Polka in the United States music and dance and to honor their heritage at polka festivals. Modern media enables these fans to stay connected and share their passion. Though it passed its heyday in the 1950s the polka remains an active music form with distinct genres, leading performers, and active organizations. Where it is popular, the polka is a manifestation of the culture of those who participate in it. It is the state dance of Wisconsin. Although author Charles Keil admits that "there are as many styles of polka as there are polka localities", he and his wife have divided American polka music into three
Polka Wisconsin also is the home to multiple large Polish festivities where people from all over the country come to stay and listen to multiple bands on multiple days of music. These festivals usually take place in the summer, but there are a few in the winter months. The United States Polka Association is a non-profit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Polka Hall of Fame is in Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Walter Solek was one of the early Polka pioneers starting in the late 1930s. Recognition expanded when the Grammy Awards were first presented for polka in 1985.