In Ottawa, the month of October is well known in the Slovak community for the traditional and popular event: Oktoberfest- Dožinky. This year, the Slovaks along with their friends of different nationalities had the opportunity to once again meet and celebrate the fall harvest. For the fourth time, Oktoberfest was organized by the Slovak community in Ottawa with the support of the Canadian Slovak League Branch No. 63. The celebration was held on October 6th in a beautifully decorated and spacious St. Anthony Hall on Preston Street. Doors opened at 6 o`clock. The organizers, with smiles on their faces, welcomed guests and invited them to their prepared tables which were decorated in the colours of the Slovak flag.Everyone waited eagerly for dinner, part of which was a traditional pork schnitzel, juicy sausages with sauerkraut, crispy roast potatoes, and various vegetable salads. The crowd favorite proved to be the gnocchi also known to some as nokerliky. Delicious! Slovak plum liquer Slivovica was a great choice to help with digestion as well as the traditional beer, Golden Pheasant. A delicious cheesecake was served as a dessert which gave everyone enough energy to dance.
The entertainment for the evening was provided by the Mojo Party Band, which took care of the fun and dance in the room. Introduced to the Slovak Oktoberfest for the very first time the band spread its mojo through the hall. Soon thereafter, the dance floor was full of dancers moving to the rhythm of the polka, waltz, and rock & roll. Juraj Koneval, our fellow Slovak, showed his talent when he performed a couple of Slovak songs accompanied by his own guitar. At that moment, many of us remembered our Slovak homeland.
The breaks between the dancing were filled by the popular draw of door prizes to which everyone looked forward to. Guests attentively watched their ticket numbers and listened carefully to what number was called. I mean, who would not want to win a bottle of Slivovica or beautiful paintings? The prizes were provided to the event by our Slovak artists, Slovak and Czech Embassies, local businesses, as well as friends and supporters of the Slovak Oktoberfest. Happy winners have shared their joy from winning beautiful prizes.
The rest of the evening was filled with good humor and laughter, lively music and dance . Those whose legs could still move in the rhythm of the dance, danced till the end, until the last song played. We hope that guests had lots of fun, enjoyed the traditional food and drinks and that everyone will join us again at the next Oktoberfest in 2013. Many thanks to all our guests, the Mojo Party band, and all the organizers for making this event possible. We are happy that our community continues to support this Slovak tradition and shares our culture with other nationalities in Ottawa. Until the next Oktoberfest in 2013!
Stanislava Rozarova
Special Events and Youth Activities Committee
CSL Branch 63, Ottawa
Photos: Tibor Dej
