The International Polka Association (IPA) is located in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

and dedicated to the study and preservation of

polka Polka is a dance style and genre of dance music in originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though generally associated with Czech and Central European culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the ...

music and the

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...

Polish Americans Polish Americans () are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 8.81 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.67% of the U.S. population, ...

who have made this music tradition part of their heritage. The IPA hosts an annual

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

and convention as well as its Annual Polka Music Awards banquet. During the banquet, important figures in polka music are inducted into the Polka Hall of Fame.

History

The concept of a national polka convention had been developed and pioneered in Chicago, and the first polka convention was held in 1963. This convention developed into the International Polka Convention which was presented each succeeding year in Chicago,

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and

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. In 1968, a steering committee began preparations for the formation of the International Polka Association. The association was officially chartered by the State of

as a "not for profit" corporation and was registered with the County of Cook (Chicago) in August 1968. As stated in its charter, the International Polka Association was organized as: "An educational and charitable organization for the preservation, promulgation and advancement of polka music and; to promote, maintain and advance public interest in polka entertainment; to advance the mutual interests and encourage greater cooperation among its members who are engaged in polka entertainment; and to encourage and pursue the study of polka music, dancing and traditional folklore". The IPA is structured to serve as an educational resource. The IPA is also responsible for the continued operation and growth of its Polka Music Hall of Fame. It is through this branch that the association has been able to continue its historical, educational and research goals on behalf of polka music. The IPA Hall of Fame is located atop Polonia Banquets, a century-old dance hall at 4608 S. Archer Ave. in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood, and is open by appointment.

Hall of Fame membership

References

External links

International Polka Association
{{Music organizations Polka Music organizations based in the United States Dance organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Polish-American culture in Chicago Arts organizations established in 1968 1968 establishments in Illinois Dance in Illinois

History

Hall of Fame membership

See also

References

External links