My Heritage, My Favorite: St. Cyril & Methodius’ Slovak Festival!!!

Another festival attended in Binghamton during the Summer of 2019! This one, the Slovak Festival at St. Cyril’s is dear and near to my heart as I grew up in this parish, was part of the youth group, and played CYO Basketball for the Panthers! Amazing how you cannot live in an area for 40+ years and so many people recognize you and tell you stories about your Mom and Dad, some of which I never heard of knew!

This year there was reunion of all St. Cyril’s students and CYO members organized by Karen Kumpon Oliva! Thank you Karen! Thank you Karen! The scrapbooks were amazing! So much church history! I did not realize St, Cyril’s was a powerhouse CYO basketball team back to the 1950s! Or that we were the first to have air-conditioning!

I think that makes TWELVE local festivals so far in the Summer of 2019: the Annunciation Greek Festival; the Bundy Museum/First Friday; the St. Anthony’s Italian Feast; the Owego Strawberry Festival; Binghamton’s Juneteenth Celebration; the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Festival; the Montrose Fourth of July Parade; Julyfest; the St. John’s Ukrainian Days; the Harper M. Stanz Rec Park Music Fest; the Martini Walk and the St. Cyril’s Slovak Festival!