Guests can expect to hear a wide variety of music from both traditional and modern German beer drinking polkas as well as waltzes to rock and roll sing along favorites from the 1950’s to present day.

Seasoned, professional musicians, along with acclaimed female vocalist, Christine Hibbs, Schnickelfritz offers much versatility to accommodate your special event.

Typically performing as a 6 piece band, Schnickelfritz guarantees a fun-filled, and spectacular event, guests have referred to as liThe Schnickelfritz Experience!”

Schnickelfritz are:
Don Wojtila – Accordion, Keyboard, Trumpet and Vocals
Christine Hibbs – Vocalist
Al Bambic – Drums
Eddie Rodick III – Guitar, Vocals
Phil Srnick – Bass, Vocals
Ralph Delligatti – Bass
Geoffrey Wittine – Trumpet

The Brian Papesh band has performed at many private parties, weddings, dances, and community events throughout greater Cleveland and surrounding areas since the 80’s. This seasoned group of professional musicians play a great mix of party music that people love to sing along and dance to. The band can easily switch from playing authentic sounding Rock n Roll, Country, Motown to dynamic sounding Polkas as well as other genres.

In 1958, the Cleveland Society of Danube Swabians’ Brass Band & Posaunenchor was founded by Peter Glatt and Reverend Horst Hoyer. Songs performed consisted primarily of waltzes, polkas, and marches.

The band often played at the Banater Club, Sachsenheim Club, and Gottscheer Club, and after six years, the band had grown to forty-four members. At that time, Glatt entrusted the band to Edmund Seifert and Hans Franz.

In June 1968, the Cleveland DSB was invited to perform at the Bundesmusikfest in Sindelfingen, Germany, taking first place honors for an unforgettable performance of F.H. Losey’s 1896 composition, “Snap Shot.” 156 brass bands were in attendance, and the DSB performed a total of forty-seven concerts in just sixteen days.

Richard “Coach” Reuding and Hans Noel subsequently took over as the DSB toured Canada and performed at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1971. The band continued onward and upward with Peter Weber, Ralph Rehner, and Michael Rehner, performing at Disney World and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in 1975. In April 1979, the band performed on a luxurious Carnivale Cruise of the Caribbean Sea, which included performances in the Dominican Republic, San Juan, and Saint Croix.

Continued success followed under the direction of Bob Kozsey, Ferdinand Bleich, Paul Psota, Matt Niessen, Michael Sifferman, Jack Hack, and Michele Esper. Most recently, Roger Radke and John McClellan have organized performances in Detroit, Sandusky, Sharon, and Windsor, as well as local venues such as the Akron Zoo, All Pro Freight Stadium, Altenheim & Shurmer Place, Amherst German Fest, Canal Park, Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest, Cleveland Maennerchor, Cleveland World Festival, German Central Oktoberfest, German Cultural Garden, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Heimatland Oktoberfest, Hofbräuhaus Cleveland, John Carroll University, Lenau Park Sommer Oktoberfest, Olmsted Falls Heritage Days Festival, Parker Hannifin, and Sandusky Oktoberfest.

On June 8th, 2017, the Cleveland Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle returned to Germany, performing not only at Hofbräuhaus München, but also with the Original Banater Dorfmusikanten at the Landsmannschaft der Donauschwaben in Haar, Bavaria. The DSB also performed at the U.S. Army Barracks in Grafenwöhr, with Blasorchester Höchst at Bürgerhaus Frankfurt-Goldstein, at Kath. Pfarramt St. Cäcilia in Mosbach, at the Donauschwäbisches Zentralmuseum in Ulm, and with the Wielenbacher Musikanten at Gasthaus Guggemos in Wielenbach. Needless to say, the Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle’s Deutschlandtour was an excellent opportunity to interact with fellow German musicians, allowing the DSB to learn even more about German and Danube Swabian culture from a uniquely local perspective.

As the Cleveland DSB enters into its 60th year, under the direction of Julie Williams, the traditions of Danube Swabian brass bands continue as the DSB performs long standing waltzes, polkas, and marches. Special thanks to all who have supported the Cleveland DSB, past and present!

Carrying on the long standing tradition of folk dancing in St. Nicholas Orthodox church, the youth dancers were organized in 1985. The troupe consists of 35 children, teens and young adults who perform at international, parochial and civic events.

A dance teacher for many years in the Akron and Pittsburgh areas, Director Rosemary Pyrch Simpson organized and has directed the ensemble since 1985.

For 50 years, Cleveland native Tessie Burke has dedicated her life to teaching Irish dance. Her years as a teacher have been rewarding for many reasons, not the least of which has been overseeing the emergence of her first world champion, Garrett Coleman. Garrett will be dancing toe to toe with acclaimed local talents, Katherine Stull and Torrie Duns (also of the Burke School), as well as with younger brother Kieran, who placed 7th in the “Worlds” held in Belfast.

In addition to several club functions, Gottscheer Tanz Und Spielkreis has performed at various cultural and ethnic events in the greater Cleveland area, as well as other states and in Canada.

The Red Hackle Pipes & Drums were first concieved as an idea at the 1996 Ohio Scottish Games. Sandy Hain’s students asked if it would be possible to form a competition band. The first practice was in Jan ’97. The band’s first competition was at the Ohio Scottish games that year. In ’98 the season began with the Edinboro Highland Games at wich the band placed for the first time. Many more competitions, parades and social events followed including, the World Championship in Glasgow, Scotland.

The Red hackle Pipes & Drums are proud of its focus on keeping the Scottish tradition alive, with its strong leadership and its open door policy to any new members. The local Cleveland, OH band is active in many parades and social events around the community.

The wearing of the Black Watch cap badge along with the Red Hackle on our Glengarry bonnets is in honor of Sandy Hain’s service in The Black Watch. He served as Pipe Major of the 2nd Battalioon Black Watch, The Royal Highland Regiment. The Black Watch was raised in 1735 and was awarded the Red Hackle in 1795 in recognition of the Regiment’s many years of service. It is the only unit in the British Army entitled to that honor. We are honored to be able to were the Red Hackle and more importantly proud of being part of an organization filled with many great family and friends.

We are the Toledo Holzhacker Buam of Toledo, Ohio. We are an organization with the goal of maintaining and preserving our Bavarian heritage. We are affiliated with the GBU (Greater Beneficial Union), District 510 of Toledo.

THB dancers and members wear Bavarian Tracht (traditional ethnic clothing) and perform traditional dances and music from Bavaria, Germany and Tyrol, Austria.

Our membership includes a variety of ages – some as young as 2 and some as mature as 70+!

We are always growing and welcome new members. The only requirement to join our organization is a respect for and appreciation of our Bavarian and Tyrolean culture.

The name “PIAST” is the family name of the first dynasty of Polish kings who ruled Poland from 960 to 1370 and who unified and developed the country into a powerful European state.

The “PIAST” Ensemble has different authentic costumes for each dance, most of which are imported directly from Poland and tailored especially for “PIAST”.

The present group has been together for two years and features dancers ages of 13-18 who carry on the legacy of Poland through Polish song and dance. The choreographers of the “PIAST” Dance Ensemble are Agnieszka Kotlarsic and Malgorzata Kacka. Co-ordinators of the group are John and Ligia Borkowski and Ewa Trzeciak.

One of the dances performed by “PIAST” is called “Krakowiak”—a regional dance native to Kraków, Poland. The Krakowiak is a couples group dance, led by the first couple — in olden times, often the bride and groom. Costumes are original and traditional. Included in the dance Krakowiak is the Kraków Lajkonik—one of the oldest Kraków folk dances, dating as far back as the 13th century.

The Alliance of Poles “PIAST” Ensemble will also perform a regional dance from Green Kurpie in north central Poland. Head pieces with colorful ribbons identify women from the Kurpie region of Poland.

Based on the traditions of the Beskidy and Zywiec regions, the “PIAST” Ensemble will also perform mountaineers’ dances. The mountaineers—gorale—typically sing in groups, and their costumes are marked by distinctive shoes called “kierpce”. Mountaineers’ dances are divided into two segments: single dances (“kolomajki”) and group dances (“hajduk”). The performance is centered around the mountaineer, who is characterized as hard, infatuated with his land and impulsive.

The Alliance of Poles “PIAST” Ensemble has performed by request for former Cleveland Mayors Michael R. White and Jane Campbell, the organizers of the Annual Lorain International Festival, and most recently, the Annual International Services Center Festival and Ohio State Fair in Columbus, Ohio. Thanks to their extensive repertoire, skill, and colorful authentic costumes, they are often called to perform throughout the Polish-American Community.