Dyngus Day to mark end of Easter weekend, Lent

Since its debut to Yogi’s Grill and Bar in 1994, Dyngus Day, the Polish holiday that marks the end of Easter weekend, has been a “great way for people to get back to the vices they gave up for Lent,” said Chris Karl, manager and co-owner of Yogi’s Grill and Bar.

Karl said he would describe Dyngus Day as a cross between St. Patrick’s Day and Halloween because of the drink specials and the way people dress.

“It’s a big deal,” he said. “It’s fun for people to dress up, and we have food, music and drink specials that we don’t have otherwise.”

The food specials of the day include perogis for $0.50 apiece and hard-boiled eggs for $0.25 each or, strangely, three for $1, said junior Lauren Marshall, a server at Yogi’s Grill and Bar.

“Everyone’s so drunk they don’t realize that the whole hard-boiled eggs thing is not a very good deal,” she said.

Marshall said some of the unique features of Dyngus Day include live polka bands, accordion players at customer tables and shotskis. She said despite all the obvious chaos going around, working on Dyngus Day is usually a lot of fun.

“It’s a total madhouse,” bartender John Haupthof said. “Everyone is here to have a good time. It’s one of the top two or three busiest days we have here.”

Haupthof said he hopes the community will continue to get into Dyngus Day and wants more people to know about it.

Cat Conatser, a bartender at Yogi’s Grill and Bar, said she is a “Dyngus Day virgin,” but she expects work to be crazy.

“The 12-hour shift I’m scheduled to work that day will feel like five,” she said. “I expect it to be a shoulder-to-shoulder madhouse and of course, with all the drinks around, pure entertainment for whoever is working.”

For Conatser, the most difficult part of preparing for Dyngus Day is deciding what she will wear.

“Lately when I go out shopping, I’m trying to find the most ridiculous stuff under five bucks,” she said. “Stripes and rainbows will be my thing, like a walking gay pride sponsor.”