Slovaks plan ‘Christmas in September’ festival at McMurray museum
Mushroom soup, stuffed cabbage, palacinky, halušky, as well as doughnut-like ceregi will be on the menu from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, when the National Slovak Society Heritage Museum hosts its third annual “Christmas in September” festival at its home office, 351 Valley Brook Road, McMurray.
Craftsmen and women will be demonstrating various Slovak Christmas traditions so attendees can learn how to create ornaments to decorate a tree or to give as gifts well in advance of the holidays.
The Junior Pittsburgh Slovakians dance troupe will entertain, and the owners of “Roxy,” the Slovensky cuvac (pronounced chew-vutch), an indigenous Slovak dog breed that is rare in the United States, are bringing her to the event. The pale, thick-coated canine is used in the mountains of Slovakia as a livestock guard dog.
Those who seek to recapture the past, or those who want to learn more about Slovak Christmas traditions, can familiarize themselves with ethnic offerings.
There is no admission fee.
The Metropolitan Pittsburgh area has 105,525 descendants of Slovaks, making it the number one city in the world for people of Slovak heritage outside of Slovakia itself, according to the website GlobalPittsburgh.org.
A historic marker in Pittsburgh commemorates the founding of Czecholslovakia in what is known as either the Pittsburgh Pact or the Pittsburgh Agreement May 31, 1918.
According to the 2009 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census, there were approximately 801,000 people of Slovak heritage living in the United States.
Of these, 43 percent reside in the northeastern states, with Pennsylvania ranking first among those with Slovak ancestors.
Organizers of the festival note it is the first of two area events geared toward Slovak-Americans.The Western Pennsylvania Slovak Radio Hour will sponsor its 32nd annual dinner-dance fundraiser at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Center on Pittsburgh’s South Side, 2912 East Carson St. Cash bar opens at 5 p.m. Oct. 4, and a buffet dinner will be served a half-hour later. The musical group Kontakty, from New Jersey, will perform the music of Slovakia and other dance tunes.
Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are $40 each, or $35 each if purchased by Monday. More information is available at 412 421-1204. The Western Pennsylvania Slovak Radio Hour, hosted by Rudy and Sue Ondrejco, airs from 3 to 4 p.m. Sundays on WPIT-AM 730.