Yes, this is admittedly 10 months late! Updating the beloved TR Online continues to be very painful this year as I continue to have file uploading issues! Never the less, our Serb Fest 40 memories are not officially archived and preserved for future generations! Take a moment to relive 2017 as we prepare for another great weekend next month!!

TR 2017 RECAP

On a similar note, the Annual Pre-Hike 'Beater' Photo page has received a bit of an overhaul. We can all agree this photo can be a bit of a pain in the ass each year, but I have to admit, the collection of photos are one of my favorite pieces of TR Online. Nearly 20 years behind us. You really see the youth come through on the early photos! WOW!

Greetings my fellow Turkey Run enthusiasts!! After a near 10 month hiatus, TR Online is back in business! My deepest apologies for the delayed posts of last years recap and the usual late Winter TR hype. Computer software issues and time restraints are to blame, but for now, things seem to be working, so away we post!

Special thanks to Bry and Dave R for the gentle nudge to get my @ss in gear. You guys get all the credit this year in lighting the TR fire! With that said, we are just over 2 months out from the Most Anticipated Weekend of the Year! I may reach out to some of you individually, but let's be sure we have lodging squared away for everyone. If you're without a room right now, keep a close eye on the TR Inn website for last minute availability!

Without further ado, I have some exciting news to share!! I received confirmation last week that Amy & Mike Z will in fact be making their long anticipated return to TR this year! Now with 3 kids (newcomers Kate & Callen join their older sister and past attendee, Anna), this will be Mike & Amy's first trip since 2011! Mike captured Rookie of the Year honors 10 years ago in 2008 with quick witted humor and a newfound nickname, "Feces Mike". He was also a back-to-back recipient of the Honorary Vince Kus Intellectual of the Year Award in 2010-2011 and is credited with introducing Stroh's to Serb Fest. Amy, of course, is nothing but good times and folds perfectly into the fabric of TR. This is truly great news for 2018 and I hope we all continue to be spoiled by their presence into the future!

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!

It probably goes without saying, that this, of all years, Crazy Dan is more than deserving of the Vince Kus Intellectual of the Year award, recapturing these honors for the first time since 2012 and becoming an unprecedented 3rd time honoree.

Carter Berger earned the Cevapcici Consumption Award for the second straight year, having proclaimed early in the weekend that he was ONLY interested in eating Cevap this weekend! His family continues to be proud and overjoyed. Who will step up and challenge him in 2018??

And finally, the 7th recipient of the Jovan Zelenkovich Memorial Golden Cevapcici Award is a very deserving, OLAF. Now, 17 trips to Serb Fest under his belt… One of three invitees of Jovan back in 1998 - leading to Founding Member status in 2013 - clearly, he's been a cornerstone of this, the second generation of Serb Fest. He also is responsible for the first male attendee of the 3rd generation, as his son John was introduced to TR in 2008 just a couple months into his young life. He's responsible for the 'symbol' of TR - we all know it! A moment captured on camera back in 2003. "Nobody pounds beers like OLAF, NOBODY… But we plan for that, and it's okay…" That's one of my favorite historical quotes from Jovan way back when… He may not be QUITE the same beer pounder as he was in his younger days, but I wouldn't bet against him… He's been an active recruiter of new attendees for well over a decade…. And last but not least, he cooks some mean potatoes! Next time you see OLAF, be sure to congratulate him again and praise him for his Serb Fest related achievements!

Check out the AWARDS ARCHIVE for a look back on past recipients!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! It’s finally here!
THE MOST ANTICIPATED WEEKEND OF THE YEAR!

Weather has improved a bit from earlier in the week. Temperatures remain in the upper 70's to upwards up 80 degrees and chances of rain on Sunday has subsided a bit, but timing of the rain may impact the Sunday Beer Float. Otherwise, Sugar Creek levels are only slightly above normal and is expected to be open to all ages, weather permitting...

Some last minute reminders before you hit the road: Be sure to have cash for your entrance fee to TR State Park – Typically $7 for out-of-state unless rates have gone up. Also, have cash on hand for the hay ride, if interested (between $10-20 for a family – OLAF may remember the exact rate). And of course, if your shopping list includes a Serbian Food cash donation, please get your money to me as soon as you can. I’ll make sure we’re covered before reimbursing Crazy Dan (Thanks again, Dan for handling the critical task of supplying the Serbian cuisine!) AND FINALLY – Please note that we’re going to do our best to stick to a “schedule” for a few key events this weekend. I know it’s tough to always be around when parenting duties call – but please make an effort to be at the grill site for the following events:

Saturday, 4:00pm – Annual Beater Photo
Sunday, 5:30pm – Awards Ceremony
Sunday, 5:45pm – Full Group Photo

A full schedule of events can be found HERE

As if the Fireside Chat series wasn’t enough… TR Online introduces yet another video series that we’ll build upon in the future! Welcome to ‘Cooler Sessions’! The first chapter features 3-time attendee, Brian O’Kelly. The interview was filmed during TR2012 in the midst of Brian’s second trip to TR. In contrast to Crazy Dan’s ‘Fireside Chat’ which, among much of his antics, speaks eloquently about the history of Serb Fest from the perspective of our longest-tenured attendee… Brian brings a youthful perspective of Serb Fest – relevant to many of our newer invitees, even those experiencing Serb Fest for the very first time this year! ENJOY!

COOLER SESSIONS: BRIAN O'KELLY

FIRESIDE CHAT: CRAZY DAN [Right click, save as] or tap to stream to your mobile devices

As advertised, the first Chapter of the new ‘Fireside Chat’ series is NOW AVAILABLE for your viewing pleasure! Filmed nearly 5 years ago, late night during TR2012, the release of this priceless footage in some form has been highly anticipated from the moment it was captured! Originally part of a flurry of filming done at TR2012 intended to contribute to the production of our next full-length documentary – a look at the rich history of Serb Fest. Time has proven that production of such a documentary is no small task, but one that certainly remains an aspiration for us all. And so, Krangis and Scott agreed that we simply couldn’t hold back on the release of this legendary interview session any longer. It stands tremendously well on its own and will leaving you crying from laughter. Throughout the interview, you hear the small group that had gathered behind the camera fight to hold back the uncontrollable laughter. The good news is that today, you can laugh to your heart’s content! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??!

Announced today on the Serb Fest Facebook Group was the upcoming release of a new video series entitled ‘Fireside Chat’ – set to debut next Sunday, May 21st at 8:00pm CST!  While the video will be available On Demand at TROnline, you’ll surely want to mark your calendars to set aside some time Sunday evening after the kids retire to bed – This highly anticipated first chapter in the series features none other than Crazy Dan, filmed in the Lodge, late night during TR2012.  It can be described as nothing short of an utterly hilarious stream of consciousness from a truly one of a kind Legend of Serb Fest!  As such, this production will not exactly be appropriate for children… But let’s face it, I’ll probably let my kids watch.  It’s no different than what they hear at TR!!

Well who can’t get excited after watching this?!  Krangis once again comes through in a big way with an uplifting video set to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – a song most cool kids can appreciate!  Share this one with your kids! 

A BIG thanks to Krangis for taking the time to capture these moments and share them in a way that will preserve these memories for a lifetime!

Download the video file [right click, save as] or tap on your mobile devices to view the video.

CAN'T STOP THE FEELING

Introducing what will hopefully be a series of Serb Fest inspired books in the coming years!  I couldn’t think of a better way to start this series than with a book geared toward our youngest TR attendees!  With Serb Fest’s third generation growing stronger each year, this will be a great way to keep the Serb Fest spirit strong in our little ones all year long! 
 
From “I is for Indian Head Dress” to “O is for OLAF”, "The ABCs of TR" is arguably the most entertaining alphabet book ever written!  It’s perfect for kids learning their ABCs and for kids gaining a deeper insight of Serb Fest, from a kid’s perspective, of course!  But make no mistake, this can be fun for Serb Fest attendees of all ages!  Special shout out to Nutz for introducing me to a fantastic app, Prisma, nearly a year ago – making these wonderful illustrations possible! 

My hope is to find a company to print hard copies - or make hard copies available for purchase online. Until then, enjoy the book on your computer, tablet or mobile devices!

Check out the eBook HERE and share it with your kids!! 

The shopping list is now available!  Hopefully this is in advance enough of the trip to give everyone a couple of weekends to plan their shopping.  Thanks to Julie for pushing me to get this out now and not 3 days before TR!  Much of the same from previous years.  OLAF – as noted on the list, we should talk about strategy for Jimmy Dean potatoes.  We need to perfect this meal – it’s been clumsy in recent years! 
 
As for everyone else – Let me know if you have any questions.  If you’re contributing to the Serbian food order, please bring cash to me at TR.  The sooner you can get it to me, the better! 
 
2017 Shopping List

We are looking great on attendance, as expected! In fact, we're potentally going to set a modern-day Serb Fest attendance record this year - as we're approaching 50 confirmed attendees! I received word tonight from camp OLAF that Amy Lund will be returning to TR this year! Two-time past attendees, Dan and Rachel W will be returning for their third Serb Fest! Word has it that they'll be staying at Turkey Run Campground. Let's hope the rain stays away for their sake...

I also got encouraging news from Monica, saying that she is indeed planning to return to Turkey Run this year! I know I speak for everyone in that we're extradorinarily excited at this prospect! Monica - You've been missed in recent years! Serb Fest isn't the same without you! I remain hopeful that Aleks will return and I have Crazy Dan working on Teta Lela, Cika Daca and Teta Lela (Aleks, we need your support on this as well!) The new attendees and most of all, the young kids, need to experience the joy and privelage of sharing Serb Fest with some of our esteemed Hall of Famers and living legends!

To other past attendees who may have fallen out of the swing of Serb Fest - it's not too late to get in on Serb Fest 40! Let me know if you're interested as we'll need to take a final inventory soon of available rooms. I expect that we'll not be releasing any rooms back to the general public this year! DON'T MISS OUT!!

Another chapter of 'Turn Back The Clock'.... As I thought back, considering whether or not this would be a year to add to our TBTC series, I initially though... "Eh... 1997 - Not very relaxant to this group - But next year, we can definitely look back on 1998, certainly a red-letter date in the history of Serb Fest!" But then it hit me... '97?! That's TWENTY years back!! We're talking about 2007!! Are you kidding me??! It feels like only yesterday, but yes, '07 was a full decade back! And oh my.... it is definitely a year worthy of exploring here today!

TR 07- Ten Years Later

I have exciting attendance news to share for TR 2017! I have confirmation that 2016 Rookie, Frank Malawski, affectionately known as "Meat", will be returning in 2017! We expect great things! I've also received word that 2010 Rookie of the Year, Brian O'Kelly expects to make a welcomed return to TR this year! Brian has been on-again-off-again since storming onto the Serb Fest scene as a young man. This will be his 4th appearance at TR. This is convenient timing as his part-Korean/part-Irish namesake counterpart, Brian Kelley will unfortunately be on extended hiatus from Serb Fest for the forseeable future due to committments to his alter-ego, Dr. Shit.

We will also welcome Ich's sister Vikki and family (husband, Joe, children Maddie and JJ) to Turkey Run. They've been very familiar with the Legend of TR for the better part of 20 years as it often comes up in conversation around the dinner table at family gatherings between the Berger's and Mann's. We expect they'll fit right in very comfortably. Joe has strong Rookie of the Year potential!

Friends and fellow TR attendees, past and present…. We are 2 months out from an historic weekend.  This year, we’ll celebrate an incredible 40th anniversary of our beloved Serb Fest!  As generations have come and gone, perhaps some of our newer attendees may find it hard to even fathom this tradition dating back 4 decades – further back than most of us have been alive! The tradition continues to thrive, touching new people each year.  Amazingly, this Memorial Day weekend, we not only celebrate 40 years of Serb Fest, but 20 years since the inaugural attendance of today’s ‘Founding Members’ of as named by the TR High Council.  TR 1998 was a pivotal year in which our old friend, Jovan Zelenkovich first invited the likes of myself, Scott Berger and OLAF – a move that quickly spawned a feverish growth of a new generation, not seen since the formative days of Serb Fest in the mid-70’s. 
 
I urge everyone to join us in celebrating this momentous occasion – Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-29, 2017.  We’ll find room for everyone!  Can’t wait to see you gathered ‘round the grills of Turkey Run!  

Ziveli!  

Congratulations are in order for the latest off-season additions to the TR Family! This year Nutz and Amy Heitzman will welcome baby Riley and Erich and Lauren Mann will welcome baby Vivian to the tradition of TR. Hard to believe, but we may well be at a point where the 3rd generation will outnumber us "old people"! Let's see this a a good thing - and good for the future of Serb Fest! You know what they say, "Gotta Start 'Em Young!"

The TR High Council has spoken! In a very close vote, the 2016 Rookie of the Year Award goes to Mark Decker! His domination of the "pump" and in consideration of the increased degree of difficulty in managing 2 very active sons, makes him a very deserving recipient! "Meat" (Frank Malawski), of course had a very strong showing coming away with both a killer nickname and likely a killer hangover after polishing off his bottle of MD20/20. Thanks to both men for their superb spirit in their inaugural trip to TR! We look forward to having you both back next year! Special mention also goes to Amy Lund for initiating an unprecedented 2nd kayak trip on Monday morning!

The 2016 Most Improved Award goes to Rishi Loona - which sounds illogical considering he reached the pinnacle of TR recognition last year taking home the Golden Cevapcici Award, but in sharp contrast to his usual intelligent being, he foolishly returned his rental car Monday morning with Scott's cooler and beer float in the trunk! He made good this April with a new cooler, float and grill tool set with integrated flash lights. AMAZING!

The Cevapcici Consumption Award goes to Carter Berger, not only for his enthusiasm for cevapcici, but for his enthusiasm for all meats. His family is very proud!

Check out the AWARDS ARCHIVE for a look back on past recipients!

Well, few could argue that this wasn’t another outstanding year for Serb Fest! While we missed several regulars and a last minute cancelation of Amy Heitzman due to illness, we welcomed several new comers. A new attendee is like having kids – It gives you an opportunity to see life (or in this case, TR) through the eyes of someone new – it just makes everything that much more exciting! Not to mention, it led to a new nickname (“meat”) and a new initiation beverage. The weather was glorious, the kids had a blast, the food and drink was plentiful and as usual, plenty of hilarious quotes were born. After a strong very late Friday night, anchored by Scott, Rishi, Crazy Dan, Olaf and new comer, “Meat” – Saturday was met with at least a couple mild (and rare) hangovers. As the remaining families arrived, many embarked on the annual hike – though the group was split. Following the hike, the annual wife beater photo was expanded to include not only a shot of the men, but a shot of the men and kids (as we’ve done the past few years) and a shot of only the kids. It was truly a sight to see so many boys under the age of 8 proudly bearing their A shirts, just as their fathers do. A true memorable moment for Serb Fest as the 3rd generation continues to grow! We saw the introduction of a new game – bottle something-or-another – where the object is to knock a bottle off of a pole with a Frisbee – all while holding a cold beverage…. A fantastic game that I expect to be a mainstay in the future! Another game involving a hammer and nails failed to debut this year, though we’ll work hard to bring that game to life in 2017! Sunday morning the group split for the annual beer float and Sangria Sunday traditions. But for the first time, 3 of the men embarked on the trip with children. A risky move, but one that turned out to be phenomenal! Grant, Jack, Cameron and Sarah joined us and couldn’t have enjoyed the trip more! And special recognition to Sarah for fetching Stroh’s for the group on a couple of occasions! The rest of the weekend was business as usual. Another notable addition – the introduction of new grill tools with integrated flash lights (thanks Rishi)! So now we turn our sights to TR 2017 – Serb Fest’s 40th Anniversary! We have A LOT in store for you all in the upcoming year. So many ideas and so little time! Can’t wait to share them with you all! Zeveli, friends!

After a very difficult series of polls where the group pined over selecting favorite quotes from each year dating back to 2003, as the final poll was revealed to the group, Scott was hit with the revelation that perhaps one of the greatest and most influential quotes of all time had been inadvertently left out of previous voting rounds! Given this quote's place in the TR Code of Ethics, it felt appropriate to give the quote late entry in the final round, suggesting it could be the 'dark horse' quote. And against very stiff competion from legendary quotes from 2005, '06, '07 and '10, the Hall of Famer's quote won in a landslide - not only solidifying it's rightful place as the 10th Commandment of Serb Fest, but now rightfully as the greatest quote in Serb Fest History.

Relive the memories of all your favorite quotes HERE

It’s not too early to start talking about TR2017 given the circumstance that we’ll be celebrating Serb Fest’s 40th ANNIVERSARY! The attendance list has evolved over the years. We’ve been without our forefathers for a few years now as they slowly retired from Serb Fest as the 2nd generation has taken over. We’ve had a number of one or two-time attendees in the last 20 years and we’ve had a number of one-time regulars on an extended hiatus in the last couple years. 2017 – We welcome encourage everyone to come back to join together and celebrate this great tradition and pay tribute to the incredible 40 year history touching 5 decades!

With that said, amazingly, there appears to be a handful of rooms currently available through the Turkey Run Inn’s Online Reservation Wizard! If you did not reserve your room for 2017 last year, now may be your last chance! If Serb Fest holds a special place in your heart, BOOK NOW! Remember, you can cancel up to 4 days prior to check-in (though you’d be crazy to do so!). And if you can’t make it, I expect that room to be in high demand as both past attendees and new attendees look to get in on a Serb Fest for the ages!

That's right! What seems like a hidden treasure, even for me, is rereleased digitally available for download or to stream directly to your mobile devices! Relive TR2004 in our second documentary installment!

2004 saw a true cast of characters, several of whom only attended this one year, leave a lasting impression on Serb Fest. Among them, Vince Kus – the inaugural recipient and inspiration behind the annual award that bears his name: The Honorary Vince Kus Intellectual of the Year. He’s called upon by the TR High Council each year to return to Serb Fest, but to no avail. We will not quit until we triumph! But in the meantime, his legend lives on.

View the video HERE or visit the documentary page for links to other great Serb Fest video!