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Sugar Creek, MO —
Jamie Glenn arrived back in the United States Friday after a year-long deployment to Afghanistan with the U.S. Navy.
Just in time for the Sugar Creek Slavic Festival, a celebration that Glenn’s immediate and extended family enjoys attending each year. On Friday evening, shortly after the festival’s opening, Glenn said she loves the Croatian potato salad and coleslaw, but she was a bit overwhelmed for her first day back home to involve lots of singing, dancing and eating.
“I was excited to be back for this year. It’s kind of like a family reunion,” Glenn said. “I have a little bit of anxiety, but that’s OK.”
This year also is a bit different for Glenn’s family, including her sister, Jocelynn Combs, and their cousin, Sherry Little, because it marks the first Slavic Festival without their grandmother, Gladys “Tootie” Butkovich, who died at age 86 in October 2011. Tootie’s husband, Mattie Butkovich, co-founded the Sugar Creek Tamburitzans musical group.
“She was so strong about this,” Jocelynn Combs said. “She always gathered us together and got all of the costumes together.”
The 27th annual festival continues at 3 p.m. today on the grounds of the Mike Onka Memorial Building. The live entertainment lineup includes Village Musicians, The Ed Grisnik Group, Hrvatski Obicaj, Sugar Creek Kolo Kids, Sugar Creek Tamburitzans, Sugar Creek Ethnic Dance Troupe and Grammy-nominated accordion player Alex Meixner.
At 8:30 p.m., the Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to the late Edward Kolich, Sugar Creek Mayor Stan Salva, St. Cyril’s Altar and Rosary Society and the Sugar Creek Business and Professional Club.
Many of the festival’s participants either grew up in Sugar Creek or have Croatian, Slovak or Polish roots, but that’s not always the case. Independence native Debbie Tapko, a member of the Sugar Creek Ethnic Dance Troupe for 25 years, says she embraced the ethnic culture after she married her husband, Steven, 34 years ago.
A self-described shy person, Tapko said the dance troupe helps her get out of her comfort level. She and Steven also brought their two sons, now 27 and 32, to the Slavic Festival when they were young boys.
“It’s a community thing where everyone has a great time getting together and carrying on their heritage,” Tapko said. “I’ve taken to learn it and to love it – I really do.”
Jamie Glenn arrived back in the United States Friday after a year-long deployment to Afghanistan with the U.S. Navy.
Just in time for the Sugar Creek Slavic Festival, a celebration that Glenn’s immediate and extended family enjoys attending each year. On Friday evening, shortly after the festival’s opening, Glenn said she loves the Croatian potato salad and coleslaw, but she was a bit overwhelmed for her first day back home to involve lots of singing, dancing and eating.
“I was excited to be back for this year. It’s kind of like a family reunion,” Glenn said. “I have a little bit of anxiety, but that’s OK.”
This year also is a bit different for Glenn’s family, including her sister, Jocelynn Combs, and their cousin, Sherry Little, because it marks the first Slavic Festival without their grandmother, Gladys “Tootie” Butkovich, who died at age 86 in October 2011. Tootie’s husband, Mattie Butkovich, co-founded the Sugar Creek Tamburitzans musical group.
“She was so strong about this,” Jocelynn Combs said. “She always gathered us together and got all of the costumes together.”
The 27th annual festival continues at 3 p.m. today on the grounds of the Mike Onka Memorial Building. The live entertainment lineup includes Village Musicians, The Ed Grisnik Group, Hrvatski Obicaj, Sugar Creek Kolo Kids, Sugar Creek Tamburitzans, Sugar Creek Ethnic Dance Troupe and Grammy-nominated accordion player Alex Meixner.
At 8:30 p.m., the Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to the late Edward Kolich, Sugar Creek Mayor Stan Salva, St. Cyril’s Altar and Rosary Society and the Sugar Creek Business and Professional Club.
Many of the festival’s participants either grew up in Sugar Creek or have Croatian, Slovak or Polish roots, but that’s not always the case. Independence native Debbie Tapko, a member of the Sugar Creek Ethnic Dance Troupe for 25 years, says she embraced the ethnic culture after she married her husband, Steven, 34 years ago.
A self-described shy person, Tapko said the dance troupe helps her get out of her comfort level. She and Steven also brought their two sons, now 27 and 32, to the Slavic Festival when they were young boys.
“It’s a community thing where everyone has a great time getting together and carrying on their heritage,” Tapko said. “I’ve taken to learn it and to love it – I really do.”
