The Walter ostanek Band released their debut album, and the polka craze quickly swept across North America. So quickly, in fact, that St. Catharines — Ostanek's hometown — missed the boat on founding the first chapter of the Official Walter Ostanek Fan Club.
the St. Catharines chapter has petitioned the consortium of other local Fan Clubs for a renumbering, the Walter Ostanek Fan Club, Local 1 of Juneau, Alaska has stymied their efforts.
is extremely active in the St. Catharines community, running bi-monthly bratwurst cookoffs, frequent polka sock hops at the W.O.F.C.H.Q., and a popular accordion assistance plan to allow for wider access to accordions and accordion lessons.
In the history of the fan club, no event is more famous than its 1986 bratwurst cookoff at Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie.
Brats & Brews ’86 was a monumental event in St. Catharines history — not only did the event set an attendance record in the city, but Walter surprised the audience with a performance of his 1985 album “My Toot Toot” in its entirety.
Check out all of my Hidden St. Catharines research in person. Visit the Flea Market Gallery at the St. Catharines Factory Outlet Flea Market on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from April 21 to July 21, 2024.
Already checked it out?
Are you interested in purchasing any of the artifacts on display? Drop me a line at hello@hiddenstc.ca.
Looking for more HiddenSTC stuff?
Check out the HiddenSTC store, and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without permission from the creator.