Come to the west side to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Slovenian independence.
The Slovenian National Home in Haughville will open its doors to the neighborhood June 22 to observe the day Slovenia broke away from the former nation of Yugoslavia in 1991 to become an independent country.
Slovenian history
Slovenia is located south of Austria and east of Italy. Hundreds of thousands of Slovenians moved to the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s to escape the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and many made the Midwest their new home. In Indianapolis, many Slovenians moved into the Haughville neighborhood.
The empire fell after World War I, and Slovenians entered into a union with Serbians and Croatians to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918, which would later be renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia a decade later, which means “Land of the southern Slavs” in the Serbo-Croatian language.
The kingdom was absorbed by the Soviet Union after World War II. About 35 years later, the Soviet Union dissolved and Slovenia became an independent nation on June 24, 1991.
Come celebrate Slovenian Statehood
The Slovenian National Home will celebrate Slovenian Statehood Day a few days early by providing attendees with cultural activities, such as polka lessons and learning Slovenian phrases, as well as soup and wine tastings.
The Slovenian National Home is located at 2717 W. 10th St. The celebration is free and will last from 2-6 p.m. For more information, head to the home’s website.
If You Go
- What: Slovenian Statehood Day
- Where: Slovenian National Home, 2717 W. 10th St.
- When: 2-6 p.m. June 22, 2024
- Cost: Free
Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @heyEnriqueSaenz
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