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Festival celebrates all things Slavic
By Sean Barron
YOUNGSTOWN
It’s probably a cliche to state that some people have a knack for being a jack of all trades, but in Kimberly Root’s case, you might safely surmise that she’s a jack of all titles.
“I’m the Jill of all trades, but master of none,” the Lowellville woman said with laughter. “I’m all over the place.”
Root, who lived in Las Vegas for about five years, was referring to many of her travels and titles as well as much of her work. That includes having been a promotional model, a nanny and a board member with the Lindsay Renea Dance Theater, a nonprofit organization that brings dance instruction to less fortunate children in urban areas.
In addition, Root won the 2013 Miss Slovakia USA Multiverse title during a contest in the Dominican Republic. In that competition, she also finished fifth against contestants from 27 countries, Root recalled.
She previously was named Miss Czech Slovak Nevada, a title she won in Las Vegas, and was runner-up in the Miss Czech Slovak US competition in Wilbur, Neb., which hosts that pageant each year.
Root’s heritage, though, was the main thing she was celebrating during Saturday’s sixth annual Simply Slavic Heritage Festival downtown.
The all-day, family-friendly gathering featured 10 vendors who sold ethnic goods, and another 12 food vendors, said Dave Slanina, who along with his brother, John Slanina, was an event organizer. Also in the mix were educational exhibits, workshops, folk dancing, a baking contest, live music and children’s activities.
The event was to celebrate Slavic traditions and culture in the Mahoning Valley while promoting and keeping such customs going for the younger generations, Dave Slanina said.
On prominent display were 14 colorful flags, 13 of which represented all of the Slavic countries, Dave explained. He added that the 14th one represented Carpatho-Rusyn, a mainly diasporic ethnic group that spans many Slovak countries and their mountainous regions.
The Mahoning Valley has descendants of Carpatho-Rusyn immigrants, he said.
“I mostly identify with the Slovak part of me,” Root said, adding that her mother came to the U.S. around 1958 from her native Kozarovce, Slovakia.
During the fest, she was assisting attendees interested in learning more about their genealogical roots, she said.
Along those lines, Auggie Heschmeyer set up shop at one of the festival’s memory-sharing booths, in which people had the opportunity to share their Slavic heritage and related stories, including how they had arrived in the Valley.
“Everybody has their own story and we like to capture it,” said Heschmeyer, a volunteer with Polish Youngstown and Youngstown-based Jet Creative, a digital-marketing and design agency. “All are from similar places, but took different paths to get here.”
Once they got to the fest, however, many attendees enjoyed a menu consisting of traditional favorites such as cevapcici dinners (sausage and potato salad), kielbasa, haluski, kolachi, stuffed cabbage and noodles, rice pilaf, crepes and containers of chrust, which are bow-tie cookies topped with powdered sugar.
The variety of entertainment also pleased the crowd, as many people of all ages danced to the polka sounds of the popular Del Sinchak Band. Happy to show off a few moves – which included running around the makeshift dance floor – was 4-year-old Jack Miner of Lowellville, who came with his mother, Melissa Miner.
“I love it very much,” said Melissa, adding that this was her first time to the festival. “It’s definitely good for downtown.”
Plenty of Slavic-related merchandise was for sale, including T-shirts for $15, cassettes, numerous books on Slovakian culture and sites, caps, figurines, jewelry, tote bags, pendants, religious symbols and compact discs. For the nostalgic at heart, CDs on Idora Park also were available.
Providing added entertainment were the Nocne Sove Tamburitzans, the Lucina Solvak Folklore Ensemble, the Happy Hearts Junior Tamburitzans, the Mikey Dee Polka Band, the Youngstown Area Ukrainian Dancers, the Harmonica Folk Ensemble, the Living Traditions Folk Ensemble Polish Suite and the Slavjane Folk Ensemble.