Page 8
The Battalion Thursday, September 14,1989
Members of a Czech folk band from Caldwell entertain crowds of people outside Caldwell City Hall.
Above: Mr. and Mrs. George Hlavinka were crowned king and
queen of the Kolache Festival.
Kolache F estival
Caldwell celebrates Czech culture
Story by James Johnson
Photos by Mike C. Mulvey
If you ever visit a small Texas town and witness more
than 25,000 people singing, feasting and dancing the
polka, there is a good possibility you are in the midst of
a major celebration. Saturday’s annual Kolache Festival
in downtown Caldwell was no exception.
The Kolache Festival, which was deemed to be the
biggest and best in its five-year existence, entertained a
lively crowd of celebrants who refused to let the 100-de-
gree temperature deter them from enjoying 12 hours
of Czechoslovakian festivities.
Several special guests attended the event, including
state Rep. L.B. Kubiak, who was instrumental in having
Caldwell designated as the “Kolache Capital of Texas,”
and Josef Cernohlavek, third secretary of the Czecho
slovakian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Cernohlavek told a crowd that being at the festival
made him feel at home.
“This festival gives an accurate account of what you
might expect in my native country,” Cernohlavek said
with a distinct Czech accent. “The people here are very
friendly. It’s like a real Czech celebration.”
As a token of the Festival’s appreciation, Cernohla
vek received a key to the city of Caldwell. One depart
ment store found an especially appropriate way of re
minding Cernohlavek of his visit by presenting him
with an authentic Texas cowboy hat.
Judges for the kolache baking contest featured seve
ral Bryan-College Station personalities, including
Randy Davis of Star 92, Randy Asher of WTAW and
KBTX-TV news anchors Rick Davenport and Anne
Friedenburg.
Kolaches (Czechoslovakian wedding pastries for
which the festival is named) sold out almost completely
by 3 p.m., forcing some participating Brazos Valley ba
keries to make extra trips home to bake and restock
their respective kolache booths.
Vlasta Manlevik, a Czech visitor from Seguin, said
she was impressed by the different events at the festival
that pertained to Czechoslovakian culture and that she
never had attended such a gathering where so many
tourists paid tribute to a somewhat forgotten ethnicity.
“I’ve been to more German celebrations than I could
count,” Manlevik said. “I always enjoyed them, but tte
is so diverse. There is everything from Czech singingit
the appropriate Czech dressing fashions.”
Spectators were exposed to nearly every facet o(
Czech customs. The 135 arts and crafts booths soli
items ranging from Czechoslovakian Christmas orna
ments to hand-sewn dresses and hair wreaths (whkl
were a familiar sight around the four square blocks tii
festival encompassed).
One of the most crowd-pleasing attractions of tit
festival was the antique automobile show. Featurini
more than 100 classic cars, the show dazzled spectaton
with cars such as a 1917 Studebaker and a mint-condi
tion 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, complete with a suede it ■
terior.
Nearly every vehicle was valued at more that
$30,000. Some of the car’s owners were from places s
far away as Alaska.
Bobbie Hunter, former secretary of the Centri
Texas Classic Chevy Association in Austin, said sit
does not recall ever being part of such a cultural!'
oriented celebration.
“It’s my third time to come here,” Hunter saidwhik
relaxing near a 1957 Cameo Pickup. “The culture
background is fantastic. I think it’s great.”
Hunter added that she has participated along will'
the Chevy Association in many events around Texas
but none any bigger or better.
George Hlavinka, chairman of the festival, said it wi i
take at least a week to calculate festival profits or tai'
how many thousands of kolaches the 17 pastry bootfcs
actually sold.
“This was the most successful festival we’ve had froit
the standpoint of how many attended,” Hlavinka said
“We had a tremendous influx from Houston, Austi:
and as far away as Florida.”
Hlavinka said the free admission surprised mosto:
the spectators because of the first-class entertainment.
“We had such a big crowd at the street dance (the fes
tival’s final event) that it made it difficult for some peo
pie to participate,” he said. “The crowds stayed untiltl(|
very end.”
Right: Donnie Randle of Caldwell attempts to eat a dozen as
sorted kolache’s in a kolache-eating contest.