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Wednesday
March 17, 2010 Since 1922 |
66th Czech Fest celebrates Crosby's heritage
By Jessica Robertson
Baytown Sun Published October 2, 2006 Polka-playing band? Czech.
Kolaches and kielbasa by the pound? Czech.
A crowd of thousands at the Crosby Fairgrounds? Czech.
Sacred Heart Church in Crosby held its 66th annual Czech Fest on Sunday to highlight the community’s heritage and to raise money for the congregation.
While the festival maintained many of its traditional events, it also added a few activities to appeal to teenagers and young adults, chairwoman Cindy Fox said.
“In the last couple of years, things for kids kind of dwindled,” she said. “Now, we’re trying to have something for everyone.”
Activities that have become institutions at the festival — a performance by Texas Sound Check, a fast-paced auction and customary Czech cuisine — were coupled with teen-friendly games and events, Fox said.
“We’ve added a shooting gallery and a dunk tank, so hopefully we’re appealing to teenagers,” she said.
The festival was originally held on church grounds but moved to the fairgrounds nearly a decade ago, after attendance grew.
“It started as just a church bazaar,” Fox said. “But it’s really blossomed since we’ve come to the fairgrounds.”
By mid-afternoon, more than 1,000 people spread across the fairgrounds to sample the festival’s offerings. Although admission and parking were both free, she said, the church raised money through selling barbecue plates and baked goods, raffling gift cards and auctioning hundreds of items.
“A highlight of the event every year is the auction,” Fox said. “The quilts by the Altar Society Quilters are always popular. The top quilt last year sold for $10,000, and the whole auction raised $40,000.”
The entire festival last year brought more than $60,000 to the church, she said. Although organizers didn’t pinpoint a specific fund-raising goal this year, Fox said she hoped to surpass that total and reach $100,000.
Eager bidders could have made that goal attainable. Kay Peddy and her husband Elmo staked out an almost front-row spot for the afternoon auction. The couple, who have attended the festival every year for more than a decade, said the auction is one reason they make the annual trip.
“I went to the (Sacred Heart) Catholic Church School, but now I live in Hankamer,” she said. “I come back for this. It’s tradition and family. We expect to eat good food and see the auction.”
Some big-ticket items were a $500 small handmade throw, a $400 baby quilt, a $1,750 handcrafted leather saddle and a $2,500 quilt. A one-year covered parking spot at the church for 8 a.m. Mass also sold for $500.
Most of the items were either donated by local businesses or church members, Fox said. The volunteers who manned the booths and sold food were also parishioners, she said.
“So many of the people who work have been doing it for many, many years,” Fox said. “A lot of them do the same booth every year.”
Two of those volunteers, Annette Blanscet and Ashley Stubbs, have organized a booth featuring a carnival game with a spinning wheel for the last several years. Blanscet, who has attended the festival for 15 years, said she has seen the event evolve into a full-scale family affair.
“On one side (of the fairgrounds), you have the children and games, more of the family-oriented things,” she said. “Then, you have your adult beverages and other activities on the other end. Now, we’re also having more things for teenagers to do.”
Although the focus of the festival is on Czechoslovakian heritage, Fox said, many people from other backgrounds also attend. Still, the event allows residents of Czech descent to celebrate their history, she said.
“Crosby is a big Czechoslovakian community,” Fox said. “We’re here to celebrate our heritage. For many of the people in our parish, their great-grandparents settled here from Czechoslovakia, so it’s an opportunity to enjoy our heritage together with the music and food.”
The Czech immigration to Texas began in the late 1800s when the Rev. Josef Arnost Bergmann left his homeland to minister to German Protestants in Austin County. He later praised the state to residents of overcrowded Central Europe, prompting them to make the move.
Today, more than 400,000 Texans are believed to be of Czech descent. Janie Sitka, a member of first-time festival entertainers the Czech Heritage Singers and Dancers of Houston, said she incorporates her heritage into everything she does.
“I’m very proud to be Czech,” she said. “It’s important to keep the Czech traditions going. This is where our ancestors came from, so we have to keep it all going — the dancing, the food and the beer.”
Baytown Sun Published October 2, 2006 Polka-playing band? Czech.
Kolaches and kielbasa by the pound? Czech.
A crowd of thousands at the Crosby Fairgrounds? Czech.
Sacred Heart Church in Crosby held its 66th annual Czech Fest on Sunday to highlight the community’s heritage and to raise money for the congregation.
While the festival maintained many of its traditional events, it also added a few activities to appeal to teenagers and young adults, chairwoman Cindy Fox said.
“In the last couple of years, things for kids kind of dwindled,” she said. “Now, we’re trying to have something for everyone.”
Activities that have become institutions at the festival — a performance by Texas Sound Check, a fast-paced auction and customary Czech cuisine — were coupled with teen-friendly games and events, Fox said.
“We’ve added a shooting gallery and a dunk tank, so hopefully we’re appealing to teenagers,” she said.
The festival was originally held on church grounds but moved to the fairgrounds nearly a decade ago, after attendance grew.
“It started as just a church bazaar,” Fox said. “But it’s really blossomed since we’ve come to the fairgrounds.”
By mid-afternoon, more than 1,000 people spread across the fairgrounds to sample the festival’s offerings. Although admission and parking were both free, she said, the church raised money through selling barbecue plates and baked goods, raffling gift cards and auctioning hundreds of items.
“A highlight of the event every year is the auction,” Fox said. “The quilts by the Altar Society Quilters are always popular. The top quilt last year sold for $10,000, and the whole auction raised $40,000.”
The entire festival last year brought more than $60,000 to the church, she said. Although organizers didn’t pinpoint a specific fund-raising goal this year, Fox said she hoped to surpass that total and reach $100,000.
Eager bidders could have made that goal attainable. Kay Peddy and her husband Elmo staked out an almost front-row spot for the afternoon auction. The couple, who have attended the festival every year for more than a decade, said the auction is one reason they make the annual trip.
“I went to the (Sacred Heart) Catholic Church School, but now I live in Hankamer,” she said. “I come back for this. It’s tradition and family. We expect to eat good food and see the auction.”
Some big-ticket items were a $500 small handmade throw, a $400 baby quilt, a $1,750 handcrafted leather saddle and a $2,500 quilt. A one-year covered parking spot at the church for 8 a.m. Mass also sold for $500.
Most of the items were either donated by local businesses or church members, Fox said. The volunteers who manned the booths and sold food were also parishioners, she said.
“So many of the people who work have been doing it for many, many years,” Fox said. “A lot of them do the same booth every year.”
Two of those volunteers, Annette Blanscet and Ashley Stubbs, have organized a booth featuring a carnival game with a spinning wheel for the last several years. Blanscet, who has attended the festival for 15 years, said she has seen the event evolve into a full-scale family affair.
“On one side (of the fairgrounds), you have the children and games, more of the family-oriented things,” she said. “Then, you have your adult beverages and other activities on the other end. Now, we’re also having more things for teenagers to do.”
Although the focus of the festival is on Czechoslovakian heritage, Fox said, many people from other backgrounds also attend. Still, the event allows residents of Czech descent to celebrate their history, she said.
“Crosby is a big Czechoslovakian community,” Fox said. “We’re here to celebrate our heritage. For many of the people in our parish, their great-grandparents settled here from Czechoslovakia, so it’s an opportunity to enjoy our heritage together with the music and food.”
The Czech immigration to Texas began in the late 1800s when the Rev. Josef Arnost Bergmann left his homeland to minister to German Protestants in Austin County. He later praised the state to residents of overcrowded Central Europe, prompting them to make the move.
Today, more than 400,000 Texans are believed to be of Czech descent. Janie Sitka, a member of first-time festival entertainers the Czech Heritage Singers and Dancers of Houston, said she incorporates her heritage into everything she does.
“I’m very proud to be Czech,” she said. “It’s important to keep the Czech traditions going. This is where our ancestors came from, so we have to keep it all going — the dancing, the food and the beer.”