Pittsburgh’s Slovak community holds annual festival

‘ ‘ ‘ The scent of authentic Slovakian food lingered in the air while girls in colorful dresses… ‘ ‘ ‘ The scent of authentic Slovakian food lingered in the air while girls in colorful dresses danced to whimsical folk tunes. The familiar sights and sounds signified the return of the Slovak Heritage Festival to the commons of the Cathedral of Learning yesterday. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt’s Slovak studies department routinely hosts the event on the first Sunday of November with its endowment. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The attendees at the festival, which celebrates the heritage of a land-locked Central European country, came from as far away as Georgia and Chicago, according to Christine Metil, the event’s director and an administrator of the Slovak studies program at Pitt. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We promised we’d hold one event annually to teach the community about Slovakian culture,’ said Metil. ‘ ‘ ‘ This year’s festival featured a vast array of Slovakian musical performances, as well as lectures on topics like Slovak and Czech cinema and the research of Slovakian ancestral roots on the Internet. Merchants sold books, CDs, ornaments and authentic clothing from Slovakia. ‘ ‘ ‘ One of this year’s musical performers, Jozef Ivaska, is a native of Slovakia. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Food and music is just the best way to draw people in,’ said Metil. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt is the only college in the country to have a Slovak studies program. The city of Pittsburgh was one of the major points of disembarkation for Slovakian immigrants. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s either the largest or the second largest concentration of Slovaks in the United States,’ said Metil. ‘ ‘ ‘ According to Metil, it is important to celebrate one’s personal heritage at events such as this. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s a fun thing to do,’ said Metil. ‘Everyone works on their own personal background. This is one way to do it.’