A start of a new tradition for Festival

By Terry Parris, Jr.

Citizen Staffwriter

The crowd was chanting, “Keith, Keith, Keith.” He smiled wide, highlighting his red cheeks that were in contrast to his white button down shirt.

Then the music came on and a woman in a white dress emerged from the audience, walking up onto the stage and standing next to the man in white, sporting an equally big smile. She was trembling.

But of course she was, she should have been, it was her wedding day after all.

Mayor Karen Majewski married Keith Vivoda and Mary Hogness, both 41, Sunday on the Caniff stage of the Hamtramck festival at 2 p.m.

“This is a real Hamtramck romance,” Majewski said to the festivalgoers, passersby, and wedding guests. “They dated in high school, broke up, and got back together two years ago at this very festival. And now they want to share their marriage with all of you and for you to be their witnesses.”

As far as anyone knows, this is the first wedding performed at the Hamtramck Festival.

For everyone not standing in the shadow of the stage, sweat was beading up and dripping down their faces. It was hot out there under that beating Hamtramck sun but everyone was waiting for the “I do.”

Majewski went on with the ceremony, her voice shaking.

“I’m not supposed to be the one crying,” she said with a slight laugh.

Mary and Keith exchanged vows and rings and kissed over the hooting and hollering of the audience, and they ended the whole shebang in typical Polish fashion – a polka dance.

“This is the happiest day of my life,” Mary said. “This is so exciting. I loved doing this with all of Hamtramck.”