Festival Hours
Don’t forget that the Birmingham Ethnic Festival is officially opening for a full two days this year for the first time!
Festival hours are:
Saturday, August 18 – Noon to 10
Sunday, August 19 – Noon to 9
The Waiters Race will occur at 1PM on Saturday, August 18th – preceded by the Cakewalkin’ Jazz Band! We’ll see you on Consaul Street this weekend!
Related Events
Calvin United Church of Christ would like to welcome Festival attendees to church service, scheduled for 4PM on Saturday, August 18.
2012 Birmingham Ethnic Festival Entertainment Schedule
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18TH
Calvin United Church of Christ
2:00PM BLUES REVELER
2:30PM HOLZHACHER BUAM SCHUHPLATTLERS
3:00PM KAYLOUISE & MESMERIC FUSION
4:30-8:30PM GYANTA ENSEMBLE
8:30-10:00PM JEFF STEWART
Saint Stephen’s Catholic Church / Hungarian Club lot
1-3PM CAKEWALKIN JASS BAND
3:30PM HOLZHACHER BUAM SCHUHPLATTLERS
4:00PM BLUES REVELER
5:30-10:00PM TRU BREW
VFW Post 4906
1:00PM MOLLY’S IRISH DANCERS
1:30PM HOLZHACHER BUAM SCHUHPLATTLERS
2:00PM KAYLOUISE & MESMERIC FUSION
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19TH
Calvin United Church of Christ
1:00PM MOLLY’S IRISH DANCERS
1:30PM KIS SZIVEK CHILDREN’S ENSEMBLE
2:00PM ECHOES OF POLAND
2:30PM RUMBLIN RYTHEM CLOGGERS
4:00-8:00PM THE BRIDGES BAND
Saint Stephen’s Catholic Church / Hungarian Club lot
1:00PM ECHOES OF POLAND
1:30PM KAYLOUISE & MESMERIC FUSION
2:00PM GYANTA ENSEMBLE HUNGARIAN FOLK BAND
2:30PM KIS SZIVEK CHILDREN’S ENSEMBLE
3:00PM MOLLY’S IRISH DANCERS
5:00-9:00 SHOUT! A FANTASTIC TRIBUTE TO THE FAB FOUR!
VFW Post 4906
1:00PM RUMBLIN RYTHEM CLOGGERS
2:00PM MOLLY’S IRISH DANCERS
2:30PM KAYLOUISE & MESMERIC FUSION
3:00PM ECHOES OF POLAND
3:30PM KIS SZIVEK CHILDREN’S ENSEMBLE
4-6PM TÁNCHÁZ WITH GYANTA ENSEMBLE
Birmingham Ethnic Festival Entertainment Schedule subject to change. Please see updated schedules at each venue on day of performance.
Recognition Ceremonies
*With the change to a 2 day Festival, Sunday’s Opening Ceremonies have been altered to reflect our desire to recognize those in the community who have supported the Birmingham neighborhood and the Festival this year.
Sunday Recognition Ceremonies
On the Steps of St. Stephen Catholic Church
11:30 – 12:00 Music by Gyanta Ensemble
12:00 Ceremonies Begin!
Posting of the Colors by VFW Post 4906
American National Anthem sung by Betsy and Suzy Ujvagi
Hungarian National Anthem sung by Elaine Schwind
Welcome and Opening Remarks by Peter Ujvagi
Introduction of Special Guests
Recognition of 2012 Birmingham Festival Sponsors
Presentation of the 2012 Friend of the Birmingham Neighborhood Award
Beer Keg Trophy Presented to the 17th annual Waiter’s Race Winning Team
History of Birmingham
Born of events which took place in our community more than three decades ago, the Birmingham Ethnic Festival has come to be known as a Sunday in the Old Country. Over the years, thousands have come on this third Sunday of August to share in the ethnic traditions, the diverse culture and the heritage for which Birmingham is known.
Several sets of railroad tracks on Consaul Street were an ongoing source of frustration for motorists traveling between Toledo, Oregon and points east. Traffic is often stopped at these crossings by the trains. Through the 1950s and 1960s the Birmingham community sought to have a roadway built over the tracks, but to no avail. When the city finally agreed to construct the overpass, plans called for a four lane bridge and the eventual widening of Consaul Street to four lanes as well. This construction would have eliminated every building on one side of Consual Street. The heart of our community would have been torn from us.
The Birmingham Neighborhood Coalition (B.N.C.) was organized in April of 1974 in response to this threat of destruction. Organizations representing all segments of the community came together to fight the widening of Consaul Street and subsequently to address other issues in the neighborhood.
In the 38 years since the founding of the B.N.C., the people of Birmingham have successfully addressed a wide range of problems. The first Birmingham Ethnic Festival took place on August 17, 1975. The first festival planning committtee was chaired by Paul G. Hayden and included nearly 40 people, representing almost every church and organization within the neighborhood.
From the first Festival Book we read the goals of this annual event as written by the founders: Our intention is to point to the spirit of the original ethnic settlers in Birmingham. Their cooperation and unity of purpose was the foundation for the building of this community. The motivating purpose of the early settlers was their faith in the American ideal of success being equally available to all who are willing to work toward that end. The Birmingham Ethnic Festival is an outgrowth of pride and enthusiasm of the Birmingham community, and its desire to share with greater Toledo a taste of the ethnic flavor which has so permeated the neighborhood. This pride has been a factor of great cohesiveness, sustaining the neighborhood through many threats to its very existence. The Birmingham neighborhood has shown a concerted and serious attention to the betterment of the community, to the projects of beautification, renovation and preservation. This festival seeks, through its activities, to provide a means whereby the aspirations of the Birmingham community may be realized as fully as possible in the future.
Mark your calendar – 2012 festival dates Aug 18-19
The 38th running of the Birmingham Ethnic Festival in Toledo will be Aug. 18 and 19 in 2012.
The festival planning for 2012 is underway.
Mark your calendars and see you in less than a year!
Birmingham Festival on TV – take 2
FOX Toledo News stopped back to the festival grounds on Sunday. Here’s their report!
