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Czech legend of Three Frozen Kings offer...

Few days have tempted gardeners to plant early in Iowa this spring. With daytime temperatures hovering in the 50s and nights even colder, already into May, many gardeners are waiting for more conducive weather. Related: Slow start to morel mushroom season Still, with 70-degree days (hopefully) on the horizon, a Czech legend offers a warning […]

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 […]

Cedar Rapids parish works to overcome de...

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is preparing a post-derecho comeback by hosting its popular festival, Czech Goulash Day, on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, after a one-year absence. Like many places in Cedar Rapids, the church sustained damage during the August 2020 derecho, including a severe hit to its Glovik Parish Center. The […]

Piecing together a faux Bohemian kroj

Buying a kroj wasn’t on my radar when I visited the Czech Republic several years ago. The traditional folk costumes, with elaborate designs worn in years past for weddings and other celebrations, are now uncommon in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, outside of dance troupes or folk festivals. Being involved in Czech-American organizations, we’re occasionally […]