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Downtown site of Slavic heritage festival
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
On Saturday, many things Slavic occupied a two-block portion of East Federal Street downtown, site of the third annual Simply Slavic Heritage Festival.
The 12-hour gathering got underway about noon Saturday and featured plenty of ethnic foods and clothing, live bands, folk dancing, children’s learning areas and activities, educational exhibits and workshops.
Eleven food vendors and nine ethnic marketplaces were among the local, regional and out-of-state entities that made up the event. Its main purposes were to celebrate Slavic culture and traditions in the Mahoning Valley and to educate people of all ages about their ancestry, noted David Slanina, an event coordinator.
Assisting in those efforts was Loretta A. Ekoniak, president of the Beaver Township-based American Slovak Cultural Association of the Mahoning Valley.
“I love helping people find their roots,” said Ekoniak, who also co-wrote a book titled “Slovaks of the Greater Mahoning Valley.”
Ekoniak and her husband, Mike Ekoniak, were busy referring to a large map of Slovakia to point out certain towns and villages to attendees, many of whom likely have relatives in those regions.
“I try to give them leads to find out the actual town they’re from,” she continued, adding that baptismal and wedding records as well as naturalization papers and the Internet can be valuable tools, too.
The festival’s main staples were a variety of foods that included tarhonya bende (egg drops), pirogies and napolitanke (cookies), as well as nonstop entertainment from crowd favorites such as the Del Sinchak Band, which played three sets, and several tamburitzan groups.
The headliner was Harmonia, a Cleveland-based Eastern Europe folk-music ensemble.
It’s safe to say that those looking for items indigenous to Slavic culture didn’t leave disappointed. Merchandise for sale included prayer cards, scarves, jewelry such as crystal earrings, bracelets and necklaces, colored decorative eggs, cornhusk dolls, books on Slovakian culture, T-shirts and kitchen towels.
A cluster of people was drawn to a series of hand-painted and hand-crafted wine bottles and glasses, the handiwork of Darlene Marks.
“I enjoy promoting our culture and our heritage,” said Marks, who in 1988 opened her two businesses, Dar Lanes Gifts and Rabbit Creek Studios, in her West Side home.
Before starting her businesses, Marks recalled, she ran a gift shop that largely featured ethnic gourmet foods. Over time, she began to design gift baskets, and that led to her specialty.
Marks, who participates in an average of three ethnic shows each year, said she also enjoys adding personal touches to her merchandise. For example, many customers enjoy seeing their names painted on specialty wine bottles, plates and glassware, she explained.
Also deeply proud to promote her history was Alexandra Lisiecki of Warren, Mich., whose business, Recultured Designs, specializes in tapestry, apparel, children’s wear and necklaces that combine contemporary designs inspired by Slovakian folklore, history and pop culture.
Other attendees gathered next to a poster board with information on and photographs of famous Slovak Americans such as actress Angelina Jolie, singer Jon Bon Jovi, local boxing champion Kelly Pavlik, Boardman native and former San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky, and Tom Ridge, former U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary.