Dessert Cruise

Kick-off the festivities of the 2008 Extravaganza with a dessert cruise on Pittsburgh's 3-Rivers. There is simply no better way for us to showcase our hometown than by taking everyone on a scenic cruise with the unique Pittsburgh skyline as your backdrop. And, of course we will be sure to have plenty of tambura music on board for your entertainment. But, be sure to leave room for dessert after your dinner because you will definitely want to come hungry. One of the Gateway Clippers will dock just a short distance from the front of our hotel for boarding at 7:30 pm on Thursday, September 25th. We will then set sail promptly at 8pm. One of our participating bands will play for your entertainment as you partake of the many desserts being offered. The menu will consist of Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake, Lemon Chantilly Cake, Cappuccino Cake, White Raspberry Mousse Cake, Creamy Fifth Avenue Cheese Cake, and Assorted Petit Fours. Assorted teas and coffees will also be available. For those who prefer something a little stronger, please be sure to visit one of the fully-stocked cash bars. The ship will return you to the dock at 9:30pm at which time you can join everyone else for the Welcome Dance in the ballroom of the Westin. Space is limited on the ship and will be offered on a first-come basis.

Pittsburgh Tour

For those interested in learning more about the city of Pittsburgh and wanting to see some of the cultural treasures we have here, we are pleased to offer a Pittsburgh Tour on Friday, September 26th. A tour bus will pick you up at 9 am for an entire day of sightseeing. The tour begins by taking you to St. Nicholas Church in Millvale, the home of Croatian artist Maxo Vanka's murals. The murals depict the ravages of war and the sacrifices of immigrant workers in early 20th century industrial America. They also honor the congregation's Croatian heritage and Christian faith. Vanka had recently immigrated when he began to paint the murals in 1937, and called them his "gift to America." You can visit their website at http://www.stnicholascroatian.com/Murals_1.html to see the murals, but you will definitely want to see them in person. After everyone has had a chance to view the murals, our tour continues by taking everyone to the Tamburitzan Cultural Center. This tour will demonstrate how the Tamburitzans, America's longest-running multicultural song and dance company, is much more than just that. You will see first hand, the library of over 9,000 volumes of books and journals relating to the music, songs, dances, customs, and traditions of the peoples which the ensemble artistically represents. You will also get to see the Tamburitzans museum-quality costume and instrument collection that began over fifty years ago. You can visit their website at http://www.tamburitzans.duq.edu/ for more information prior to the tour. Lunch will be provided at the Tamburitzan Cultural Center before we leave for our next destination - Mount Washington. Time and weather permitting, we will drive to Mount Washington, Pittsburgh's picturesque overlook of the downtown skyline, for pictures. However, we want to be sure to leave plenty of time for your final stop - the Heinz History Center. In addition to a multitude of permanent and changing exhibits and a staff of curators and historians who are experts in their fields, the History Center is home to the Library & Archives, which preserves thousands of items that document 250 years of life in the area, including individual archival collections, maps, 500,000 photographs and book titles related to regional history. The History Center has an entire floor dedicated to cultural exhibits of various ethnic cultures. You can visit their website at http://www.pghhistory.org for more information prior to the tour. Space is limited for the tour and will be offered on a first-come basis. Cost of the tour includes lunch and admission at each stop.

Dance Workshops

For the faithful dance enthusiasts, we have arranged for a full day of instruction with two of Pittsburgh's finest dance instructors: Željko Jergan and Marilyn "Chee Chee" Repasky. Dance Workshops will begin at 9am on Friday, September 26th and alternate between the two instructors until 4pm, with time for lunch and a short break to coincide with a lecture on Tambura-making by Frank Valentich. Željko Jergan is a renowned choreographer and teacher throughout the world. Since moving to the United States in 1986, Željko has created over 350 original choreographies for 70 different amateur, semi-professional and professional ensembles, including Les Sortileges, Brigham Young University, Radost Folk Ensemble and the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. When he's not researching and creating new choreographies, Željko stays extremely busy working with the international folk dance community, where he is in popular demand for his depth and style in teaching Croatian folk dancing. He has traveled extensively both domestically and abroad, including folk dance seminars and workshops in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Taiwan. Marilyn "Chee Chee" Repasky has shared her love of playing tambura music and dancing kolos with students of all ages for over 30 years. She has directed, danced with and choreographed for innumerable performing groups in both Detroit and in several cities in Pennsylvania. In Detroit, she joined the Detroit Tamburitza Orchestra as both a player and a featured vocalist. In Pennsylvania, Marilyn has served as choreographer and vocal instructor for a series of junior groups, including the Trafford Junior Tamburitzans of Pittsburgh, Rankin Junior Tamburitzans, and Duquesne Junior Tamburitzans. Marilyn's instruction has emphasized the importance of equipping students with the skills and knowledge they will need on stage and at social functions, but equally importantly, she has provided those under her guidance with a background and awareness of her culture and heritage. Marilyn also shares her talents and knowledge with more mature enthusiasts. For the last 20 years, Marilyn has been the instructor of Pittsburgh's first adult kolo class.

Tambura-Making Lecture

Join us at 1pm on Friday, September 26th as Pittsburgh's own Frank Valentich offers a discussion on the making of Tamburitza instruments. The Valentich family has been making tamburitzas for over 50 years and he will not only share his vast wealth of knowledge for this craft but also make himself available to answer any questions that you may have.

Survivors Picnic

For those who still haven't had enough music and fun on Sunday, be sure to stick around and join us at the Survivors Picnic. This event will be held indoors at the spacious Holy Ghost Social Center on Pittsburgh's North Side. Ample parking will be available and there are no steps into the facility. Admission for the Survivors Picnic is in advance, but will be at the door. Various ethnic foods will be offered for your lunch and/or dinner for a minimal cost. And, as always, we will be sure to have plenty of tambura music until the last person leaves.

50/50 Raffle

Want an opportunity to walk away from the weekend making a little bit of money? Be sure to enter the 50/50 raffle. There are three ways to enter the raffle: 1) click on the link on our home page, 2) indicate when you register that you would like to participate and include the fee per chance in your registration or 3) get a ticket when you pick up your registration packet at the hotel. We will hold two drawings - one at each Concert - and distribute 50% of the total pot to two lucky winners.