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JOHNSTON, Pa. — Slavic entertainment, food, crafts and demonstrations will be on display at this national celebration.
The seventh annual Johnstown Slav Festival will be held Friday from 4-10pm and September 17th from noon to 9:30pm in the parking lot and courtyard of the Heritage Discovery Center at 201 Sixth Avenue. Johnstown.
“The festival is held at the Heritage Discovery Center because its themes, including immigration to the region and the history of steel and coal, are directly related to the history of the region’s Slavs,” said Richard Johnstown Regional Heritage President and CEO Burkett said the association.
Brian Subich, chairman of the events committee, said the festival was the idea of the late Dan Kisha, who wanted a simple and strictly Slavic event.
“The Slavic Festival is special in that we entertain with Slavic performers and serve Slavic food and drinks, but we also educate through our speaker series and cooking demonstrations,” he said.
“Culinary demonstrations and educational speakers help showcase our Slavic roots and help educate the next generation to carry on the tradition.”
Subic said the festival continues to grow every year.
“In the first year, it might have been 300 to 400 people, but over time it has grown significantly and now we have thousands of people every day,” he said.
“Once people go to the festival, they realize it’s real and very traditional. I think they love it.”
The performance will take place on the main stage and courtyard in the Heritage Discovery Centre parking lot.
“There are many Slavic countries, so there is more than one kind of music,” Subic said.
“We’re trying to get a cross-section and get a band that everyone can enjoy and connect with.”
Friday’s main stage entertainment includes John Stevens Polka Band from 4:30-6:30pm, folk dance lessons from 6:30-7:30pm and Sviraj from 7:30-9:30pm
Bronco Toter will perform on the Courtyard Stage from 4:30-7:30pm, followed by Jessica Schulte from 8-9:30pm.
On September 17, 1-1:30pm, main stage entertainment will include St. George Adult Tamburitza Ensemble; Pajtasi 2-3:30pm; St. George Adult Tamburitza Ensemble, 4pm-4pm 4:30pm; Gerdan 5pm-6:30pm; Folk Dance Lessons 7pm-7:30pm; and Radost 7:30pm-9pm
Courtyard shows include Jessica Schulte from noon to 1:30 pm, Jim Vizzini from 2 to 3:30 pm, Bronco Toter from 4 to 5:30 pm and Jerry Intihar from 6 to 7:30 pm
“Every year, we like to bring in new musicians, looking for musicians and bands that people haven’t heard or seen,” Subic said.
Ukrainian band Gerdan is led by 2020 Grammy winner Andrei Pidkivka, who produced the soundtrack to the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl,” he said.
“All the members of the band immigrated to the United States from Ukraine and are based in Washington, D.C.,” Subich said.
“I don’t know what more validation I can show people than that when we say we’ve brought in authentic Slavic music.”
Ace’s, Babcia’s Lunchbox, Darlington Inn, Fredo’s Deli, Gosia’s Pierogies, Klosky’s Cuisine, Life’s A Treat, Old World Catering, Phoenix Tavern, St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church, Steel City Chimney Cakes, Tulunes and William Penn Society.
“This year, we have more food suppliers and some new ones than ever before,” Subic said.
“There will be foods that people haven’t heard of before.”
Beers representing eight Slavic countries will be served.
They include Karlovacko (Croatia), Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic), Primator (Czech Republic), Zywiec (Poland), Ozujsko (Croatia), Lomza (Poland), Czechvar (Czech Republic) and Baltika (Russia).
Stone Bridge Brewing Company will be offering a Slavic Suds Pivo made especially for the festival.
Slavic crafts will be for sale and various organisations will be sharing information at any time, including the William Penn Society, the Johnstown Area Genealogy and History Society, the First Catholic Federation of Slovakia and the Slovenian National Welfare Society.
“It’s everything from matryoshka to pysanky eggs to handmade Czech glass and beads,” says Subich.
A cooking demonstration will be held at Galliker’s Café on September 17th.
At 1.30pm, Cheryl Chovanec will be making a one-pot pig cabbage casserole.
Brian Shustrick will be making pelmeni Ukrainian dumplings at 2:30pm
At 3.30pm, Georgette Brnilovich will make Serbian burek, a pastry made from phyllo dough with meat or cheese.
On September 17, speakers will introduce related topics in the Education Center at the Discovery Center.
From 1-2pm, Rick Vukmanic will present “The Croats – Who We Are and Where We Come From”.
Members of Gerdan will share traditional Ukrainian music from 2:15pm to 3:15pm
From 3:30 to 4:30 pm Donna Vranesivich will present “Srbski Warodnd Seirbian Folk Costumes”.
There is no admission fee to attend the festival.
“We want to entertain and educate this festival,” Subic said.
“Hopefully people can go home with what they’ve learned, whether it’s how to pronounce the food they order or the beer they drink, how to make traditional food or just better understand their Slavic heritage.”
The Heritage Discovery Center and Johnstown Children’s Museum will have free admission during the festival.
Event-friendly paid parking will be available at the Best Window & Door parking lot on Sixth Avenue near Broad Street.
According to JAHA, the Slavic people come from countries such as Belarus, Bosnia and Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia and Ukraine.
The Slavs also included the Carpatho-Rusyn people, whose descendants lived in the Johnstown area.
From 1880 to 1920, thousands of Slavic immigrants came to Johnstown to find work in the area’s factories and mines.
By 1920, 25% of Johnstown’s residents were of Slavic ancestry. They have created a rich network of churches and social clubs to support their lifestyle and culture.
For more information about the festival, visit www.johnstownslavicfestival.org.
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