Serbians living in the Calgary area are putting their culture on display at a popular festival in DeWinton this weekend.
The Serbian Fest Committee is hosting its sixth annual Serbian Fest featuring the country’s rich European history in a weekend of music, dance, ethnic food, cultural exhibits and sporting competitions at the St. Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church grounds May 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“This is really a multicultural, inclusive event to showcase our cultural history,” said Milica Opacic, the festival’s public relations and marketing coordinator. “Serbian people are proud to keep their culture and heritage. It doesn’t matter where they are, they bring their culture with them and proudly share it with other people.”
Opacic said the weekend will be packed with numerous opportunities for people to immerse themselves in the culture from watching the Serbian folk dance group Frula from Calgary to participating in soccer and bocce tournaments.
What makes Serbia unique is the culture is heavily influenced by surrounding countries like Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, said Opacic.
“There’s a mix of cultures – it depends what region of Serbia you are in,” she said. “You can see this in the dance and the food as well. We have a very rich history.”
Among the biggest draws to the Serbian Fest is the array of Mediterranean foods including kebabs, cevapi, roasted lamb and pork and an assortment of home-made cakes and cookies, Opacic said.
“We showcase our culture, heritage, history and our traditional Serbian cuisine,” she said. “We have to double order this year because we almost sold out of everything last year.”
Last year was the first time the Serbian Fest was held in DeWinton, after the St. Simeon Serbian Orthodox Church opened in 2014. It is now the largest Serbian Orthodox Church in Canada at 6,000 square feet surrounded by registered soccer fields, Opacic said.
Serbian Fest was previously held near the old church at the Marda Looap Community Centre, she said.
Opacic wasn’t sure how many people to expect at the new location last year and was shocked to have about 2,000 take in the festivities over the weekend.
“We were surprised to see a lineup of cars waiting for the gates to open,” she said. “We didn’t expect so much interest because we were just new in this neighbourhood. Now everybody knew about us.”
The Serbian Fest Committee will have dignitaries speak at the open ceremonies on Saturday including Highwood MLA Wayne Anderson, MP John Barlow and ambassador for the Republic of Serbia, His Excellency Mihailo Papazoglu.
Admission to attend the Serbian Fest is $5 per person. Those under 10 years old are free.
For more details about the event go to serbianfest.org
Proceeds from the tickets and food sales go to the future Serbian community centre and sports complex.
