Longtime Kolach Festival volunteer Ed Kuba partly to thank for the festival’s revival in the 1970s

CEDAR RAPIDS — Those lined up for kolaches this weekend at St. Ludmila Catholic Church may not realize that without the help of 81-year-old volunteer Ed Kuba, they might be kolach-less.

The annual Kolach Festival originally started sometime in the 1930s, but was shut down for a period in the '40s due to the war and restrictions on gambling activities that affected chance games like bingo that helped raise money for the church, Kuba said.

But when restrictions were lifted in the '70s, Kuba and fellow former co-chair Irma Kelly — who died in 2009 — and other organizers helped revive the festival.

They brought back rides, live bands and a beer garden and sold dozens of kolaches for just 25 cents, Kuba said.

But that's 'nothing compared to what we bake today,' he said.

'They never made the volume we make now because everything was made from scratch and by hand,' said baking coordinator Karen Billick, estimating they used to make 500 or so kolaches over the weekend.

Now an assembly line of volunteers working in shifts throughout the week curb Cedar Rapidians' cravings for kolaches by churning out more than 5,000 dozen of the Czech pastries.

'It's just a tremendous amount of kolach, and people really want them,' Kuba said, describing the lineup of cars outside the church throughout the festival.

Kolaches are sold for $12 a dozen or $6 a half dozen, which raises more than $50,000 for the church each year, Billick estimated.

From start to finish, a batch of kolaches can take four hours or more to make, Billick said.

'The biggest thing is the dough,' she said. 'It's like a 3-year-old — you have to learn how to manage it.'

Even the slightest change in temperature or moisture can throw the whole operation off, causing a delay that could 'trickle down the whole process,' she said.

Volunteers bake throughout the night to keep up with demand, sometimes losing track of time.

'When it gets to be Friday or Saturday, we joke about what day it is,' she said, likening the experience to training to be a Navy Seal in a bunker. 'It's all adrenaline.'

'It's busy, almost hectic,' Kuba agreed, describing the buzz of volunteers making dough, filling and baking pastries before packaging them and running them out to waiting customers.

'There's not much time to stand around and think, but it's fun,' he said. 'The best part is, every once in a while you'll get a sample.'

Kuba, who is 100 percent Czech, grew up with kolaches made by his mother and 'Babi' — his grandmother — and today continues to sneak them into his diet despite being diabetic.

His favorite flavor? 'Probably cherry these days,' he said.

While there are many helping hands making them, it's often not enough — especially considering how quickly they sell out, even with a limit of four dozen per purchase, Billick said.

'Typically we run out by 7 p.m.,' she said. 'It sometimes feels like we're trying to do the same amount every year with less help. ... Sometimes we just can't keep up. People are always disappointed when we close the line down. But they have to remember, it's a fundraiser. It keeps the church doors open.'

'It's neat that it's survived this long and that people look forward to it every year,' Kuba said. 'It's a really nice thing for the parish to do. It helps bring people together.'

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