Kennywood's Nationality Days: Slovak Day

I am Slovak.

"Cibulka" is actually a Slovak word, which means "little onion".  I tell the kids that I teach, and they get kick out of it -- well, I shouldn't say that.  It's more like they "have a field day" with it.

Whatever.

Pavilion 4 - Slovak Day!

Slovak Day at Kennywood is full of some familiar food, not unlike that of Carpatho-Russian Day nor of Polish Day (coming up on August 7th).  Things that I saw quite often in my childhood, but did not particularly care for until well into my adult years.

Simple Slovak Offerings

What is wrong with me?!

Gina from IT wanted to join me and partake in the food of my people (like I had partaken in the food of hers on Italian Day), so we spent our break trekking to Pavilion 4.  The threat of rain did not stop people for coming out for their Slovak vittles!

The ladies serve up the food.

The dinner deal was simple - for $8, you got one of everything: stuffed cabbage, halusky, kolbasy sandwich, and cheregy.  The spellings may be different from Carpatho-Russian Day and Polish Day, but the food is the same.  Each item was offered a la carte as well, but the meal is a great value!

Pay, get a ticket, go get your food.  Easy and efficient.

Yummy.

This was as filling as it looks!

Homemade Slovak food.  Lots of cabbage, and so delicious.

The highlight of the meal, of course, was the cheregy.  A fried dough pastry sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Every Slovak Day since I worked at the park, my grandparents asked me (or my brother, when he worked at the park) to bring home cheregy.  

My cheregy from my Slovak Dinner

Because I was afraid of an early closure, I made sure to secure a dozen when I went to the pavilions, which I then handed off to my aunt (who came down later to get dinner for my grandparents, since the storm passed and the rain held off for most of the rest of the day) to take to my grandparents. 

One dozen homemade cheregy - $7.00

The most adorable thing I saw in Pavilion 4 was this woman (seated), watching over and occasionally sugaring the cheregy:

Getting some assistance with the sugaring of the cheregy

Her daughter mentioned that she was originally from Czechoslovakia - then tried to speak Slovak with me, and...I failed.  Yes, kids, now I know how you feel when I speak in Spanish and you don't understand me.

Unfortunately, I will be on vacation for Polish Day on August 7th, but the food is very similar on this day.  If you missed out on Slovak Day,  you have another chance!


Kennywood Park
4800 Kennywood Blvd.
West Mifflin, PA 15122

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