SLOVAK DAY
Kennywood Park
Please start the RealAudio Carousel Music
Kennywood Park has been an attraction in the
Pittsburgh area for many years.
The pictures shown on this page were taken circa 1906,
a time when many immigrants were arriving in Pittsburgh from Slovakia and
other areas of eastern Europe. Both Smolnicka Huta and Banska Stiavnica
had narrow gauge railroads in the 1870's and 1880's. I wonder if they were
connected to parks similar to Kennywood at the time. A narrow guage railroad
still runs at Cermel in Slovakia.
The Casino was an attraction
that got lots of interest at the turn of the century. Parks such as this one
were springing up all over the country. Trolly lines carried the visitors
from the inner city where they lived and worked to the parks located just
outside of town. In the summer months, it was a very busy trolly line that
ran to Kennywood Park.
The main entrance to Kennywood Park had the following above gates in 1906 -
Wonder of the ages, U.C. it, Scenic Railway, world's largest - try it
Ninety years after these pictures were taken, it was once again Slovak Day
at Kennywood Park. Dennis Ragan provides us with a report on the Slovak
Day activities at Kennywood for 1996.
It was a bit wet, and the park closed early (although they allowed the
Slovak Day activities to continue until much later), but the day was still
a very good one.
Great, great food -- halusky, pirohi, halupky, klobasa, and ceregi!!
The music and dance programs were also very nicely done, and the Mass was
said completely in Slovak this year. Everyone was given a copy of the
liturgy to follow in Slovak, and I was amazed at how many people responded
po slovensky.
There were also a number of visitors from Slovakia. I met a
16-year old girl from Bratislava and tried a little of my Slovak. She
understood.
It was wonderful day. Hopefully we can get more Slovak-World members there
next year?
I heard that the people who run the Slovak Radio program in Pittsburgh
are trying to put a concert together for the Labor day weekend. A singing
group of four sisters from Michalovce in Eastern Slovakia will be coming here.
Evidently they're having a bit of trouble trying to find a place where they
can perform. I'll keep the group posted of any new developments on this.
It would be great to get some of you to this event!
The above information on Slovak Day was provided by
Dennis Ragan
email: dennisragan@msn.com
Pittsburgh
Cernina/Turcovce, okres Humenne
The 77th Anniversary Slovak Day at Kennywood Park in 2000
featured Slovak Kitchen, Slovak Arts and Crafts Demonstration, Slovak Mass, and Free Dancing.
Note: In 2007, Slovak Day is Thursday, July 19.
In 2007, Byzantine Day is Thursday, July 26.
Visit the Kennywood Park Calendar
for more information.
Photographs from the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Carousel music by Glen Echo Park, the 1921 carousel and its
Wurlitzer band organ
is the only one owned by the US Government for the enjoyment of the people.
This is RealAudio site with 22 Wurlitzer tunes from the carousel
(about 1 hour - it will carry on playing even if you leave the park)
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