The Slovak Ball 2024

On Saturday, January 27th, 2024, the Slovak-American Cultural Center (S-ACC) hosted its 30th annual Slovak Ball at The Royal Manor in Garfield, New Jersey. This year, in addition to the traditional dancing, music, and food that the Ball features each year, the S-ACC also hosted the first-ever Slovak Fashion Night, celebrating the creative visions of a host of Slovak designers and highlighting their beautiful creations in a runway show. 480 guests of Slovak heritage attended the Slovak Ball this year to gather as a community and celebrate an iconic evening of Slovak culture and traditions.

The 2024 Slovak Ball began with the classic cocktail hour, in which guests from all over the tristate area and flown in from Slovakia took photographs in their fashionable attired, shared in conversation and laughter, indulged in delicious Slovak cuisine, and enjoyed the lyrical music performed by violinist Ladi Smigura. 

As cocktail hour wound down, the first-ever Slovak Fashion Night commenced. The show, which was organized by +421 Foundation, opened with remarks by some of the featured designers, including Atelier 71, Monika Lacekova (MoLa Coutoure), Eva Benova, Oldrich Voyta, and David Demovic. The runway show featured a mix of professional models and young and beautiful volunteers from the S-ACC. Grouped by designer, the models gracefully walked through the crowds of attendees and down the runway, featuring clothes that ranged from bohemian to cocktail to high-fashion and couture. Halfway through the show, the crowd was serenaded by the world-renowned, Bratislava-based soprano opera singer Julia Radosz, whose singing punctuated the fashion show with even more beauty and creativity.

After the Fashion Show had ended, guests sat at their tables to enjoy a delicious dinner featuring entrees of roast chicken, salmon, and filet mignon. Throughout dinner and the entire evening, guests were treated to an incredible experience of live entertainment, courtesy of the Express Band. Led by Marek Soltis and accompanied by Martin Valihora on the drums, the talented musicians played tunes from fast to slow and got the crowds on their feet to dance the night away after they had finished their meals. Guests from young to old danced to contemporary pop music, traditional Slovak music, and slow ballads. 

As always, the evening ended with the annual and much-awaited Slovak Ball Raffle. Our generous sponsors provided guests with the opportunity to win incredible prizes, and all proceeds of the raffle were dedicated to the mission of the S-ACC and the Scholarship Fund, which supports students of the Slovak language through the University of Pittsburgh’s Slovak Language Studies program. A very special thank you to our spectacular raffle prize donors, our hard-working volunteers, and of course, all those who purchased tickets!

The night ended with a delectable dessert of tiramisu and the ball’s classic midnight buffet, which featured roast pig and potato pancakes. Guests continued to indulge in these delicious treats and dance the night away until late in the morning. A tremendous thank you to our generous Slovak Ball sponsors: the Catholic Slovak Union, Mr. Matus Culen, Drs. Philip & Ivica Labuda-Trouilloud, and Ms. Renee White, as well as all of our individual monetary donors.

With thanks to our wonderful photographer, we invite you to re-live unforgettable moments from The Slovak Ball 2024!

Photos by Prog4to