Slovenefest offers food, music and tradition

Staff report

Borough of SNPJ, Pa.

The 37th annual Slovenefest will take place next weekend at the SNPJ Recreation Center in Lawrence County.

The weekendlong celebration of the music, food and traditions of Slovenia always attracts up to 5,000 people each year, making it the largest Slovenian cultural festival of its kind.

It features more than 20 Slovenian polka bands and button-box accordion clubs at five indoor and outdoor venues, with nonstop music that starts at noon each day.

The menu includes Slovenian sausage and barbecued lamb, chicken and pork, along with other favorite festival foods and a variety of beverages, including Slovenian beer and wines.

Festival guests will be able to explore the culture of Slovenia through an extensive display of folk attire, crafts and presentations in the SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center museum.

Families and children can swim in the Olympic-size pool, fish in the lake, play miniature golf, ride the trackless train, play on the playground equipment and participate in organized activities. These family activities, as well as admission to the swimming pool and the Slovenian Heritage Center, are included with Slovenefest admission.

Returning for 2018, the Slovenefest Make It, Bake It, Grow It bazaar will present several of the area’s finest crafters. Hours of operation for the crafters bazaar will be noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and

July 15. Admission to the crafters bazaar is also included with festival admission.

The SNPJ Recreation Center is located on Pa. Route 108, one mile east of the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, and seven miles west of the Mount Jackson exit of Interstate 376 (exit 17). It’s address is 270 Martin Road, Enon Valley, Pa.

Admission is $10 on Friday and July 15, and $15 on Saturday. A three-day pass is $30. Children and teens age 16 and under are admitted free of charge. Parking and shuttle service is free.

For information about the SNPJ Recreation Center, call 724-336-5180 (toll-free at 1-877-767-5732) or go to snpjrec.com.

For the complete weekend entertainment schedule, go to slovenefest.com. For information about the festival, call 1-877-767-5732 or email snpj@snpjrec.com.