What a polka DJ on a farm looks like.
Trek 100 organizers thought of everything.
The Trek 100 charity bike ride raises money for the MACC Fund to research and fight childhood cancer and blood disorders. Since 1990, Trek has raised over $22 million for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer. On June 7, 2025 we polkaed for the cause.
When I arrived at Englewood Grass-Feed Beef farm in Fall River, WI, Trek employees had already set up big tents for the “Polka Peddler’s Pit Stop” where cyclists would take their second and fourth break of the day. Event organizers thought of every detail and rider’s need.
Brats and pretzels were offered alongside traditional race food like cut oranges and bananas. The shotski station offered vintage skis and Solo shot cups filled with Sprecher’s new energy drink. There were Hammerschlagen games and Instagrammable painted cows to pose by. Trek event organizers even thought of the tiniest details like bringing a magnet on a stick to search for Hammerschlagen nails that may have fallen on the pasture.
The highlight of the day was seeing people dance. Whether it was a few couples dancing or just heads bopping along to the beat on the way to get a brat, I loved watching people enjoy the music. Wave after wave of cyclists took energy shots off of vintage skis and high-fived each other. Now every time one of their cycling team members sees a shotski, they will think about their memory of the fun times along a long, rural bike ride.
I was flattered to be invited to be a part of Trek’s event. Making polka music echo across the pastures in Columbia County, Wisconsin felt like I was reminding the green hills what farms used to sound like with polka music on the radio.
Find a blog post version of this event recap on my website.
Here’s the behind-the-scenes of what happened. “I only learn by making mistakes,” I told Trek employee Justin when we chatted about what I do. To my horror, the big “mistake” of the day was realizing this event is likely the final performance of my Staton two-channel preamp mixer. Intermittently throughout the afternoon, the mixer blasted a harsh static and I had to scramble to use my phone as a backup source of music while I cringed and tried to diagnose the problem. I finally had to bypass my mixer entirely and connect to speakers with bluetooth. RIP mixer. Shopping for a new one begins today.
I also learned more about the limits of my body. I feel like I canNOT complain about pain after seeing the dedicated and determined century riders wobble and limp over to the food station. Standing and dancing on a farm field for over six hours taught me that it’s time to invest in a rug and an anti-fatigue mat under my DJ table. I’ve resisted adding more to my setup, mostly because schlepping stuff is a pain. But NOT taking care of my body is a literal pain. It would be worth not needing as long of a recovery time in the long run to get a mat to stand on.
Polka Time Goes to Summer Camp: Where and when to listen
Next episode
Sunday, 7 p.m. - WVMO-FM 98.7 Monona
Rebroadcast next weekend
Saturday, 8 a.m. - WHYS-FM 96.3 Eau Claire - support WHYS
Saturday, 3 p.m. - WRJQ Goodtime Radio - support WRJQ
Saturday, 6 p.m. - WPCA-FM 93.1 Amery - support WPCA
Saturday, 7 p.m. - WVMO-FM 98.7 Monona - support WVMO
Sunday, 7 a.m. - WOJB-FM 88.9 Hayward - support WOJB
Sunday, 8 a.m. - WILW-FM 96.3 Waupaca
Sunday, 9 a.m. - WOCT-FM 101.9 Oshkosh
Sunday, 4 p.m. - WLSP-FM 103.5 Sun Prairie - support SPMC
Thanks to these community and volunteer-powered stations for keeping vintage polka on the air waves.
Events
Saturday, September 13 - Gemütlichkeit Days
Jefferson County, Wisconsin has thrown a party to celebrate its German heritage since 1971. This year will be no exception as the community gathers for polka music, dancing, games and the welcoming spirit of Gemütlichkeit.
Join DJ Shotski in the GDays biergarten for vintage polka from Wisconsin and the upper Midwest from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Dancers welcome.
The event is held at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds at 503 N. Jackson Ave., Jefferson, WI. In the event of rain, the event will move inside a fairgrounds building. Thanks to generous local sponsors, GDays is free.
Saturday, October 11 - Rosemount, MN Oktoberfest
Rosemount, Minnesota will host its second annual Oktoberfest celebration with music, games, local brews in a pop-up biergarten, and food trucks on the beautiful green lawn of Central Park in front of a wooden amphitheater. DJ Shotski will provide vintage polka music in the afternoon.
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Want to connect? Drop me an email.
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In the Shotski Lodge, only paid subscribers can leave comments on posts. That’s by design. I want to connect with listeners in a better, more direct way than in a comments section. We’ve been leaving comments on social media apps for twenty years and it’s a real mixed bag whether it’s brought us more connection or left us feeling more disconnected from each other.
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