The Church of the Good Shepherd invites the community to an evening of Polish cuisine and live music Saturday.

"You can't beat good food and great dancing," said Tom Sacklyn, coordinator of Polka-Polka Night. "We try to come up with ideas that people are interested in. Different ethnicities around the parish and everybody enjoys a church community event."

Sacklyn said the Catholic church in north Forsyth often holds themed dances, including an Irish night close to St. Patrick's Day.

The polka may be foreign to some in Forsyth County, but the Brooklyn, N.Y., native says it's common in other parts of country.

"Everybody can polka in Chicago or New York, for that matter," Sacklyn said. "If you can't catch on, you can fake it."

About 300 guests are expected to attend the fundraiser, which was affected by the weather in 2008.

"We ran a little short last year because there was a snowstorm that evening," he said. "A lot of people who wanted to come didn't make it out that night because they had predicted doom and gloom."

Money raised through the event will go toward various nonprofit organizations.

"We usually give away to charities most people don't see and that don't typically get the big bucks from somebody else," Sacklyn said.

The Atlanta Polka Band will perform during the three-hour event, which will also feature authentic Polish cuisine. The menu will include kielbasa, pierogies and kapoosta, as well as spirits and desserts.

"It's not the fake stuff," Sacklyn said. "This is the real stuff.

"There are not a lot of places where you can get good food and dance in a friendly atmosphere. And it's an all-ages event. There are a lot of people that are older, who don't go anywhere, but they will go to Polka-Polka.