Set a reminder to stream Polka Time with DJ Shotski on Sunday at 7 p.m. CST for an hour of Upper Midwest nostalgia. When I hear this music, I close my eyes and pretend I’m hearing the band live at a park pavilion at a fundraiser for the volunteer fire department. It smells like fresh cut grass, cold dad beer, brat fry smoke, and warm skin dancing on a rented parquet dance floor.
The more you listen to old polka, the more you make memories of your own. Join me on the air on 98.7 WVMO FM in Monona and Madison’s east side or stream it online. Catch the rebroadcast on participating stations on Memorial Day weekend.
New merch!
Big love for Wisconsin polka? Make a big statement.
This 4.25-inch round sticker makes a bold statement on your water bottle, laptop or instrument case. A die cut edge makes it easy to peel the backing, and a matte finish gives it some shine-free class.
Polka Time: Where and when to listen
LIVE - May 18 featuring Elroy Berkholtz’ Polka Festival Special album recorded in May 1980
Sunday, 7 p.m. - WVMO-FM 98.7 Monona
Streaming - Rebroadcast of last week’s polka hits
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, June 8 - Trek 100
Since 1990, Trek bicycle company has been hosting a charity ride, raising over $22 million for the MACC Fund. Bike riders take on beautiful, rural Wisconsin trails and rest at party stops along the way. One rest stop will be a polka party with DJ Shotski!
Sign up for the event or send this link to your friends who love a long country bike ride: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/trek100/
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.
Readers like you keep the Shotski Lodge open
The Shotski Lodge is a reader-supported publication. Support from subscribers like you gives me the confidence to pursue my mission to get more people to listen to vintage polka and vinyl records, including through this free e-newsletter.
Become a Shotski Lodge member - Substack offers paid subscriptions for people who want to be patrons of the Lodge’s mission.
DJ Shotski’s Venmo - skip the subscription and give via Venmo where transaction fees are lower.
Hire me for a gig! - your community needs a polka party. Email me at djshotski@gmail.com if you have a venue or an event that needs a vinyl DJ.
Donate records - the answer to free records is always “yes,” though I’m backed up on processing donated records at the moment. I hope to be caught up by late spring 2025. Email me at djshotski@gmail.com with a description of what you have to share.
Want to connect? Drop me an email.
I’d love to hear from you at djshotski@gmail.com
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.
So drop me a line. Tell me what polka music means to you. Or ask me for some community radio show recommendations. Let’s connect outside of social media.