Events - Simply Slavic

Celebrating the Stories, Traditions & People of the Slavic Community

Our Events

Simply Slavic organizes a number of distinctive annual cultural events and festivals to both celebrate and preserve the Mahoning Valley’s bountiful Slavic heritage.

Simply Slavic Festival

First held in 2011, the Simply Slavic Festival showcases the rich cultural traditions of the Mahoning Valley’s Slavic people by celebrating their traditional food, music, dance, and customs. The festival features:

An Ecumenical Blessing and Parade of Flags with representatives from a variety of faiths and parishes featuring one of the region’s ethnic choirs.
The Natalie Lariccia and Gregory Huang Slavic Kitchen and Food Truck Row featuring homemade foods from more than a dozen businesses and ethnic groups from Youngstown, Pittsburgh, and Northeast Ohio.
The Margaret Dugas Mulgrew Slavic Heritage Tent where each of the Slavic groups from around the region creates exhibits to educate visitors about the culture of their region, featuring items such as maps, flags, pictures, language lessons, and information on famous immigrants from that country.
A Marketplace of Vendors selling imported dolls, pysanky eggs, linens, and apparel reflecting the varied nations of the festival.
The Lariccia Family Stage features music and entertainment throughout the day, including the region’s most colorful folk dance troupes.
The Penguin City Pivski/Beer Garden where festival patrons can relax and enjoy a variety of beers, spirits, cocktails, and wine from the Slavic nations as well as the festival’s signature beer, Rodina, brewed by Modern Methods Brewing Company from Warren, OH.
Folk Bands showcasing the concert and dance music of Eastern Europe for the young and the “young-at-heart” into the night.

Numerous local parishes and organizations enthusiastically support and participate in this effort, including:

St. Mary Magdalene Roman Catholic Church
Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church
PolishYoungstown
The American Slovak Cultural Association of Mahoning Valley
and many others.

The Simply Slavic Festival is one of the biggest annual cultural events in Ohio, and it’s fun for the whole family!

For further information, contact the festival committee at info@simplyslavic.org. Direct press-related calls to Aundréa Cika Heschmeyer 330-646-4082 or aundrea@marqueecreatives.com.

Baking Contest

Bake a Slavic treat that celebrates your heritage. Entries are judged on:

TASTE – 50%
AUTHENTICITY – 25%
PRESENTATION- 25%

How To Enter

Must be a non-professional baker
$5 entry fee (free for participants under 18)
Entry deadline: June 8, 2026
Submit completed entry form and fee by mail or Venmo

Winners are announced on the day of the contest and recognized at the Simply Slavic Festival, June 26-28.

For questions or more information, please call Marta Mazur at 330-261-4263 or email bakingcontest@simplyslavic.org

Home for the SLAVIdays

Marking the halfway point to the annual Simply Slavic Heritage Festival, Home for the SLAVIdays is more than just a fun, family-friendly event; it’s a vibrant tapestry of Slavic holiday traditions woven together with community spirit. Past events have featured memorable entertainment and fun activities like:

The Chardon Polka Band
The Cleveland Krampus
The Jasličkári Carol Singers
Opłatek Sharing Ceremony
A reading of the Slavic Night Before Christmas
Ethnic Foods from Local Slavic Eateries

Home for the SLAVidays offers so many fun things to do. At its core, it’s about celebrating the rich tapestry of the Slavic community. And that’s what makes it one of the best annual Slavic events in Ohio! For sponsorship information or to learn more, contact info@simplyslavic.org.