The aroma of savory and fruit-filled kolaches wafts through the air drawing crowds to Caldwell, otherwise known as the Kolache Capital of Texas, for the annual Kolache Fest. The downtown event brings together hometown citizens and visitors from around the state to indulge in thousands of kolaches and listen to polka music. “Everybody knows about the kolaches! That's what they come for,” says Janice Easter, the kolache festival’s director.
The festivities will begin on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, in the afternoon, when participants can learn how to create a batch of the popular pastry from start to finish. The first Champion of Champions winner from 2014, Bruno Shimek, will lead the demonstration with multiple-time Rosette Kolache Festival winner Brian Estlund. That evening, festivalgoers can partake in a Czech-inspired meal featuring Slovacek sausage and sauerkraut followed by music and dance with The Lost Cause, a country, rock, polka band from Central Texas.
Easter anticipates that the event will bring in approximately 15,000 visitors to Caldwell, many of whom will come on Saturday, the main day festival. Festivalgoers will be lining up for kolaches first thing in the morning in anticipation of their first kolache taste. “There's lines all day until they sell out — and they always sell out,” she says. The opening ceremony starts at 9 a.m. and will highlight the roots of the festival — celebrating Czech history within the community.
Musical entertainment includes The Dujka Brothers, who will perform on Saturday at 11 a.m. on the southside of the Burleson County Courthouse in downtown Caldwell on the Square. “The reason we put them downtown at the courthouse is because of all the people that are there for the kolaches or arts and crafts shows,” Easter says. Two bands, Aggie polka band, the Moravians, and the Czechaholics from LaGrange, will perform on the Main Stage at the Polka Pavilion from noon to 4 p.m. “They're seriously talented,” she says. “They have a great following.”
This is the first year the new Miss Kolache of Burleson County will be chosen through competition rather than appointment. Contestants for this contest must be at least of 50% Czechoslovakian descent and involved in a Czech organization. “We're very rich in Czech heritage and trying to carry on Czech traditions and culture in our community,” Easter says.
The fan-favorite kolache-eating contest is back this year with a twist — instead of competing to see who can eat the most, contestants will vie to eat their kolaches the quickest. The men will race to see who can eat five kolaches the fastest, the women will have three to consume, and the youth contenders will have one.
The Caldwell Chamber of Commerce is growing the event from one day to two to bring more visitors to Caldwell, says director Susan Mott. “It’s always felt like a homecoming for so many with great times shared with family and friends,” she says. “We may not get together as often as we would like, but we can always look forward to the time we can spend together at the Kolache Festival.”
burlesoncountytx.com/kolache-fest
