Heritage Fest & Muziky

Get ready to dance, feast, shop, and learn about Texas Czech culture at the Heritage Festival & Muziky on October 20-21, 2017.  The Fest will begin at 4 PM on Friday afternoon in front of the main building with Octoberfest on the Deck. At 5:30 PM, TCHCC’s famous chicken-n-dumplings will be served while it lasts in the Hanslik Banquet Hall. At 6 PM, music will be provided by the Dujka Brothers until 9:30 PM. The Dujka Brothers have been making music together for 30-plus years and have several acknowledgements to their name. They have been very successful in bringing new songs written by themselves and other local Texas writers to the Czech music and polka scene. The evening will conclude at 10 PM.
      Saturday will see plenty of action all over the TCHCC Complex. The day will centralize in the Czech Village, an early 1900s recreated village complete with residential houses, barns, tavern, saw mill, and general store. Demonstrations of early life for the immigrants will take place throughout the grounds all day. There will be farming and household demonstrations and several children’s activities including the SPJST Kolać Eating Contest, games, and train rides. An antique farm equipment and antique car show will spread through the village. The 1890s Zapalac Saw Mill in the village will be operating, cutting wood at three times during the day. The La Grange Ford Hospoda (Beer Garden) Tent will be in the center of the village with musical entertainment all day. Music will begin at 11:30 AM till 6 PM by the Bohemian Dutchmen and the Red Ravens alternating. All music venues will have a dance floor. Drink concessions, featuring Czech beer along with other Texas favorites, will be available. Food concessions will feature sausage and beer brats from Patek’s Shiner Smokehouse. Hamburgers, BBQ sandwiches, chips, kolaće and other items will be available as well.
      Vendors and craft booths will be set up for your shopping pleasure and a country store will be open for some good buys, and you can also pick up some fresh stone ground corn meal for cooking. In the air-conditioned TCHCC main building, the Czech Gift Shop will be open with a brand new stock of authentic Czech items, garnet jewelry, T-shirts, caps, crystal, periodicals, music CDs, and new Christmas ornaments for 2017. There will be textile demonstrations of spinning, looming, crochet, and knitting. In the museum, authentic Czech kroje and other items can be viewed along with a Czech ceramic and glass display. The spacious Melnar Library will offer help with genealogy research for those interested in finding out more about their family or Czech history. The Hanslik Hall, located inside the main building, will be the site of the annual KJT State Taroky Tournament. The Czech Music Museum of Texas, featuring four genres of Czech music - classical, folk, polka and liturgical - is located in the Kalich House and will be open for tours, along with the Polka Lovers Club of Texas Museum housed in the Hoelsher House and the Czech Agriculture Museum in the Janak Barn.
      The day will conclude with the annual performance of Muziky, Muziky at the Sanford Schmid Amphitheater on the complex grounds overlooking the scenic Colorado River Valley. This year’s Muziky (Music) will feature the Legends of Texas Polka Music Series, Part V with the Legacy of Bobby Jones and the Bobby Jones Czech Band. It will be an exciting and memorable performance as the original musicians of Bobby’s band come together to play all those songs that made the Bobby Jones Czech band popular across Texas. Stories of Bobby and the band’s many travels and performances will be told and former members of the band will be recognized in the tribute. Master of Ceremonies will be Texas polka legend and DJ, Mr. Alfred Vrazel. The performance will be 7-9:30 PM followed by a huge Fireworks Finale sponsored by HEB.
      Hotels with discounted rooms are the Best Western, just a ½ mile at 979-968-6800, and the Hampton Inn, across town at 979-968-4900. Just ask for the Heritage Fest block until October 1st.

See more photos from the 2016 Heritage Fest and Muziky.