Yukon Czech Festival stirs pride in heritage for Oklahoma man

Before that happens, he'll spend many Saturday nights playing at the Czech Hall in Yukon for folks wanting to soak up a bit of his country's culture. He counts the Czech Festival as one of his favorite times of the year.

“It's just a lot of people dancing, enjoying different parts of our culture,” he said. “You've got kids doing the Chicken Dance and other folk dances. It's always a fun crowd with happy people enjoying the music.”

Shedeck can remember when the Czech Festival was just getting started 47 years ago. It had humble beginnings but has grown over the years. An estimated 30,000 people will attend this year's events in downtown Yukon.

If you go

The festival kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday with a carnival at Fourth and Elm in Yukon. Saturday's parade begins at 10 a.m. on Main Street.

There also will be Czech food, including kolaches and klobasa, available for purchase from 30 vendors.

Live music can be heard from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, outside the Czech Building at Fifth and Cedar.

There also will be more than 150 craft booths and activities for kids including a bungee trampoline, rock wall, inflatable slides and a mechanical bull.

For more information, call 206-8142 or go to www.czechhall.com or www.yukoncc.com and click on “events.”