Kolaches are a large part of the St. Wenceslaus Goulash Day, requiring a whole crew of volunteers for a day of baking, while preparing the annual festival's namesake goulash is a large-scale production in itself. For more than 30 years, Marge and Leonard Jansa have hosted a crew of volunteers at their farm in rural Cedar Rapids for a morning of cleaning, peeling and chopping potatoes, onions and other vegetables that are used in the goulash. The day is as much about fellowship and community as it is about preparing for the festival -- held this year on Sunday, Sept. 24 -- as longtime friends come together to reminisce, discuss current events, family life and more. Marge and Leonard provide snacks and lunch to add to the festive feel.
Cimbálová Muzika Vojara visits Cedar Rapids
Cimbálová Muzika Vojara from Moravia, Czech Republic, performed a free concert at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, July 30. The visit was part of the band's trip to the United States, sponsored by the Czech Slavnosti newspaper.Czech Prince Branden Knight and Czech Princess Victoria Knight, were able to meet the musicians after their performance. (photos/Cindy Hadish)
Czech Royal Court looks ahead after busy season
The Czech Royal Court is finishing an active spring, with one more parade before the crowning ceremony for new members during Houby Days.Crowning of the Czech Prince and Princess and Little Brother and Little Sister will take place at noon Sunday, May 21, at the Kosek Bandstand in Czech Village. The public is encouraged to attend and support all of the candidates, who were interviewed by a panel of judges in March.Members of the Royal Court also will participate in the Houby Days Parade, set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20.Float maker Tim Pfeifer and his family had the float decked out for both the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Cedar Rapids, featuring a Czech lion and leprechaun, and the St. Joseph’s Parade on March 18 through New Bohemia and Czech Village.
Other recent events included the Sokol Šibřinky – a Czech-style Mardi Gras celebration – the Czech School Chili Supper and the Czech Heritage Foundation’s St. Joseph’s Day Dance.Additionally, Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Linda Babinat, Czech Prince Drake Hromidko Ainesworth and Czech Princess Rachael Brandon were interviewed on Z102.9’s Schulte and Swan Morning Show to discuss the March events. Thank you to Sykora Bakery for donating kolaches that were given to the radio crew.
Thanks also go to Donna Gruntorad, Bonnie Rohlena, Jim Gruntorad and Janna Waters for serving as judges for the incoming Royal Court.In addition to Linda, Drake and Rachael, members of the current Royal Court are Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Runner-up Lindsay Hottovy; Czech Prince Branden Knight; Czech Princess Victoria Knight; Little Brothers Lars Landa and Davis Robe; Little Sisters Ingrid Landa, Myah Morgan and FayLyn Franks and honorary court attendants, Frank and Jonathan Kime.
Change underway for Czech Royal Court as application period opens
Applications for the Czech Heritage Foundation's Royal Court are being accepted now through March 1, and new guidelines for the program will open the door for more participants.The Czech Heritage Foundation board approved expanding the criteria for new members at its November meeting. The change will allow aspiring prince, princess, little brother and little sister candidates to apply for the Royal Court if they are active members of a Czech organization, regardless of whether or not they can prove they have Czech ancestry.Adding the Czech organizations opens up the pool of candidates to Czech School students, members of Sokol or others who demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for Czech culture, but are not of Czech descent.Guidelines now state that prince and princess applicants must be 12 through 18 years of age, reside in Iowa and be able to attend events in the Cedar Rapids area. They must either be at least partially of Czech descent or be active participants in Czech organizations.The same rules apply to little brother and little sister applicants, who range in age from 6 to 12.All candidates need to detail their involvement and why they appreciate Czech heritage in their application. Boys and girls compete for the title of Czech Prince or Princess by researching Czech customs and culture, writing an essay and being interviewed by a panel of judges. The winners serve as young ambassadors for the Czech Heritage Foundation in parades, festivals and other events throughout the year, along with their younger counterparts and Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa.
This year's Czech Royal Court has been busy with activities in Czech Village and at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. They participated in the Svatý Mikuláš celebration at the Artisan's Sanctuary and Czech Village Association's tree-lighting ceremony. Members also sold raffle tickets for wreaths at the Old World Christmas Market at the museum and were invited to greet guests at the Three Nuts for Cinderella movie, also at the museum.Applications for next year's Royal Court are due March 1. Crowning will be during Houby Days in May. Find more details at CzechHeritageFoundation.com. For questions, send an email to: royalty@czechheritagefoundation.com.
Czech Princess “Czechs the Walk”
Near-record flooding in Cedar Rapids didn't wash away Rachael Brandon's dream to share her Czech heritage.Rachael, 14, one of the Czech Heritage Foundation's Czech princesses, was scheduled to be in a special event during CzechFest, but the Czech Village festival was canceled in September as floodwaters rose to near-record levels in Cedar Rapids.
Businesses and others in Czech Village and New Bohemia, as well as downtown, sandbagged and temporarily closed their doors to prepare for the flood, which crested at nearly 22 feet on Sept. 27, second in the history of Cedar Rapids only to the 31-foot crest of 2008, which devastated core neighborhoods. This time, earthen berms and other temporary flood protection managed to hold back the swollen Cedar River for the most part, but the flooding forced the cancellation of the St. Wenceslaus Czech Goulash Day and CzechFest.
Rachael, 14, a ninth-grader and aspiring artist, had planned to share her Czech heritage by painting a sidewalk during CzechFest. While “chalk the walk” has become popular nationwide, Rachael had planned to “Czech the Walk” by painting a scene of a girl in kroj – a Czech folk costume – on the sidewalk in front of the Artisan's Sanctuary, 45 16th Ave. SW, which partnered in the event. Although disappointed by the cancellation, Rachael held out hope that she could someday paint her sidewalk mural. Her opportunity arose during Dožínky, a new festival in Czech Village. Dožínky, the Czech word for “after harvest,” featured live music at village restaurants and taverns, a pumpkin-carving contest, Czech polka Mass, a kolache-eating contest at Sykora Bakery, and the last-minute rescheduling of Czech the Walk.
Despite a near-constant drizzle, Rachael was able to paint her sidewalk design during Dožínky on Oct. 15. She modeled the kroj in the painting after her own kroj, which she sewed with the help of her grandmother and wears to parades, festivals and other events in which the Czech Heritage Foundation's Royal Court participates. Rachael, who also is a Czech School student, has a passion for her Czech ancestry. Her father's side of the family came to the United States from Moravia.Most of the Czech Village and New Bohemia shops are back in business and Rachael was excited to be a part of the event.“This is a dream come true,” she said.In addition to Rachael, members of the Czech Royal Court are: Czech Princes Branden Knight and Drake Ainsworth; Czech Princess Victoria Knight; Little Sisters Ingrid Landa, MyAh Morgan and FayLyn Franks; and Little Brothers Lars Landa and Davis Robe.