Slavic Festival 2026: Excitement is Brewing
- Ann Kutner
- Jan 7
- 3 min read
Happy New Year, folks! The 2026 Slavic Festival is just a few weeks away. Get a behind-the-scenes look at what's in store for you.
Live Music & Performances - On Every Floor!
We have an amazing line-up of performers for our main stage! We are featuring a variety of dance performances and live music including the talented Slavyanka Chorus, Kitka Women’s Trio, Gypsy Duo featuring Zhenya Rock, and Łowiczanie Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, just to name a few!
In the Lower Level dining hall, you’ll enjoy live music as you dine on traditional food and shop Slavic souvenirs. On the second floor, near the Samovar dessert booth and Upstairs Bar, we’ll have talented pianists and an accordionist playing Slavic melodies.
More Fun for Kids
The Kids Village will be full of art and activities for kids, including Matryoshki Doll Painting on both days and a Pysanky Egg Workshop on Sunday. Pysanky is a beautiful form of folk art from Ukraine, where eggs are decorated with images and designs using beeswax and dyes. Children will produce their own keepsake to take home. All crafts are free with admission!
Announcing our Costume Contest
Get in the festival spirit and come in costume! Be it Polish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Russian, Czech, Ukrainian, Slovak or Croatian, get ready to show off your Slavic pride in a traditional outfit. Better yet, enter our costume contest on Saturday night and you could win one of three amazing prizes. We’re looking for the most authentically dressed male, female and couple.
What Do I Wear?
If you’re not sure where to find a costume, here are some pointers for you. Search Amazon or Etsy for Slavic costumes for men or women and you’ll find a large collection of dresses, shirts, boots, hats, headdresses and more! You might check local costume shops or try your hand at thrifting. Vintage shops in SF and the Bay Area sometimes carry embroidered blouses, woven skirts, or shawls similar to Slavic or Eastern European-style garments.
Folk Dance Classes
Right after the costume contest on Saturday night, Mary Kay Stuvland, Artistic Director and Choreographer for Łowiczanie Polish Folk Dance Ensemble, will lead a folk dance class for all festival-goers. Learn some fun new moves, dance your heart out, and join in the spirit of the festival! Free with admission.
Authentic Blini are on the Menu
Blini are back! We'll be serving delicious hot blini (crepes) with all the traditional toppings like caviar, herring, smoked salmon, and sour cream.
What are blini? Find out about their significance in Slavic culture in the blog Maslenitsa, The Other Mardi Gras.
Traditional Serbian Plum Brandy
Be part of the most authentic spirit trend hitting the US: Serbian plum brandy. Founder Bill Gould will be pouring 3 styles of rakija at the upstairs bar, PRVA (barrel-aged and rich,) BELA (young and unaged,) and KLEKA (juniper infused brandy exclusive to the Festival.)
The Story Behind Yebiga Rakija
The founder behind Yebiga Rakija is Bill Gould, a professional musician and bassist, best known as a founding member of the rock band Faith No More. While touring Budapest in 1992 with his band, Serbian fans offered him homemade rakija, and the experience deeply connected him to the drink and its cultural significance. Over decades of travel through the Balkans, he developed a strong appreciation not just for the spirit, but for the traditions and people tied to it. Gould found that quality rakija was hard to find in the United States, so he partnered with a respected family distillery in Serbia’s plum-growing region to bring an authentic rakija to the U.S. and the Slavic Festival.
You'll be happy to know... you can always expect tasty food and drink, lively music and dance, and warm hospitality at the Slavic Festival!
Stay tuned for details about our performers, food and drink! In the meantime, you can find details, FAQs and tickets on our event page.