Sat 8/2 @ 1-8PM
In 2013, the Slovenian community located around the Slovenian National Home and Slovenian Archives at St. Clair and East 65th kicked off a new festival called Kurentovanje, based on a popular event taking place in Ptuj, Slovenia. Taking place in late February/early March, it celebrates the coming of spring with furry costumed kurenti clanging big bells to chase winter away. It’s grown into a big indoor/outdoor event taking place inside and around the Slovenian National Home, with plenty of revelers enjoying outside activities no matter what the weather’s like.
In 2023, the Slovenian National Home started a second community festival called Zabava! (a Slovenian term for a party with music and dancing) to take advantage of the summer sunshine, so it’s mostly outdoors. Like Kurentovanje, it’s neighborly and family-friendly and all are welcome, Slovenian or not. Now in its third year it’s shifted to slightly later hours which take advantage of the longer summer evenings, so now attendees can eat, drink, play games, and dance to polka music until 8. There’ll be plenty of Slovenian-style food such as smoked sausage, grilled čevapi, potica and strudel, and the Slovenian sausage-eating contest which debuted last year, sponsored by Raddell’s Sausage Shop, is back.
Live music will start with a polka jam session featuring some of the many topnotch regional polka musicians, with the Anthony Culkar Band returning later in the day to keep the dance floor filled. Inside the Slovenian Home the balinca (bocce) courts downstairs will host a tournament with 16 teams competing. Be sure to take time to browse the crafts and artisan vendors, many of them offering Slovenian and European as well as local items.
Zabava! is free and welcomes people of all ages and ethnicities.