Leaves unfurling in southern Minnesota. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo May 2018.
MAY IN MINNESOTA. Oh, how I love thy greening, they earthy scent, thy springing of new growth into the landscape.
These early days of May carry winds of warmth, clouds of rain and cause for celebration. In the small southern Minnesota Czech community of Montgomery, folks welcome spring on Saturday, May 4, with the annual Czech May Day Celebration.
It begins with the noon raising of a traditional Czech May Pole followed by a ribbon dance around that pole.
The New Prague Czech Singers. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
Music by the Czech Concertina Band adds to the festivities which continue until 5 p.m. at the corner of Vine and First Streets. Other activities include a car roll-in, wagon rides and face painting.
No celebration is complete without food and drink—in Montgomery authentic Czech beer and cuisine. Chicken paprikash with dumplings, pork, dumplings and sauerkraut and jitrnice (sausage) sandwiches. For the non-Czech foodies, a hot dog stand will be open.
Kolacky, a Czech pastry. Minnesota Prairie Roots file photo.
A bake sale also offers the popular Czech kolacky, poppy seed buchta, zeiniky and bread. And, no, I don’t pretend to know what those are except for kolacky, which I’ve eaten.
So if you want to experience the Czech culture while simultaneously celebrating spring, head on over to Montgomery on Saturday.
Singin’ in the Grain promo photo from Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival website.
And then, on Sunday, learn even more about the Czech in this region of southern Minnesota by attending the screening of the newly-released documentary, Singin’ in the Grain—A Minnesota Czech Story, at 1:30 p.m. in the New Prague High School auditorium.
FYI: Czech May Day attendees are advised to bring their own chairs due to limited seating. And, in the case of inclement weather, listen to KCHK radio for updates.
© Copyright 2019 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
The food would be my downfall. The Kolacky looks AMAZING. What a fun celebration.
Food is not a downfall. It’s part of the celebration and fun to try new ethnic foods.
OK, the Minnesota Kolacky appears tasty but does bear only a slight resemblence to a Texas Kolaches and with a lot less protein and way more sugar and sweets..
The kolacky I’ve seen in Minnesota are fruit-filled (prune, apple, raspberry…).
I grew up in a Czech-populated area in Nebraska, and when I moved here I was happy to see just an hour north, there is a Czech population that has festivals in spring and autumn. Kolaches here are different than they were in Nebraska. I prefer the Nebraska delights, which are much sweeter. GAH!! Now my mouth is watering just thinking about them!
It’s interesting hearing these stories about Czech pockets throughout the country.