CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Kolache and polka-lovers can get their fill during the annual Czech Goulash Day at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church.
The popular festival is set for 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, on the church grounds at 1224 Fifth St. SE, Cedar Rapids.
See photos from the 2024 festival
A 10:30 a.m. Mass is followed by live music, food and sales of kolaches, a beloved fruit-filled Czech pastry.
This year, the Iowa Accordion Club; Barefoot Becky; and Jim & Friends will entertain the crowds under a “big top” tent.
A raffle, Bingo, Kids Zone and tours of the 1904-built church also are featured during the family-friendly event.
Tours of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church will be featured during Czech Goulash Day. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
Annual parish fundraisers at St. Wenceslaus date back to 1894, then known as the Bazaar. The Bazaar was suspended during World War I, but the parish fundraisers resumed in 1922, and the festival marked 100 years in 2022.
St. Wenceslaus sustained damage during Iowa’s 2020 hurricane-strength derecho when straightline winds of up to 140 mph tore through Cedar Rapids. Winds ripped off the roof of the church’s Glovik Parish Center, a 1926 gymnasium that serves as the hub of social activities.
The festival was suspended due to the damage in 2020, but resumed in 2021. The church was also hard-hit during unprecedented flooding in 2008, but rebounded with the help of volunteers.
Last year, the parish celebrated its sesquicentennial, marking 150 years since its founding in 1874 by Bohemian immigrants.
The festival’s namesake goulash — what some might consider a beef and vegetable stew — is among food options available during the event.
More: See photos from a tour of a Cedar Rapids Czech cemetery
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