Octoberfest

Spectacular Oktoberfest Party in Ottawa...a night to remember!!!

What happens when you put energetic people, fantastic Slovak food and beer (Zlatý Bažant), and great music together? You get a great and very successful 2009 Ottawa Slovak Oktoberfest (Dožinky) Dinner and Dance!

If you didn't join us on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 in Ottawa....you missed a great party! It was a sell out and the atmosphere was incredible. We had a full hall with 165 guests and we had to unfortunately turn down last minute requests for tickets. We were wondering if this type of event was what Ottawa Slovaks wanted...and not even halfway through the evening we received our answer. People started asking whether we are planning another event in the near future. Good news is that discussions and planning have already begun for a fun event in late winter/early spring. We will provide information as it becomes available.  

The Special Events and Youth Committee of the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Slovak League put on this event with a lot of hard work and enthusiasm. The committee's attention to detail by planning authentic Slovak food, securing Miro and Dusan (Melody Masters from Toronto) for the musical entertainment, decorating the tables with red table cloths with white and blue napkins which matched the colours of the Slovak flag that hung proudly in the room, were a recipe for success.

It was great to see young and old members of the Ottawa Slovak community as well as friends and members of other Ottawa ethnic groups, enjoying a night of great food and music. As Mary Ann Doucette eloquently described "It was evident that the people wanted to experience the ambiance of a traditional Slovak 'zábava' in the company of family and (new and old) friends. We have found a niche to connect Slovaks to their traditional roots and showcase Slovak culture to the broader Canadian community."

A special thanks goes out to The Canadian Slovak newspaper for publicizing our event so effectively to help make it a huge success. Also, our thanks go out to the Slovak Embassy in Ottawa and to Zlatý Bažant for their generosity in donating very nice prizes for our door raffle.

It was a fantastic evening and we will see you at our next event!

Jozef Mader, Ottawa