were quite a bit older, they were gonna age out.

And we continued to do it, and if all goes well, we'll keep doing another 20.

- Do you have a favorite song of yours, or one that the crowd really enjoys that you plan on playing for us this evening?

- There's a song that we're gonna play tonight that we pretty much only play here.

It's a Slovenian song that was adapted with English lyrics called "Singers and Players."

We get a friend of mine, Dave Schreiner, to come up and sing it with us.

He's the entertainment director here at the Slovenefest now.

That's a one time a year thing, we only get to do it then.

- And now, Klancnik and Friends.

("Singers and Players") ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) (Dave singing in foreign language) (Dave singing in foreign language) (Dave singing in foreign language) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) ♪ We're singers and players from Cleveland our hometown ♪ ♪ Where a song always echoes like sound all the way ♪ ♪ Where a song always echoes like sounds all the way ♪ ♪ Where the flowers always bloom ♪ ♪ And the rosemary grows ♪ And the gentle breeze is blowing ♪ ♪ Toward Lake Eerie shore ♪ And a gentle breeze is blowing ♪ ♪ Toward Lake Eerie shore (Dave yodeling) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) ("Singers and Players" continues) (audience cheering) - That's a metric ton of polka star power on one stage, Klancnik and Friends here at Slovenefest.

This festival is all about polka and Slovenian culture, but it also takes place in the heat of July, which is why we're gonna play you one of our favorite summertime jams.

("Crocodile Rock") ♪ Hey hey hey ♪ I remember when rock was young ♪ ♪ Me and Suzy had so much fun ♪ Holding hands and skipping stones ♪ ♪ Had an old gold Chevy and a place of my own ♪ ♪ But the biggest cheer I ever got ♪ ♪ Was doing a thing called the Crocodile Rock ♪ ♪ While the other kids waw rocking 'round the clock ♪ ♪ We was hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock ♪ ♪ Croc rocking is something shocking ♪ ♪ When your feet just can't keep still ♪ ♪ Never knew me a better time and I guess I never will ♪ ♪ Lord mama those Friday nights ♪ ♪ When Suzy wore her dresses tight ♪ ♪ Crocodile rocking was outta sight ♪ ♪ La la-la-la-la-la ♪ La-la-la-la-La ♪ La-la-la-la-La ♪ La la-la-la-la-la ♪ La-la-la-la-La ♪ La-la-la-la-La ("Crocodile Rock" continues) ("Crocodile Rock" continues) ("Crocodile Rock" continues) ♪ Croc rocking is something shocking ♪ ♪ When your feet just can't be still ♪ ♪ Never knew me a better time and I guess I never will ♪ ♪ Lord mama those Friday nights ♪ ♪ Suzy wore her dresses tight ♪ Crocodile rocking was outta sight ♪ ♪ La la-la-la-la-la ♪ La-la-la-la-La ♪ La-la-la-la-La ♪ La la-la-la-la-la ♪ La-la-la-la-La ♪ La-la-la-la-La ("Crocodile Rock" ends) - Since 2023, there's been a small handful of crocodiles and alligators captured in Pennsylvania.

While it is assumed that these were loose pets, it is also possible that they were from Mars.

SNPJ is a place for polka people, and not just during festival time.

In fact, a couple of our buddies, their spot here at SNPJ is their vacation home.

They're gonna tell us about it and maybe even play us a tasty polka tune.

- Hi, I'm here at Slovenefest with two people who know this festival very well, Patty Candela, Anthony Culkar.

Patty, tell us where we're at right now.

- Well, we are at SNPJ Trailer Court, it's a great spot.

Beautiful family, friends, Turkolas across the street.

We kind of, in this section, call it the vortex, because we kind of suck everybody into a party that they're having on their deck.

- Jake mentioned that the two of you are gonna play a song for us.

What are we gonna hear?

- We're going to do a polka called the "Burgettstown Polka," written, named after Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

Three, four.

("Burgettstown Polka") ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) ("Burgettstown Polka" continues) (audience cheering and applauding) - That was polka virtuosos Patty Candela and Anthony Culkar, gracing us with their polka melodies on the show today.

And now another rowdy tune from the Chardon Polka Band.

("Squeeze Box") ("Squeeze Box" continues) ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box she wears on her chest ♪ ♪ When Daddy comes home he never gets no rest ♪ ♪ Playing all night ♪ The music's all right ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night ♪ The kids can't sleep ♪ The dog don't eat ♪ There's no escape from the music on the whole **** street ♪ ♪ Playing all night ♪ The music's all right ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night - [Jake] My favorite part.

♪ It goes in and out and in and out ♪ ♪ And in and out and in and out ♪ ♪ Playing all night ♪ The music's all right ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night - Going over to Mr.

Michael Franklin ("Squeeze Box" continues) ("Squeeze Box" continues) - Mr.

Mitch Lawrence.

("Squeeze Box" continues) ("Squeeze Box" continues) - All right, go Bobby B.

("Squeeze Box" continues) ("Squeeze Box" continues) ("Squeeze Box" continues) ♪ It goes in and out and in and out ♪ ♪ And in and out and in and out ♪ ♪ Playing all night ♪ The music's all right ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night - [Jake] And she says, "Squeeze, me."

♪ Squeeze me ♪ Squeeze me ♪ Tease me like you do ♪ I'm so in love with you ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night ♪ I said Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night ♪ Mama's got a squeeze box ♪ Daddy never sleeps at night - I'll bet he never gets no sleep, do he.

She's just pushing and pulling on that thing all night long.

- I just happened to fall into these six lovely Slovenian queens.

- I was crowned Miss SNPJ and Miss Talent in 1981, and I am from the Chicago, Illinois area.

- I was crowned Miss SNPJ and Miss Activity from Fontana, California in 1988.

- I was Miss SNPJ in 1996, and I'm from Strabane, Pennsylvania, which is just outside of Pittsburgh.

- I was Miss SNPJ and Miss Talent in 2001, and I am from nearby Girard, Ohio.

- I was Miss SNPJ 2004, our Centennial Queen.

- I am from Orange County, California, and I am Miss SNPJ 2026.

- So I'm gonna ask our current queen here, what are the responsibilities once you are coronated?

- Well, fraternalism is the main thing, promoting our Slovenian culture and being good to each other.

♪ An emblem of fraternity in Enon Valley, PA ♪ ♪ Oh hail to thee oh hail to thee Miss SNPJ ♪ ♪ She stands for love and truth and freedom ♪ ♪ That's why we say ♪ Oh hail to thee oh hail to thee Miss SNPJ ♪ ♪ Pennsylvania - Back to you.

- Here at Slovenefest, there are musicians everywhere.

We got 'em in campsites, we got 'em on stages, we got 'em inside at the bar, and I found one of them right now, and he's one of my favorites.

This is Garrett Tatano.

- Hey, how's it going?

- What got you into polka music?

- I've been playing polka music, and I've been around polka music for my basically entire life.

Both of my grandfathers were accordionists.

They loved to bring me out when I was a kid to festivals like this, Slovenefest.

So from a young age, I loved polka music, and when I was seven years old, I decided it's time to take up the accordion.

My family thought I was crazy, but somehow my grandfathers found me an accordion, and the rest was history.

- What do you think is special about this festival?

- People have been coming for generations, and that's what makes it so special, that it's been here for so long, but it continues to bring people back over and over again.

- If we go see the Garrett Tatano Band, what do you hope that people take away from that?

- Yeah, I hope people take away that polkas are still awesome.

You can have a great time.

You can sing and dance with your friends, you might have a drink, but you are going to have a smile on your face and you're gonna be tapping your toes, because it's happy music for happy people.

- Polka music is still awesome, and so is Garrett Tatano and his band.

Thanks, man.

- Yes, sir.

Thank you.

- All right.

We'll see you on stage.

- All right.

- [Jake] Playing at multiple stages around the festival, Garrett's band also performs at the popular Slovenefest pool party.

We got a little something special planned to showcase all their polka energy.

- One, two, three.

("Frenchie's Polka") ("Frenchie's Polka" continues) (audience cheering) ("Frenchie's Polka" continues) ("Frenchie's Polka" continues) (audience cheering) - Ha!

("Frenchie's Polka" continues) (audience applauding) - Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends and neighbors, this has been the Chardon Polka Band and all our buddies here at Slovenefest in Enon Valley, PA.

In fact, Garrett and his band, they're still jamming because this is "The World According to Polka."

And what would this world be without the great state of Pennsylvania or Penn-Slovenia?

("Last Dance Waltz") ("Last Dance Waltz" continues) ♪ Turn the lights way down low ♪ As the band is playing slow ♪ Tantalize dance with me ♪ Tonight ♪ Hold me close tenderly ♪ As we touch silently ♪ Let my heart speak to you tonight ♪ ♪ Save the last dance for me my darling ♪ ♪ By now don't you know can't you see ♪ ♪ Return and you get this moment ♪ ♪ And dance the last dance with me ♪ ("Last Dance Waltz" continues) ("Last Dance Waltz" continues) ("Last Dance Waltz" continues) (audience applauding) - For all you Penn-Slovenians out there.

- I think we got a lot of Penn-Slovenians tonight.

- Oh Mike, did you just say Penn-Slovenians?

- Penn-Slovenians.

- That's the episode title right there.

Mitch Lawrence got to be writing this stuff.

Mitch Lawrence, chief writer, Chardon Polka Band, ladies and gentlemen.