A Picnic and Polka Music in Granger

Since the mid-1950s, Saints Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, in Granger, Texas, has been home to a rite of summer in this small Texas town, their annual Parish Picnic and Polka Dance.   Church members arrive at the parish recreation center around 5a.m. to prepare the food, which this year included about 1100 pounds of fried chicken.  Once the feasting is done, the hall is cleared to make way for kicking up your heels to traditional Polka music.  On stage this year were Fritz Hodde and his band, followed by the Ennis Czech Boys.  Granger is a rather tiny community of just over 1100 people a little over 40 miles north of Austin, but don’t let its size fool you.   It’s a town steeped in Czech culture, with a little bit of German tradition thrown in for good measure.  These photos were taken for my friends at the Williamson County Sun.