The Košice Children's Railway revives historical engines. (source: TASR)
THE ANNUAL Celebration of Košice Day has been extended this year: a series of events spread over nine days will offer folklore, history, gastronomy, technology, sports, culture and more. The 19th year of this celebration in the eastern-Slovak metropolis will last from April 30 until May 8, and will be followed by the Days of Pentapolitana event organised by the European Capital of Culture Košice 2013 (ECOC) and the Day of Europe on May 10.
Some of the more popular programmes will include the Košické Benátky / Košice Venice boat contest, a goulash cook-off, the Cassovia Retro vintage car parade and a celebration of the granting of the first town coat of arms in Europe by Emperor Louis the Great on May 7, 1369. The whole celebration will open with a traditional Maypole dance, the TASR newswire wrote.
Children can enjoy the opening of the high season at the Detská železnička / Children’s Railway and ride the Katka engine, which is 129 years old and has recently been renovated by historical train enthusiasts. Athletes can compete in the VSE City Run, a four-kilometre charity run. There will also be educational events, like Deň Európy / Day of Europe and Deň Slovenska / Day of Slovakia. Re-enactments of the recruitment of volunteers for the mercenary army, and the Knights’ Košice Feasts of 1473 will transport participants and spectators back to the Middle Ages.
Other events within the festivities include various exhibitions, museum tours, folklore performances, a day at the local zoo, a ballet about national hero and bandit Juraj Jánošík, a scrabble tournament, the laying of wreaths to mark the day of Victory over Fascism, and a gala evening on May 7. To see the whole programme, visit www.kosice.sk/clanok.php?file=dm2013.htm (in Slovak only) or www.kosice2013.sk/en/program/celebration-of-kosice-day (in English, but brief).
