“This event gives folks a glimpse of Czech culture, an amazing taste of old-world Czech food while enjoying great music, Pivo’s signature Masopust Czech beer, live and silent auctions, scholarship awards and entertainment.”
The Czech Heritage Partnership is holding its 17th Annual Masopust celebration on Saturday, Feb. 18, at Pivo Brewery in Calmar.
Czech Heritage Partnership (CHP) President Ken Zajicek said, “This event gives folks a glimpse of Czech culture, an amazing taste of old-world Czech food while enjoying great music, Pivo’s signature Masopust Czech beer, live and silent auctions, scholarship awards and entertainment.”
Highlighted during the event will be the Czech village and descendants of Veliš, a municipality and village in Benešov District in the Central Bohemian region of the Czech Republic with approximately 300 inhabitants. Additionally, Veliš is the origin of the Pecinovsky family, and the Pecinovsky name will be recognized.
Audrey Lensing, the CHP organizer of the Masopust event stated, “This year’s entertainment features the well-known Malek’s Fishermen Band, one of the finest polka bands in the Midwest and continues the great tradition of dance music excellence started by Syl Malek in the 1930s.”
The modern Malek’s Fishermen Band plays a wide range of dance music that includes the traditional old-time polkas, waltzes, two-steps and schottisches as well as country, big band, Dixieland and other dance hall favorites.
A Czech notable who will be in attendance is Onrej Pometlo, Deputy Head of Mission, Head of Consular Department, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago. Czech heritage enthusiasts from throughout Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin will also be attending.
A live auction will be held, featuring unique Czech objects and many local business items. Additionally, there will be a silent auction, the Pecinovsky Scholarship winner will be announced, and there will be an opportunity to meet the Czech Deputy Consul General from Chicago.
Entertainment winds down with music and the famous Czech supper by Calmar’s U-2 BBQ. The menu consists of traditional Czech foods including breaded pork cutlets (Smazeny Veprovy Rizky), dill gravy (Koprova Omacka), tomato-cucumber salad (Rajcato-Okurkovy salat), parsley potatoes (Petrizelove-brambory), dumplings (Knedliky), sauerkraut (Kysele zeli), Czech Sausage (Jitrnice), kolaches and rohlicky, rye bread (Zitny Chleb) and poppy seed cake (Makovy dort).”
The PIVO event center doors open at noon Saturday, Feb. 18, for festivities. Supper will be served around 5 p.m. Tickets for Masopust are available from Audrey Lensing at 563-380-3015, Ken Zajicek at 563-379-4100 and Eileen Tlusty at 641-229-6049.
Funds from Masopust support the operation of the Family History and Documentation Center in Protivin and cultural events like the recent concerts in the Spillville church.
About the CHP
The Czech Heritage Partnership was established in 2003. The CHP is an active association of persons interested in preserving and promoting our collective ethnic heritage, history, forms of music and genealogy. The CHP Family History Center preserves our social customs, historic properties, old documents, family pictures and books. This focus on cultural heritage enriches lives and the quality of life in this region.
Czech them out at “czechmasopust” on Facebook or www.northeastiowaczech.com.