Czech Festivals In The U.S.
All across the United States, there are areas where Czech culture plays a vital role in the community. Many towns and sections of larger cities were originally settled by Czech-American immigrants and celebrations honoring Czech culture and ancestry are held frequently.
Many states have large Czech-American populations, like Texas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. In small Czech heritage communities, annual festivals are held to honor Czech traditions and enjoy great food, music, and drink. Here are a few of our favorite annual Czech festivals …
Tabor Czech Days is an annual festival held in June each year in the small South Dakota town of Tabor, settled by Czech immigrants in 1869. The three day event attracts thousands of visitors from across the U.S. and includes lots of great food, music, a craft fair, quilt display, and more.
A Czech Days Queen is crowned on Saturday evening after a traditional Czech polka mass, and there’s lots of revelry as over 200 costumed dancers entertain. Also, you can visit an authentic mini Czech pioneer village and everything is capped off with a huge fireworks display on Saturday night. I have visited this festival and it’s one of the best!
Nebraska has several annual Czech heritage festivals and one of the largest and most elaborate (and fun!) is Czech Days in the small town of Wilber, located about 35 miles southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska’s capital city. The three day annual event is held on the first full weekend of August, with this years theme being “Celebrating 50 Years of Czech Heritage”.
The town’s historical Hotel Wilber (an operating hotel), opens a lively beer garden for Czech Days and it’s close to all the events and demonstrations taking place all weekend long. There’s lots of live music, a Czech historical pageant, a beauty pageant, and heritage demonstrations. The Wilber Czech Dancers perform each day of the festival, and the town literally transforms itself into an authentic Czech village.
Even if you can’t make it to Wilber during the annual Czech Days, the town is well worth a visit, if only to enjoy a great traditional dinner at the Hotel Wilber in their Czech Cellar, open on weekends.
