Look for traditional Czech and Slovak pastries during the sixth annual Czech & Slovak Folklife Festival. (Photo courtesy the festival)
“We never needed the recipe. You just saw her dump this in the bowl and put this in the bowl,” says Barbara Suessmann, an Emporia native of Czech-Slovak descent, as she prepares traditional baked goods for the sixth annual Virginia Czech & Slovak Folklife Festival.
Suessmann began baking as a young girl with her grandmother. Now, the 60-year-old knows her grandmother’s apple strudel recipe by heart.
Held at the Prince George County Regional Heritage Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, this year, the festival is a celebration of culture and heritage.
Carole Bowman, executive director at the Heritage Center, says more than 700 Czech and Slovak families migrated to Prince George in the late 1800s. At the festival guests can experience traditions including polka dancing, choral singing, a Czech glass exhibit, live music and crafts.
One of the most savored traditions, however, is the food. I watch as Suessmann stretches the homemade strudel dough like taffy, explaining that only a trained ear can detect the sound of perfect dough.
“[My grandmother] would start kneading it, and then she would grab it and slap it on the table,” she says. “At first it would stick and sound kind of dull. After a while, you would just hear this little sharp slap and it would become elastic, and that is what you want.”
Although the homemade apple strudels are certainly a highlight, Suessmann says the festival features an abundance of Czech-Slovak treats including kolaches, a traditional puff pastry stuffed with different fillings.
“Poppy seed is very traditional, and so is prune,” says Suessmann, who warns, don’t knock it till you've tried it. “Everybody kind of squishes their nose up at [prune], but until you’ve tasted the prune with a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon — oh, it’s so good.”
Festival attendees can also indulge in other hearty foods such as sausage and sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and dumplings.
Daniel Jones, communications and marketing officer of Hopewell/Prince George Chamber of Commerce, says last year close to 3,000 people attended the festival, which is sponsored by the Virginia CzechSlovak Heritage Society. Founded in 2003, the society is comprised of descendants of Czech and Slovak families who have settled in the state, but draws interest from across the country.
“We recently had two couples stop in the visitor center who saw the flyer and said, ‘Oh, we’re of Czech descent,’ and they lived in Michigan,” says Jones, who notes there are only a few Czech-Slovak historical societies in existence.
“The one here is actually one of the biggest. This might be one of three biggest festivals in the country for the Czech-Slovak heritage.”
The importance of heritage is echoed by Suessmann, who says it’s heartwarming to see people get in touch with their roots and revisit Grandma’s recipes and culture.
“We’re trying to keep our traditions alive,” she says.
The sixth annual Czech & Slovak Folk Festival takes place on the lawn at the Prince George County Regional Heritage Center at 6406 Courthouse Road. Admission is free, with food and drink available for purchase, and all proceeds benefit the center.
