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Hungarian Day fest celebrates heritage
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Steve Pal of Akron plays the violin with the band The Hungarians during the 87th annual Hungarian Day Festival at the Aut Mori Grotto Hall, 563 N. Belle Vista Ave., Youngstown on Sunday.
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
Anyone who watched Paula Horvath dance gracefully to a slow rhythm might be tempted to think that gravity had taken the day off.
That’s because she deftly and almost effortlessly performed to string music with a wine bottle on her head.
“It’s to show the skill of women dancers,” the Youngstown woman explained after she also had placed the bottle on the floor and danced around it.
Horvath’s dancing in that manner also is symbolic of a Hungarian tradition in which many women carried water bottles on their heads en route to a river. In addition, her solo performance drew the attention of attendees who came to Sunday’s 87th annual Hungarian Day Festival at the Aut Mori Grotto Hall, 563 N. Belle Vista Ave., on the West Side.
Hosting the five-hour gathering was the Youngstown American-Hungarian Federation.
The fest featured a variety of Hungarian meals and pastries. The event, which used to be in the Idora Park ballroom, also was to allow people to come together and celebrate Hungarian culture and customs, noted Frank Schauer, the federation’s president.
In addition, the 60-year-old Horvath, who began dancing around age 5 or 6, is a member of the Csillagok Hungarian Folk Ensemble, a local group.
Also part of the dance troupe is Valerie Sinkuc of Farrell, Pa., who’s been to Hungary 14 or 15 times to visit her aunt and other relatives.
In similar fashion, many Hungarians take part in a fun-filled, traditional harvest-fest dance in early fall in which grapes or apples are hung from a ceiling, Sinkuc explained. Participants who get caught “stealing” the fruits pay a “fine” or go to a makeshift “jail,” she continued.
On Sunday, however, none of the several hundred attendees had to worry about either. Instead, many of them enjoyed a menu that consisted of csirke paprikas (chicken paprika with dumplings), toltott karoszta (stuffed cabbage), kaposztas teszta (cabbage and noodles), nokedli and martas (dumplings with sauce) and gulyas (goulash).
Almost in assembly-line fashion, the kitchen crew busily prepared the dinners and trimmings, most of which cost $2 to $8. One of those was Maria Schauer, the federation’s secretary/treasurer and Frank’s wife.
“The same groups have been coming back every year,” she said proudly. “They’re so loyal.”
Before thrusting herself into the kitchen duties, Maria made an apple streusel dessert.
After their meals, many people were drawn to several tables that consisted of pastries and desserts such as pitzels, slices of lemon sponge cake, cream puffs and kiffles (traditional Hungarian cookies made from cream-cheese dough with pastry filling added). Also available for $2 apiece were strawberry, apricot and cheese crepes.
Handling the sweet end of things was Mary Foor of Lorain, formerly of Youngstown, who, along with her daughter, Chrissy, simply wanted to assist with the festival. Foor’s cousin, Kathy Novak, helped organize the event.
Maria Schauer added that she’s grateful the event continues to grow. The festival was moved this year because the Hungarian Club on Donald Avenue closed last spring.
The gathering also featured several traditional Hungarian dances and types of music, raffles and door prizes.