East Toledo' Birmingham neighborhood celebrates Hungarian roots

When residents of the East Toledo neighborhood of Birmingham gathered in the streets 37 years ago to defend their community and ward off an expansion that would divide the area, they had no idea what the outcome would be.

"They just wanted to celebrate the neighborhood because we were having some hard times," said Betsy Ujvagi, whose family lived in Birmingham at the time.

Now more than 25,000 people show up every year to support the neighborhood, its culture and history during the annual Birmingham Ethnic Festival.

This year's festival has been expanded to two days and kicks off Saturday afternoon at Calvin United Church of Christ with Hungarian folk crafts, folk dance lessons, and of course, authentic Hungarian dishes. There will be a 4:30 Mass at St. Stephen's Church and 5 p.m. will bring celebrations with music and food in lots outside both churches.

"The whole mall that is open Sunday will be open Saturday," said Ujvagi, secretary of the festival committee. In the past, the festival took place on Sunday with pre-festival activities going on Saturday night.

The festival games begin at 7 p.m. Saturday with the popular Waiter's Race on Consaul near Caledonia Street. Teams compete in the relay race by carrying a tray with a full pitcher of beer and two full glasses for four blocks down Consaul and back. Contestants are scored on how much beer is left in their pitcher at the end of the race.

Birmingham was established in the 1890s when many Hungarian workers moved from Cleveland to work in steel, copper, and shipbuilding industries. Despite the dwindling Hungarian population in the neighborhood, Ujvagi said it's important to keep the festival going.

"Since the beginning [Birmingham has] been a Hungarian enclave," she said. "Everybody has a connection to Birmingham and wants to make sure it remains viable."

Sunday festival highlights include arts and crafts, lots of food, cultural exhibits, and entertainment by Szikra Citera Egyuttes, Kis Szivek, Csardas Dance Company, the Kodaly Ensemble of Toronto, Echoes of Poland, the Rumblin' Rhythm Cloggers, Gyanta Ensemble, the Ballet Folklorico Imagenes Mexicana, and Shout! Beatles Tribute Band.

The offspring of the Birmingham Neighborhood Coalition, the festival started as a celebration after a successful campaign against a plan to widen Consaul Street and build an overpass that would divide the neighborhood.

"The people of Birmingham decided to stand up and say we're not going to take this," Ujvagi said."

Since then, the free festival has provided a blend of Hungarian, American, and local culture.

"It's a chance to celebrate the history most people forget, but we make a point to stop and celebrate the culture," Ujvagi. "A lot of people have moved away, but everybody comes home for the festival."

Contact RoNeisha Mullen at rmullen@theblade.com or 419-724-6133.