Houby Days

Since "Houby" is the Czech word for mushrooms, Houby Days is a Czech mushroom festival that's held in Czech Village. In addition to all the traditional foods, there are rides, games and entertainment for the entire family...

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Czech Village is busy. With flood recovery well underway, businesses and property owners are planning a party, the annual Houby Days Festival. The festival will take place May 15 – 17, 2009 in Czech Village. Events and activities include: Taste of Czech and Slovak, the Egg and Houby Breakfast, a car show, a tractor expo, National Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak Folk Dance Festival, parade, the crowning of the 2009 Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Queen, carnival, and much more.

HOUBY DAYS CELEBRATES FAVORITE
SPRING "SPORT" OF CZECHS
submitted by Pat Martin

In 1978, plans were made for a spring festival in Czech Village, Cedar Rapids, a neighborhood known for its ethnic history. The neighborhood already had a very successful fall festival, and merchants wanted a spring festival to complement it. Lumir Vondracek and Frank Nesetril came up with a theme – mushrooms – and Houby* Days was born. Both men were houba* hunters and supported that "sport" as the mainstay of the spring festival. Merchants and festival planners met weekly at Joens Brothers Interiors, sitting on rolls of carpeting, as they discussed plans for the first spring festival.

The first Houby Days was held the weekend after Mother’s Day in May, 1978. The Czech Village Association set that date for the festival so people could plan to attend the festival from year to year.

Lumir was an expert mushroom hunter, and he and his houba buddies, George Tichy and Dick Jones, served as judges of the Houby Competition in the early years. Trophies were award for the Largest, Smallest, Tallest, Oddly Shaped Large and Small (mushrooms, not Czechs!), Best Display, and Best Houba in Show!

From the beginning, Sykora Bakery sold mushroom tarts. It is a tart stuffed with mushrooms, cream cheese, a bit of onion and butter.
St. Ludmila's baked koláče and had a booth, and Lester Sykora
did not mind a bit because he could not keep up with the huge
demand for koláče.

The Merchant's breakfast featured scrambled eggs and mushrooms, sausage, Texas toast and beverage. There were continuous musical performances at the bandstand. Dozens of vendors participated in a sidewalk bazaar. The Beseda Dancers from Sokol Cedar Rapids performed at the bandstand. And, it would not be a festival without the carnival, located on the parking lot behind Sykora's Bakery. On Sunday morning, Dave Kralik of the Czech radio program was live at the tent in the Joens Brothers lot where bingo was played in the afternoon and evening. Sunday also featured the Houby Days 5000 Meter Race.

Today, the event has grown to include the National Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak Folk Dance Festival sponsored by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. The Museum Guild presents the kick-off event, Friday evening’s Taste of Czech and Slovak. The Czech Heritage Foundation hosts and sponsors the Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Pageant. St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church offers a Folk Hymn Mass and Traditional Czech Pork and Dumpling Dinner on Saturday. There are guided walking tours of this historic neighborhood, a popular car show, May Pole Dance, Kiddie Parade, and many options for wholesome family fun.

Houby Days 2009 marks the return of the event following the record-breaking flood of 2008. Both sides of the river, Czech Village and New Bohemia, are committed to making this a memorable event, and the Houby Days committee hopes you join us as the neighborhoods rebuild.

Pat Martin, the first Czech Village Coordinator, 1977 through 1985

* Houby is the Czech word for mushrooms. The singular version of the word is houba.

The tentative schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, May 15:

	5:00a – 7:00a – Taste of Czech and Slovak, sponsored by the Museum Guild of the NCSML. Location and cost to be determined.
	6:00p – Walking Tour of Historic Czech Village, sponsored by the NCSML. Meet at the Main Museum Building at 30 16th Avenue SW. Cost $5.00 for members, $6.00 for non-members.
	6:00p – Midnight – Carnival, sponsored by the Czech Village Association. Behind Sykora’s Bakery.
	7:00p – 9:00p – Czech Plus Band Summer Kick-off Concert, sponsored by the Czech Plus Band. Concert at the Kosek Bandstand.
	6pm - 9pm - Rock 108 presents the New Bohemia Stage @ TORNADO's GRUB & PUB featuring: INCH 75 & KNUBBY. $6.00 admission ( $1.00 off with Houby Days Button) 21+
	10:pm - Close - Live Music inside featuring KNUBBY @ TORNADO's Grub & Pub - free

Saturday, May 16

	7:00a – 11:00a – Egg and Houby Breakfast, sponsored by Czech Village Association, Czech Heritage Foundation, and St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church. Located at St. Wenceslaus Gymnasium, 12305th Street SE, Cedar Rapids. Cost: $6.00 in advance, $7.00 at the door.
	7:00a – 3:00p – Car Show at Sokol Park
	7:00a – 3:00p – Tractor Expo in the parking lot located at C Street and 16th Avenue SW
	8:00a – 2:00p – Houby Contest. Awards given for the largest, smallest, or most creatively displayed, morel mushrooms. Sponsored by Czech Village Association.
	8:00a – Houby Identification Exhibition, sponsored by the Czech Heritage Foundation
	9:00a – 9:30a – Flag Raising Ceremony, sponsored by the Czech Heritage Foundation, featuring the Czech Plus Band and Czech Heritage Singers. Kosek Bandstand.
	9:30a – 11:00a – Concert featuring the Czech Plus Band and the Czech Heritage Singers. Kosek Bandstand.
	10:00a – Strolling accordionist Ron Johnson, sponsored by the Czech Village Association.
	11:00a – May Pole Dance, sponsored by the NCSML. In front of the Kosek Bandstand.
	Noon – Parade!
	Noon – Midnight – Carnival, sponsored by the Czech Village Association. Behind Sykora’s Bakery.
	1:00p – 2:00p – Miss Czech – Slovak Iowa Pageant Kroje Competition and Parade of Kroje, sponsored by the Czech Heritage Foundation. Kosek Bandstand.
	1:00p – 7:00p - Rock 108 presents the New Bohemia Stage @ TORNADO's GRUB & PUB featuring: NEW WICKED DREAM - CUR - T.B.A. with Headliners from Chicago REBELS WITHOUT APPLAUSE. $6.00 admission ( $1.00 off with Houby Days Button) ALL AGES
	2:00p – National Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak Folk Dance Festival featuring Veselice Slovak Folk Ensemble, sponsored by the NCSML. Kosek Bandstand.
	4:00p – Folk Hymn Mass at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, 12305th Street SE, Cedar Rapids.
	5:00p – 7:00p – St. Wenceslaus Pork and Dumpling Dinner. Delicious traditional Czech meal including pork loin, dumplings, gravy, green beans, sauerkraut, rye bread, applesauce, koláče, and beverage. St. Wenceslaus Gymnasium, 12305th Street SE, Cedar Rapids. Cost is $9.00 in advance, $10.00 at the door, children age 12 and under $4.50
	6:00p – 7:00p – Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa Pageant Queen Crowning Ceremony, sponsored by Czech Heritage Foundation. Kosek Bandstand.
	6:00p – 10:00p – Barefoot Becky and the Ivanhoe Dutchmen perform at the C Street Stage. Sponsored by the Czech Village Association.
	8:00p - Close - Live Music inside featuring GRAVE CORPS - FREAKLABEL & ALBINA SPIDERS @ TORNADO's Grub & Pub - free

Sunday, May 17

	7:00a – 11:00a – Egg and Houby Breakfast, sponsored by Czech Village Association, Czech Heritage Foundation, and St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church. Located at St. Wenceslaus Gymnasium, 12305th Street SE, Cedar Rapids. Cost: $6.00 in advance, $7.00 at the door.
	10:00a – Children’s Tractor Pull, sponsored by the Czech Village Association. Located at the corner of A Street and 16th Avenue SW.
	12:00p – 5:00p – Carnival, sponsored by the Czech Village Association. Behind Sykora’s Bakery.
	12:00p – 5:00p – Houby Identification Exhibition, sponsored by the Czech Heritage Foundation
	1:00p – 7:00p - Rock 108 presents the New Bohemia Stage @ TORNADO's GRUB & PUB featuring: ROCK 108 UNSIGNED & ONLINE with BRIAN MARSHALL. bands include: NUEMATIC - AGONY OF DEFEAT - ILLEGAL SMILE - NEW WICKED DREAM - TENTONHALO - SOUNDS OF WAR. $10.00 admission ( $2.00 off with Houby Days Button) ALL AGES
	2:00p – 2:30p – Svetlucky Folk Ensemble, sponsored Svetlucky. Local children’s Czech dance and musical ensemble performance. Kosek Bandstand.
	4:00p – Children’s Parade, sponsored by Czech Village Association.
	4:30p – Children’s Bicycle Give-away, sponsored by the Czech Village Association.