Massive crowd emerges as early rain subsides
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The 2021-2022 Czech-Slovak royalty were crowned Oct. 2 during the 55th Annual Oklahoma Czech Festival in downtown Yukon. From left to right, prince Seth Pruett, queen Anna Sedivy-Thompson, junior queen Aspen Hein and princess Kennedy Myrick. For more photos, see Pages 5B-6B. Photo / Haley Humphrey
The 2021-2022 Czech-Slovak royalty were crowned Oct. 2 during the 55th Annual Oklahoma Czech Festival in downtown Yukon. From left to right, prince Seth Pruett, queen Anna Sedivy-Thompson, junior queen Aspen Hein and princess Kennedy Myrick. For more photos, see Pages 5B-6B. Photo / Haley Humphrey
If the crowds were an indication, the 55th annual Czech Festival was a smash hit.
From horizon to horizon, the area was awash with festival goers, who were laughing, eating and enjoying all things Czech.
“I’m glad the rain passed by. The turnout is better than we expected,” festival organizer Jaime Olvera said of the Oct. 2 event.
On the judging stand, Rob O’Hara said this year he and his wife were float judges.
“This is turning out wonderfully. This is our first time to be judges. I’m looking for creativity, and things that are handmade instead of store bought, and things that really celebrate Czechs and Yukon. And if anybody throws a kolache our way, that will be in their favor. Since 1978, we’ve never missed Czech Festival. We’re Irish, not Czech. But today everyone is Czech,” O’Hara said.
Yukon’s Mary and Lee McGough said they’ve been attending Czech Fest for many years. Mary McGough is a retired second and fourth grade teacher, who taught in the Old Central school building.
They had family in this year’s parade including their grandson, 6-year-old Brody Baker, who rode on the Richland Volunteer Fire Department fire truck, and their 8-year-old granddaughter, Sophia Baker, who was on the 4-H float.
Their 4-year-old granddaughter, Claire Baker, came to watch, and arriving from Buffalo, their granddaughters Emily and Hannah McGough also came to enjoy the parade.
Crowds were lined up several people deep along the sidewalks of the parade route. Judging from the crowd and vendor feedback, Oklahoma Czechs, Inc. President Marjorie Jezek, who rode in the parade, was ecstatic with the turnout.
“I think it went great,” she said. “We had more people than we ever expected. The weather could not have been better.”
People also brought their appetite. By 11:30 a.m., kolaches were sold out with kielbasa following suit at 3:30 p.m.
The vendors were also busy throughout the festival. One vendor, who sold puppets, told Jezek he had sold out, which was the first time it had happened during an event.
While where was concern early morning storms would chase some people away, most seemed undeterred.
“The parade was nice and long, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves,” Jezek said. “The whole day was perfect. The rain in the morning might have scared some people off but there were people unloading in the pouring rain this morning.”