Paczki Day in Hamtramck

01 / The story of this place

Make time for these

Hamtramck became a Polish town in the early 1900s, when immigrants arrived to work at the Dodge Main plant; at its peak about three quarters of the city was Polish. They brought pączki, rich filled doughnuts fried before Lent to use up the lard, sugar and eggs. In Poland they're a Fat Thursday thing, but around Detroit, Fat Tuesday is simply Paczki Day. New Palace Bakery, open since 1908, starts selling at 3 a.m., people line up after midnight, and the bars along Joseph Campau traditionally keep the party going all day. The Saturday before, the Paczki Run 5K winds through town with a paczek and a beer waiting at the finish.

1. Pre-dawn lines at New Palace Bakery
2. Classic prune and custard fillings plus new flavors every year
3. Polish deli favorites at Srodek's
4. All-day parties at Hamtramck bars
5. Paczki Run 5K with a paczek and a beer at the finish