American Croatian Club hosts annual festival

LORAIN — The American Croatian Club celebrated 102 years strong with its annual festival on Saturday. Now in its 27th year at the Oberlin Avenue Club, the longstanding gathering saw more than 600 attendees crowd the space and its adjoining yard to enjoy its famous roast lamb, stuffed cabbage, chicken paprikash and traditional Croatian music and entertainment. Head trustee Chris Thomas said the organization sold out of the vast majority of its food by about 3 p.m. Saturday and saw visitors from as far away as California come to celebrate their Eastern European heritage in the International City. Rick Grubic has been president of the club for more than 30 years. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Joseph Grubic, who ran the club for decades as well. Croatians began arriving in Lorain in the early 1920s to work in shipbuilding and the mills. A dozen Croatian men organized the American Croatian Political Club in 1923. It met monthly at Dominick's Hall, 1688 E. 28th St., then later in the basement of St. Vitus Church, 1785 E. 32nd St. In 1948 the club secured its liquor license under Grubic's father, Joseph Grubic's leadership, while in the former Grove Theater. Two years later, the group purchased Dianne's Recreation on Grove Avenue, renovating the former restaurant into the club room while keeping the bowling lanes open to the public. In 1998, under Rick Grubic's leadership, the club purchased the former Riviera Swim Club on Oberlin Avenue and moved its operation out of South Lorain where it is today. This year's entertainment included the Cleveland Junior Tamburitzans Croatian Pride, a 65-year-old music and dance troupe coached by Josie Tomljenovic. "The kids were excited," she said. "We love to have the collaboration between all of the Croatian groups across North America." Her students, ages 5 to 21, travel across the world presenting traditional Croatian dances. Recently, its travels included New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Ontario, Canada and Croatia — with much of the group's efforts funded by donations from members of the Croatian diaspora. Members are often encouraged to join by their grandparents or other family who immigrated to the United States, Tomljenovic said, and it brings back memories of the old country for those who left Croatia behind. Saturday was a chance for those with roots across the sea to reconnect, be it after seeing one another a day or years prior. Tomljenovic's mother reconnected with her goddaughter by happenstance, she said. The woman had come to the club after driving by and the pair happened to run into each other after 20 years apart. Another family uses the annual festival as a reunion. "I feel like we share our culture as well," she said. "Croatian people are very gentle-natured, they're very welcoming — they want to feed you." That welcoming nature on Oberlin Avenue was made possible by no less than 50 volunteers, including those who started cooking the lamb roast at 4 a.m. Saturday. As someone involved in the club since he was old enough to walk, Grubic said it was gratifying to see its annual festival continue to live on. Later this year the American Croatian Club, in partnership with the Lorain Historical Society, will host The Tamburitzans from Pittsburgh. Formed in 1937, the dance troupe has come to Lorain several times over the years and featured Lorain-native performers in its ranks who received scholarships to attend Duquesne University. The group will perform at Lorain High School on Nov. 2. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com