Simply Slavic in the Community

On Saturday, June 20, 2015 from Noon-Midnight on Federal Plaza East, Simply Slavic will continue its mission of educating area residents about the history of the Slavic people that helped build the Mahoning Valley. But people don’t have to wait until then to start learning!

Simply Slavic in the Schools

Thanks to the generous donation of YSU’s Slavic Student Association, festival organizers are able to again offer two preview programs!

Out of This Furnace by Andy Wolk

The Youngstown State University Department of Theater and Dance presents the play “Out of This Furnace by Andy Wolk. A dramatic adaptation of Thomas Bell's tale about three generations of immigrant families struggling to build a life in the shadow of Andrew Carnegie's first steel mill and the rise of unions in Braddock, Pennsylvania.

Out of this Furnace

Polish American Heritage Days 2013

Polish Day 2013

Our friends at PolishYoungstown have a great schedule planned for this year's Polish Day as the organization is set to celebrate their 5th Anniversary! Polish American Heritage Days 2013 starts Friday, August 23 from 12 PM to 2 PM with Taste of Poland Lunches, then continues on Saturday, August 24 from 5 PM to 11 PM for the "Zabawa" Pierogi Party at the Saxon Club on Meridian Road in Youngstown! On Sunday, August 25 join the fun at Polish Day from 11:30 AM to 8 PM! Admission is only $5 and FREE ADMISSION FOR VOLUNTEERS!

To learn more contact PolishYoungstown or visit the beautiful Polish American Heritage Days 2013 website!

Free Dance Workshop

You'll have a chance to learn some simple Slavic dances at the Simply Slavic Community Outreach - Free Adult Dance Workshop. The workshop will be held from 6 pm until 9 pm on Monday, June 3rd at Sts. Peter & Paul Croatian Roman Catholic Church Hall, 421 Covington St, Youngstown, OH 44510.

Posters Now Available

Simply Slavic 2013 Poster

Simply Slavic posters are now available for this year's festival. Looking to help spread the word? You can download and print the Simply Slavic 2013 event poster!

Polish Day 2012

Polish Day 2012

This weekend celebrates the 4th annual Polish Day celebration. This year's festival will take place in the Austintown Plaza. A variety of fun, ethnic events are scheduled for this year including Friday Business Lunches, Saturday Nite Zabawa, a bigger children's area, and even more great vendors!

Music Preview Featuring Harmonia

Members of the ethnic music band Harmonia and Simply Slavic's director Ken Shirilla offer an exciting preview of the great Slavic music and entertainment that will be featured at this summer's Simply Slavic Festival in Downtown Youngstown.

Half Way To Simply Slavic Wrap Up

The Slavic Clans of the Mahoning Valley gathered at the Lemon Grove Café on Friday, December 2, 2011. This was a first-ever Simply Slavic event held indoors and was organized to raise funds to help defray costs associated with the large outdoor festival held each June in Downtown Youngstown. The evening was filled with Slavic-themed entertainment non-stop from 5 pm until 2:30 am. Also featured during the event were several imported beers from some of the Slavic nations, šljivovica- the potent plum brandy beloved by so many Slavs, and an extremely popular kolachi tasting. A Russian-inspired Beef Stroganoff plate was offered by the Lemon Grove chefs to help maintain the Slavic theme of the evening. Special drawings were held and enabled event organizers Dave Slanina, John Slanina, Ken Shirilla and Aundréa Cika-Heschmeyer to mingle with the crowd sprinkled with local descendents representing most of the lands where Slavs originated in Europe. Even a smattering of people wearing ethnic costumes could be seen among the revelers, and those were rewarded with a chance at a special prize.

You're Invited!

We are inviting you to celebrate Slavic culture at the first ever Simply Slavic open-air festival to be held in Downtown Youngstown on Saturday, June 18th 2011.These modern-day nations in Europe represent the origins of our Slavic ancestors: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine. 

We plan to open the festival with an ecumenical service representing the major religions of our Slavic ancestors: Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox Christian and Roman Catholic. This will truly be a wonderful event in itself and will symbolize the brotherhood which all Slavs share.