The Slovak Ball 2025
A love letter to Slovak Heritage, Music, and Community
The Slovak-American Cultural Center (S-ACC) proudly hosted the 31st annual Slovak Ball on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at The Royal Manor in New Jersey, bringing together over 430 guests for a spectacular evening of elegance, heritage, and community. This milestone year also marked the 10th anniversary of the event’s relocation from the New York Athletic Club to The Royal Manor, a move that has enabled the Slovak Ball to flourish into the premier Slovak-American gala.
A night filled with love and celebration, this year’s ball showcased a rich cultural program highlighted by the special guest band from Slovakia, Kapela Srdcovka. Hailing from the breathtaking High Tatras region, Srdcovka enchanted the audience with their modern take on traditional Slovak folk music, igniting the dance floor and leaving guests in awe. Their performance was complemented by the Express Band, led by Marek Soltis, and featuring renowned Slovak drummer Martin Valihora, ensuring that the music and joy lasted well into the night.
In honor of this special anniversary, the cocktail hour was extended, allowing attendees to indulge in an exquisite selection of Slovak delicacies, including open-faced sandwiches, "bryndzové halušky," and mini breaded cutlets. Guests toasted the evening with a selection of top-tier Slovak spirits, including Nestville Whisky, Original Spisska Slivovica, Malinovica, Marhulovica, and Goral Vodka Master from Wesmont G4 Liquors. The ballroom, elegantly decorated in burgundy and white to match the theme of "love," provided a stunning backdrop for an evening of glamour and festivity. A midnight buffet featuring a traditional roasted pig, potato pancakes, and other Slovak favorites ensured that the celebrations continued until the early morning hours.
Photo credit: Maynard Wallace of Progfoto
The Slovak Ball was honored to welcome a distinguished roster of guests, including the Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the United Nations, Ambassador Peter Hulényi, and his wife Tatiana, as well as the Consul General of Slovakia in New York, Milan Vrbovský, and his wife Zuzana. Among the esteemed attendees were Dr. Cecilia Rokusek, President and CEO of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library and husband Dr. Robert Perrik; Mr. Bogdan Chmielewski, CEO of Polish Slavic Federal Credit Union; Kevin Collins, Executive Secretary of the FCSU Financial; Mrs. Jana Trnovcová Ragucci, former Consul General of Slovakia in New York, her husband Christopher, and their son Alex, as well as Mr. Thomas Duch, Esq. and Mrs. Cheryl Duch, representing Bergen County as Administrator and County Counsel.
The event also welcomed Broadway star Luba Mason, a longtime supporter of the Slovak Ball, alongside her husband, the legendary 23-time Grammy and Latin Grammy winner Rubén Blades, whose illustrious career in music, film, and activism has left an indelible mark on the industry.
Deeply rooted in faith and tradition, the Slovak Ball was also graced by the presence of esteemed clergy, including Fr. Peter Bujdos of St. Michael’s in Trenton, who delivered the benediction, Fr. Stefan Chanas from St. John Nepomucene in New York City, Fr. Francis Conka from the Parish of St. Paul and St. Ann in Congers, New York, Fr. Tadeusz Mierzwa, Administrator of Holy Family Church in Linden, and Fr. Marek Visnovsky and his wife Miriam Visnovsky and daughter Caroline from St. Michael the Archangel in Passaic.
The Slovak Ball is not only a night of celebration but also a means of giving back to the community. One of its most significant contributions is the S-ACC Scholarship Fund, which provides opportunities for students to study the Slovak language through the Slovak Language Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. Guests had the opportunity to support this initiative through The Slovak Ball Raffle, which featured an array of exclusive prizes, including two roundtrip airline tickets to Europe courtesy of LOT Polish Airlines, 2-nights in Tokaj Treetops Village, Mala Bara, Slovakia courtesy of Košice Región Tourism, a seven-night oceanfront stay in Mexico, a weekend getaway to Château Franz in Czechia, and a private dinner at the residence of the Slovak Ambassador, among many other coveted items.
The overwhelming generosity of donors and sponsors to The Slovak Ball and the Raffle makes this scholarship program possible.
For over 31 years, the Slovak Ball has served as a symbol of unity, pride, and celebration for the Slovak-American community. The unwavering dedication of the Board of Directors of the Slovak-American Cultural Center, all volunteers, is the driving force behind the success of this cherished event. Their commitment to preserving and promoting Slovak heritage ensures that the Slovak Ball remains a premier cultural gathering year after year.
A special thank you goes to the dream team—the Slovak Ball Committee—whose meticulous planning and dedication bring every element of this event to life. From the carefully curated program to the exquisite details that make the evening unforgettable, their efforts create a truly memorable experience for every guest. Lastly, thank you to our ticket sales platform,Ticketbarber.com – a Slovak-American founded company, for providing efficient and easy-to-use ticket sales and management software.
The Slovak-American Cultural Center remains committed to fostering community, preserving traditions, and creating meaningful opportunities for cultural engagement.
Video credit: Adam Wasko
Rok sa s rokom zišiel, a čosi vyše 420 hostí, vrátane tých z diplomatických kruhov (H.E. Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the United Nations Peter Hulényi & Consul General of the Slovak Republic to New York Milan Vrbovský), sa opäť vrátilo v sobotu 15. februára, už po jubilejný 10. krát, do krásnych priestorov The Royal Manor v meste Garfield, NJ. Výber témy 31-ho Slovenského Plesu bol tentoraz kvôli dátumu veľmi jednoduchý: láska a všetko s ňou spoločné. Hrozba snehovej búrky našťastie pominula a ples sa mohol začať obľúbenou cocktail hour už o pol siedmej. Kuchyňa pod vedením slovenského šéfkuchára Kristiána sa opäť nedala zahanbiť a pripravila kolekciu chuťoviek od výmyslu sveta. Na hostí
v lobby čakalo ľadové srdce, fľaše slovenskej slivovice a marhuľovice vďaka slovenskému obchodu s alkoholom Westmont Liquors G4, v neposlednom rade aj Love Potion, koktejlový nápoj večera.
S úderom ôsmej hodiny sa pomaličky začal hlavný program vo veľkej sále. Po úvodných slovách predsedníčky S-ACC Sabíny Sabadoš a požehnaní jedál Fr. Petrom Bujdošom sa už rozozvučali hudobné nástroje skupiny Express na čele s Marekom Šoltísom a vzácnym hosťom, bubeníkom Martinom Valihorom. Ale to tentokrát nebolo všetko čo sa hudby týka. Spod Tatier k nám zavítala kapela Srdcovka. Skupina šiestich talentovaných mladých ľudí spájajúca ľudovú a modernú hudbu s mnohými rôznymi žánrami a dokonca operným spevom zanechala počas večera svoju jedinečnú muzikantskú stopu a zahrala mnohé obľúbené “srdcovky” účastníkov plesu. Kombinácia Expressu a Srdcovky znamenala, že sa tancovalo takmer nepretržite až do
druhej ráno s výnimkou tomboly. Tá bola tradične naplnená jedinečnými cenami, za ktoré patrí naše srdečné “ďakujeme!” všetkým štedrým darcom. Nezabúdame tiež samozrejme poďakovať hlavným sponzorom plesu:
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IVAN DP Construction, LLC
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FCSU Financial - First Catholic Slovak Union
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Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union
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Mr. Jeffrey Samuel Howe
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Dr. Ivica Labuda & Philip Trouilloud
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Ms. Renee Waskovich White
Okrem nôh na tanečnom parkete si na svoje prišli aj naše žalúdky. Odštartovala to chutná slepačia polievka, za ňou nasledovala trojkombinácia kurča, losos alebo filet mignon doplnená tiramisa dezertom a kávou. Kto si myslel, že to je všetko sa veľmi mýlil. O pol dvanástej vošlo do hlavnej sály upečené prasiatko s prskavkami, pri pohľade na ktoré tiekli všetkým slinky. Tri bary sa počas noci starali o drinky hostí vo vysokom tempe.
Ani sme sa nenazdali a o druhej hodine rannej sa v hlavnej sále rozsvietili svetlá. Tí čo zostali do samého konca, a nebolo ich málo, ešte „ukecali“ kapelu Srdcovka na niekoľko spontánnych prídavkov v lobby. Všetci napokon odchádzali domov s pocitmi skvele stráveného večera a s túžbou vrátiť sa prežiť to isté, ak nie ešte lepšie, na budúci rok 7. februára 2026.
Na záver to najdôležitejšie: srdečná vďaka patrí všetkým nadšeným S-ACC dobrovoľníkom, bez ktorých by aj tentoročný Slovenský ples sotva vošiel do histórie ako jeden z najlepších.
In addition to the above donors to The Slovak Ball 2025 Raffle,
we would like thank our individual donors for their generosity:
Mr. Ivan Pancik - IVAN DP Construction, LLC
FCSU Financial - First Catholic Slovak Union
Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union
Ms. Renee Waskovich White
Mr. Jeffrey Samuel Howe
Dr. Ivica Labuda and Mr. Philip Trouilloud
