Simply Slavic, the festival created specifically to celebrate Youngstown’s Slavic
community, will take place on Saturday, June 15th, 2013 from Noon to Midnight
on
Federal Plaza East in historic Downtown Youngstown. The event will include
live music, folk dance performances, homemade food, children’s learning areas, educational
exhibits, workshops, and ethnic vendors. A full day of entertainment and education
is planned.
In this way, we will continue to showcase the rich traditions of the Slavic ethnicities
present in the Mahoning Valley. The modern-day European nations representing the
origins of our region’s Slavic ancestors are Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and
Ukraine. In addition, we also have many descendants of Carpatho-Rusyn
immigrants present in our area, who will also be represented at the festival. Individually,
each group’s numbers may not seem large, but together, they represent a powerful
presence.
Numerous respected organizations, churches and area businesses have already enthusiastically
signed on to support and participate in this effort. These include the City of Youngstown, PolishYoungstown, The American Slovak Cultural Association of Mahoning Valley,
The Carpatho-Rusyn Heritage
Society and many others. By enhancing the community’s knowledge
of these lively peoples through a joyful, family-friendly experience, we hope to
honor the shared past of our beloved ancestors by educating and enriching the lives
of a future generation.
Please explore our site to see photos, maps and information regarding not only the
festival but also general information which may begin your journey learning more
about your ancestry and the beautiful places in Europe from which your Slavic ancestors
originated. We also work year-round to provide information regarding local and regional
Slavic ethnic performances, picnics and festivals on our Simply Slavic Facebook
page.
Please view the details of our sponsorship packages and the participation opportunities
we are offering for this exciting event! You may do this by clicking on the sponsorship/donation
links below.
Business Sponsorship Form 2013
Family Sponsorship Form 2013
Baking Contest Form 2013