I know everyone, especially Dave has been on the edge of their seats awaiting last year's recap. I happy to note that the full recap is now live on TR Online! Photos are plentiful (check out the full collection of photos on the Serb Fest Facebook Group). We're light on quotes - I'm not sure if some were lost over the last year, but there are a couple good memorable quotes documented. Congratulations to 2020 Rookie of the Year, Griffin Leininger, a well deserving recipient, despite limited competition, but as we know, we rarely have more than a couple new attendees each year anyway. Griffin was at home with the Central Indiana folk and was a fine addition to the small group we had on hand. We look forward to 2021 when we expect to award the full suite of honors, including the biennial Golden Cevapcici Award!

Well, here we are in mid March… Those of us in the Chicago area have had a taste of Spring, only to get blasted by another blanket of snow. Instead of dwelling on the current state of the weather, I’d much rather turn our sights toward Memorial Day Weekend! What a year it’s been… A year ago, I was fully confident TR2020 would go on without any impact from Coronavirus. Clearly, it was a true roller coaster ride until the 11th hour when we ultimately postponed Serb Fest, delaying its start two days to align with the reopening of State Parks in Indiana. A skeleton crew kept our sacred traditions alive with caution, but while we knew the world was far from normal, I don’t think any of us really considered an entire year later, we’d still in this reality… While things did indeed have to get worse before they got better, at least we know we’re in a much better place today and can confidently say TR 2021 will go on with relative normalcy. The attendance list will start to materialize over the coming weeks and months, but I imagine with such a large portion of our group already vaccinated, we’ll see many families return after a 2020 hiatus. Perhaps this will be a case of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”…. This May, let’s come together and gather ‘round the grill and enjoy one another’s company like never before! TR 2021 is sure to be a year for the ages!

And YES, the TR2020 Recap is coming soon!

DSD Delicatessen (Closed 2011)
Lawrence Ave, Chicago

Thanks to Caroline Boskovic for the tip! Our beloved source for our amazing Serbian cuisine has reopened after their shocking closure in 2011! The store was reopened by a new generation of owners and certainly looks to have an elevated level of quality! While our friends at Lalich have been exceedingly wonderful over the past decade, Serb Fest, of course has strong ties to DSD. Those of you who are new to the group should know that the cevapcici recipe at DSD is from the grandfather of our old friend and Founding Member, Jovan Zelenkovich. The recipe is a cornerstone of DSD's heritage, as stated in a recent Facebook post,

"This delicacy is one of the main reasons we brought D.S.D. Deli back to the community. Our recipe is the best kept secret that dates back to 1967. Stop in & see why D.S.D. Cevapi are the most popular specialty."

I am beyond excited to have DSD be part of Serb Fest in 2021!

Follow DSD on Facebook and Instagram!

Thanks to everyone who came out for a truly unique Serb Fest this year. While we obviously missed so many of our regular crew, the 4 families who were able to attend made the most of it! We know the rest of you hoisted an honorary High Life or PBR and you all fired up your own grills this weekend. I'm sure it was nice to have a quiet holiday weekend at home for a change, but I'm certain that the entire Serb Fest family is excited to get back to normal in 2021! Be on the lookout for a full recap and photos of TR2020 in the coming months (or let's face it, probably next Spring!) Ziveli, friends!

It's 2pm on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. By now, we would have all normally arrived and festivities would be in full swing. Instead, I sit at home in front of a computer, sipping a beer, writing you all. While a few of us plan to make an abbreviated appearance at TR starting tomorrow, those who are not able to join will be truly missed. It was nice catching up with a few of you yesterday in your driveways. To get us through the remainder of the weekend, I leave you with one final gift.

Its no secret that song is a big part of what makes up the Spirit and atmosphere of Serb Fest. It all started with the unique and eclectic soundtrack of 2003's Fire & Ice documentary. From there, we've seen a steady stream of new music added to the Serb Fest soundtrack. While MP3s continue to be available on TROnline, I thought this year would be a good opportunity to introduce a BEST OF collection to Spotify, hopefully making access to those of you staying home this Memorial Day weekend, that much easier. Hopefully this link puts the playlist at your fingertips and will enhance your weekend, just a little bit!

	SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
	DOWNLOAD [Right Click, Save As]

Despite the blasted pandemic and it's impact on Serb Fest's 2020 attendance, keeping in tradition with our evergrowing soundtrack schedule, I'm happy to announce the sixth installment of the Serb Fest Collection Series, the 10th anniversary of Volume I's release! As expected, the collection once again speaks to the unique flavor of Central Indiana and the Spirit of Turkey Run.

I build these collections over the course of 2 years and work hard to be very deliberate with my selections. This year, I was a bit lean on playlist, but stumbled upon a couple of excellent last minute additions - in particular, the bonus last track of the collection, "Boter Vinny", a Serbian powerhouse tune that I have not taken the time to translate lyrics, but am convinced it's a suitable anthem to solute our old friend, Vince Kus, 2004's inaugural 'Intellectual of the Year' award winner. In addition to this gem, there are a number of great, soon-to-be classic TR tunes by familiar artists and a few new to the collection as well. ENJOY!

Download the tracks HERE, add them to your iTunes playlists for the drive to TR this year, or for your own quarantined backyard Serb Fest festivities!

Hi Friends - This is not your typical attendance update, but none the less, we will indeed have a skeleton crew on hand at Turkey Run this year, for an abbreviated celebration of 2020's edition of Serb Fest. Not to worry though, we absolutely plan to gather as a full group later this summer (or fall) to "observe" Serb Fest. For those able to brave the pandemic to gather at TR, the day it officially opens to the public, this will be a year unlike any other. We will do our best to uphold the great spirt of Serb Fest past, despite the diminished attendence. We will remember this challenging time... and look forward to TR 2021, when we're all able to once again gather together aroudn the hallowed grills of Turkey Run for what promises to be the most anitipcated Serb Fest of ALL-TIME!! Next weekend, regardless of where you are, or who you're with, let's make memories! Happy Serb Fest! Zeveli!!

Amazing to look back on the optimism from just 6 short weeks ago. Coronavirus was impacting our lives pretty significantly at that point. Offices were closed... Bars and Restaurants may have JUST shut down... But at that time, the expectation was that by the middle of April, we'd all more or less be back to "normal". Well, there's no need to fully recap the insanity of the last 6 weeks, but the bottom line is that as of this moment, Indiana State Parks are closed until a reopening (tentatively) scheduled for May 24.

So TR2020 is officially POSTPONED just two short days and will still hopefully remain over Memorial Day, extending to Tuesday, May 26. Many of us have contacted TR Inn to reschedule our stay to reflect these dates. Clearly, there's no pressure to join us this year if you and your families aren't comfortable in that environment at that point in time. The good news is that we would be the first occupants of the hotel and cabins after reopening, so the spaces should be clean and safely virus-free.

More to come on a contingency plan to include those who do in fact choose not to attend in person this year.

Stay safe, friends!

Well, Spring is nearly upon us… And as we all fend off the evil Coronavirus, rest assured, there are no plans to postpone or cancel our beloved weekend at Turkey Run! Let’s face it, with the amount of time we’ve all spent playing in the dirt at TR over the years, we’re all probably immune to much worse! We are a mere 10 weeks out and I do believe it’s time to let the anticipation begin!

This year, Serb Fest enters its 6th decade! For our generation’s Founding Members, it’s our 4th decade of attendance... Pretty astounding! What makes me most proud as I look forward to the next decade of Serb Fest, is the prospect of our children, the 3rd generation of attendees, by the close of the decade, will be young adults, many, of drinking age…. They will be primed to carry the torch and usher in the future of Serb Fest! So, until then, we, the second generation, have a responsibility to ourselves, our children, the future of Serb Fest… and most importantly, the legacy of our forefathers, to celebrate the next 10 years of Serb Fest…. To keep our Spirit and the Legend of Serb Fest-past, strong… to instill the same passion in our young ones that we all have for TR. This is our duty as today’s elder statesmen of Serb Fest!

First order of business, please reach out if you’re in need of a room for TR 2020. I’d like to inventory how many rooms we have amongst us so we don’t overextend our recruitment efforts! I hear OLAF and crew have a new family looking to join us! As always, I’ll post attendee news as it becomes available.

Another sensational Serb Fest is behind us. Another decade has become part of the Legend. Our generation has truly found its stride – after 20 years… or, perhaps after 10 years of navigating Serb Fest with the 3rd generation in tote… Serb Fest is like a well-oiled machine, prepared to endure anything the weekend might throw at us. We were excited to not only have the Boskovic's back after their infamous 1 year "hiatus"...the unexpected return of BS was amazing as well! Attendance was once again strong at 46! MORE >>

I’m thrilled to finally share the highly anticipated next chapter of Cooler Sessions, featuring none other than Crazy Dan! Appropriate timing as he prepares to make his return to Serb Fest after his one-year hiatus! The chat takes us back to the sweltering 100 degree heat of TR2012. Learn some important Serbian techniques for staying cool in extreme heat and MUCH more! Language is technically not safe for kids, but I used to share with a 3-4 year old Grant and he thought it was hilarious. He seems to have turned out fine!

COOLER SESSIONS: DAN BOSKOVIC

As you know, TR Online periodically brings you an in depth look back at notable years past, 10 years later in our “Turn Back The Clock” Series. The very first in our series debuted 10 years ago, looking back on 1999. A true turning point in Serb Fest History. A year in which Serb Feet’s second generation took hold and set forth down the path of a lifelong tradition. Now, in 2019, we have an opportunity to get again reflect on this pivotal year, 20 years later! Have a read and appreciate just how much has changed (and how much hasn’t) in 20 years of Serb Fest!

TR 1999 - TWENTY Years Later

Let’s take a few moments to remember some of our most memorable “One Trip Wonders”! Most of us regular attendees have long committed to TR for life... A tradition of making memories with friends and family year after year... And while we always encourage regular attendance from the moment new invitees are introduced to Serb Fest, repeat attendance simply doesn’t materialize for some. For OLAF recruit, Sean Sullivan, an incredible 12 years separated his only two trips to TR. His surprise return in 2012 has certainly been the exception. Most are instantly hooked or fall immediately into TR lore. Impressively though, many who only briefly cross paths with our great tradition have managed to make lasting impressions. READ MORE>

Vince "The Intellectual" Kus		"Chuck the Truck" Leto		Arpan Desai		Eric "Mad Dog" Hansen
2004		2004		2004		2007

The TR2019 Shopping List is now available HERE! As expected, there’s not much change from recent years, but please review your individual (limited) responsibilities to prevent unnecessary redundancy of food, drink and supplies.

Also, be sure to have cash on hand for your park entrance fee ($7) canoe/kayak rental ($15/kayak, $20/canoe) and hay ride ($10/person)

For those bringing young children on the float and will have them in kayaks, I recommend picking up a few bungee cords from your local hardware store to allow you to tether kayaks together and ensure we all continue to float slowly and blissfully down Sugar Creek!

As promised, the TR 2018 Recap is finally up at TR Online! Check it out and relive the countless ridiculous moments! I mean, the quotes alone... absolutely priceless! Some dandy photos too... ENJOY!

TR 2018 RECAP

Friends.... As most of us continue to endure a winter that just won't seem to quit, I can't believe we're less than 11 weeks out from yet another epic weekend at Turkey Run State Park. Like the promise of another Spring, TR2019 holds tremendous promise. I'm hopeful that we'll see the return of several dearly missed attendees and those who've recently returned to Serb Fest will continue the momentum forward and join us again this year!

In what seems to be the new normal here at TR Online and our Serb Fest FB Group, I've been slow to post content from the previous year.... Rest assured, this is in the works! Soon you'll be inundated with photos, ridiculous quotes and hilarious memories to get your appetite in order for this year's festivities. Stay tuned for much, much more!

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

The 41st+ edition of Serb Fest, while short a few key attendees, was none the less, not at all short of good times! The weather was outstanding and the group was energized by the return of Mike and Amy Z! The group rallied to compensate for the Boskovic’s absence for the first time since the early 2000’s. It certainly proved that they bring a heck of a lot more than crazy antics to the table each year. We’re now less than a year out from their sure-to-be triumphant return!

This year’s hike was a welcomed success after several years of poor navigation resulting in extra long hikes, we finally took the right turns that kept us to a reasonable distance and duration! The beer float was a near disaster and nearly resulted in the issuance of TR’s second official demerit (a second was threatened once before due to a stolen chair w/ footrest in the pre-children era of Serb Fest). Scott was over-confident in the group not needing a reservation for the kayak trip, but after a slightly later departure and above average nice weather, Sugar Valley Canoe Trips was at near capacity…. Running out of kayaks for all morning and early afternoon departures. That forced the majority of the group into tubes. At first this appeared to be a significant downgrade in comfort and experience, but as the trip unfolded, most agreed the tubes were fun. On another note, the group also failed to pack a secondary cooler of beer into the cars and Berger, once again could have been more diligent after Dave R asked if we had everything packed up. This certainly would have contributed to said issuance of a demerit, but miraculously, the group managed to reasonably ration the beverage supply, so all in all, the float was a success. That said, it was a big lesson learned and next year will be much better orchestrated! Perhaps this will parlay into a “most improved” award for Berger next year!

The time has come... For your viewing pleasure, the next installment of our "Fireside Chat" series, featuring Brian Crissie! Take a few minutes and give it a watch with the family!

FIRESIDE CHAT: BRIAN CRISSIE