CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The long-running St. Ludmila Kolach Festival, typically held in early June, is scheduled this year for June 20-22. Kolaches, a favorite fruit-filled Czech pastry, are the highlight of the festival, which takes place on the church grounds at 211 21st Ave. SW. See photos from a past kolache bake. The 2025 […]
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Cedar Rapids church marks 150 years duri...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — History was on display as St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church celebrated 150 years during its annual Czech Goulash Day on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. Founded by Czech immigrants in 1874, the parish retains its connection to that Bohemian history through the festival, with Czech food, music and more. Czech Goulash Day features […]
Kolache comeback: popular Czech festival...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The St. Ludmila Kolach Festival plans a return next weekend after a one-year hiatus. Set for June 7-9, 2024, at St. Ludmila Catholic Church, 211 21st Ave. SW, the longtime festival features kolaches, a fruit-filled Czech pastry. Last year, the parish temporarily suspended the festival as it demolished its 1958-built elementary […]
Czech festival in Iowa returns with trad...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Aside from gusty winds that played havoc with cash and sheet music, the weather could not have been more picture-perfect for the comeback of a long-running festival that was sidelined last year by the coronavirus pandemic and Iowa’s hurricane-strength derecho. Czech Goulash Day, celebrated in various forms for the past 99 […]
Rural Iowa parish keeps Czech-flavored f...
NOTE: The 2020 Fall Festival has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. CHELSEA, Iowa — Carefully kept records describe dinner donations from parishioners of St. Joseph’s Church for its annual Fall Festival. “Mrs. Anthony Novak: strudel, kolaches, potato salad, cream. Mrs. Jos. Musil: meatloaf, sauerkraut, potato salad. Mrs. John Sichra: loaf of rye bread, […]
Quaint Iowa town hosts vibrant Czech cel...
Like many small Iowa towns, Clutier helps keep its community alive with an annual celebration. With a population of just over 200 people, Clutier is located in east-central Iowa, in an area fondly dubbed the “Bohemian Alps” and more formally as the Scenic Czech Trail. Related: Find three cultures along the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway […]
Goulash Day and CzechFest celebrate Czec...
Czech heritage is celebrated during two events that coincide in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. The St. Wenceslaus Czech Goulash Day, held at the church at 1224 Fifth St. SE, features kolache sales, raffles of a quilt, $1,000 cash and other prizes, bingo, live music, games and the popular Czech goulash meal […]
Czech influence continues at farmers mar...
Kolaches are not a well-kept secret at the Toledo Farmers Market. Every Friday afternoon during market season, customers line up before the opening whistle to be among the first to snatch their favorite flavors of the fruit-filled Czech pastry from market vendors. Cherry, apricot, prune and poppyseed kolaches fill more than one vendors’ table, along […]
Photos: Kolache baking and tour of Bohem...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Czech School students learned how to bake kolaches today, with help from the expert kolache-makers from St. Monica’s Circle at St. Wenceslaus Church. Students rolled balls of the dough, used a glass to form a perfect circle in the center and filled the dough with poppyseed, cherry, apricot and prune filling, […]