Youngstown is getting ready to once again host the annual Simply Slavic Heritage Festival on June 16th and 17th in downtown.

The festival will take place from 5 pm to 11 pm on Friday and noon to midnight on Saturday, on North and South Champion street and East Federal Street in downtown Youngstown. Free parking will be provided at the Covelli Centre. 

Festivities will include live music, folk dancing, educational exhibits and experiences for children, vendors, and of course, tons of food.

According to the festival, this year they'll welcome new food vendors from Cleveland and Pittsburgh, adding to the already vast array of food vendors at the event.

Among the festival favorites are pierogi, halušky, stuffed cabbage, and kolache, joined by other staples from past years like potato pancakes, Balkan sausages, Czech fried cheese, chimney cakes, and pastries.

The festival began in 2011 as a way to educate the community about Slavic culture, and grew over the years to include more and more festivities to get the community involved.

Simply Slavic has become more than a one day event; it’s more like a movement,” says Ken Shirilla, former event chairman. “By getting to know each other while working on the festival, Slavic community leaders have discovered various ways in which they can collaborate.”

Admission to the event is $5, though children under 12 will be admitted free of charge.

More info about the festival can be found on the Youngstown Live website, as well as the website for the festival. A full schedule of events can be found here.

A map showing the venue for the festivities is below. Roads in yellow are where the event takes place, and the red is current construction in downtown.