May 09, 2025
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Plano-Bologna-Sandwich Day canceled this year; expected to resume in 2024

By Mark Foster
Kendall County Community Food Pantry Director Greg Witek of Millbrook, left, takes the oath of office as co-mayor of Bologna, Illinois as part of the annual Plano-Bologna-Sandwich Day event on Oct. 23, 2022. Event organizer Chris Schwemlein, right, performs the ceremony while Plano Mayor Mike Rennels assists.

Greg Witek, left, takes the oath of office as co-mayor of Bologna, Illinois as part of the annual Plano-Bologna-Sandwich Day event on Oct. 23, 2022. Event organizer Chris Schwemlein, right, performs the ceremony while Plano Mayor Mike Rennels assists. (Mark Foster)

The annual Plano-Bologna-Sandwich Day has been canceled this year, with organizers planning to resume the community event in 2024.

Plano-Bologna-Sandwich Day is a whimsical event in which residents of Plano and Sandwich gather in a field at the border of the two communities to create the imaginary Bologna, Illinois, for a day of fun and games, all to benefit local food pantries.

Honorary co-mayors are selected from each community, and participants feast on fried Bologna sandwiches.

PBS Day founder and organizer Chris Schwemlein of Sandwich said the late-October event will not take place this year.

“Unfortunately, due to several unforeseen circumstances for myself and several of our committee members this year, we decided not to try and conduct the event,” Schwemlein said.

“Several factors, including the transition and fluctuation of leadership for both the Plano and Sandwich chambers and committee members already committed to local city council matters or volunteer work with service organizations, found us depleted in numbers,” Schwemlein said.

“To all of our faithful PBS Day supporters we apologize we could not conduct an event this October, but by the same token we would not have been satisfied with putting on an event devoid of enthusiasm and lacking in manpower,” Schwemlein said.

Plans will get underway soon to resume the event in 2024 “with renewed vigor and new members to carry on this beloved tradition,” Schwemlein said.

PBS Day has been celebrated for six years.

The event is held on a Sunday as near to Oct. 24 as possible, because it was on that date in 1661 that Cardinal Girolamo Farnese of Bologna, Italy, issued an edict that proscribed the composition and purity of the popular pork product made in the walled city.

Schwemlein encouraged residents to donate to their local food pantries.

“We hope that supporters of PBS Day will find it in their hearts to support their local food pantry this fall and winter season so that they do not incur a shortfall due to our inability to provide for them this year as we have in the past,” Schwemlein said.