Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Isabel Sherman dances with her dad, Peter Sherman, to music from Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen during Czech Goulash Day Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

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 its namesake goulash — what some might consider a beef and vegetable stew — and kolaches, a fruit-filled Czech pastry in traditional flavors of cherry, apricot, poppyseed and prune, along with raffles, bingo, tours of the 1904 church, a kids zone and live music, including the Iowa Accordion Club and Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen.

Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Isabel Sherman and younger members of the Czech Royal Court greeted visitors and posed for photos in front of the sesquicentennial sign.

The St. Wenceslaus Church history display is seen as Czech President Petr Pavel, First Lady Eva Pavlová and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini tour the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

Members of the church history committee have been marking the sesquicentennial with various activities, including tours of the 1904 church, a proclamation noting the milestone at last week’s Cedar Rapids City Council meeting, and a display at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.

More: See photos of the Czech and Slovak presidential visit to Cedar Rapids

Historical artifacts from the past 150 years of the parish and former St. Wenceslaus School
were on display during Czech Goulash Day, including a paddle wheel used during early years of the festival, when live geese and chickens were among the prizes.

Future activities to mark the sesquicentennial include a tour of St. John’s Cemetery, 1340 17th St. SE, this Saturday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m., and a Sesquicentennial Mass at the church, with Archbishop Zinkula, Saturday, Oct. 19, at 4 p.m. Both are free and open to the public.

Historical artifacts were on display at St. Wenceslaus Church to mark its sesquicentennial. (photo/Cindy Hadish)

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.

St. Wenceslaus is a Czech national parish, meaning any Catholic can be a member, regardless of parish boundaries.

See photos from a past Czech Goulash Day and more from this year’s festival, below: