House of Czech & Slovak Republics Lawn Program

The House of Czech & Slovak Republics is holding its Lawn Program in Balboa Park on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM both days. It's the cottage's signature autumn gathering, and the two-day stretch gives you a couple of chances to catch it.

The program is built around singing, dancing, and music, with Czech and Slovak food and cakes for sale on the lawn. It's an outdoor affair, so the food and music happen right there in the open air of the park rather than tucked inside the building. If you're going for the food, the cakes are a good place to start.

There's a specific reason for the timing. The members commemorate the October 1918 founding of the Country of Czechoslovakia on the third Sunday in October, and this is how they mark it. The House of Czech & Slovak Republics itself is a non-profit, non-political organization founded in 1935, and it's based in Balboa Park as a meeting place for anyone who wants to celebrate their Czech and Slovak heritage or learn more about the two cultures. Membership is open to everyone, and you don't need to know either language to join.

Inside the cottage, they keep a collection of artifacts, and there's a self-guided 3D virtual tour available if you can't make it in person. They also hold monthly meetings with hosts on hand to answer questions about the two republics and the pieces on display. The Lawn Program is the big autumn event that brings that community out into the park.

It runs from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, at the House of Czech & Slovak Republics, 2170 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. Admission is free.