From Monday, Aug. 25 through Sunday, Aug. 31, the Little Balkans Days festival celebrated its 40th anniversary throughout town, primarily in Lincoln Park, but also in other areas of Pittsburg such as the Meadowbrook Mall and the Memorial Auditorium. Little Balkans Days, the festival, began its planning process in 1984, and kicked off in 1985.
“It’s our 40th anniversary,” Angela Meyer, one of the main organizers of the event, said. “It’s really to celebrate all of the cultural of ethnic and mining heritage of southeast Kansas.”
The festival had multiple different events throughout the week, 12 of which required “passports” to get into. The passports were available in various locations throughout town for $5 apiece. If at least four of these events were attended, the passports could be entered into a drawing for up to $500 in cash.
“We kicked off on Monday and we run until Sunday,” Meyer said, “Passports are $5. That gets you into all 12 passport events; every other event is free to get into. You can pick them up at Ron’s, Memorial Auditorium, the Chamber, or TOAST, and if you go to at least four, you can turn it back into one of the places you can buy them, and you’re entered into a drawing for $500 in cash, or $100 from the Chamber. We have a scavenger hunt that’s going this year as well because it’s our 40th anniversary.”
Southeast Kansas, but primarily Crawford and Cherokee counties, used to hold some of the most prominent mines in the state. The name “Little Balkans” came from a few different instances but ultimately came down to one thing: Diversity. Southeast Kansas became known as the “Little Balkans” of the state due to the wide variety of cultures the mines brought in.
“Coal mining, smelting zinc, and other coal-related activities attracted thousands of native-born Caucasians and (Black people) and Europeans. The Europeans brought the coal field a rich ‘cultural baggage’ of different languages, religions, cuisines, backgrounds, and lifestyles,” an excerpt from William E. Powell’s “The Little Balkans of Kansas: A Geographical View” found in the brochure given to attendees of the festival said, “Because of the diverse ethnicity and civil disorderliness, the coal field became known as the ‘Little Balkans’ of the state.”
The coal field in Crawford and Cherokee counties was also often referred to as “The Balkans of Kansas” due to how vast it was.
“The main coal field of Kansas was the southeastern one, in Crawford and Cherokee counties, a section often called ‘the Balkans of Kansas.’ Portions of Labette and Bourbon counties were also included.” An excerpt from William Frank Zornow’s “Kansas: A history of the Jayhawk State” found in the brochure said.
The festival had something for everyone, from petting zoos to a quilting, for all ages.
“We really like to see the college kids come out because we want to show off our area and where they’re at going to school,” Meyer said. “But it’s really kind of something for all ages. We have a petting zoo that’s free for the kids, tons of vendors that have some kids’ stuff, some adult stuff. There’s just kind of something for every age bracket.”
The Little Balkans Days festival happens in Pittsburg every year at the end of August. Food, live music, vendors, and classes are available to nearly everyone in the area.