For Simply Slavic, there’s no place like home.

That’s true of the Slavic countries many Mahoning Valley residents have ancestral ties to, and it also applies to the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre.

It will be the festival’s home this weekend and for at least four years after, thanks to an agreement reached earlier this year between festival organizers and JAC Management, which operates the city-owned venue.

Organizers used the amphitheater in 2024 as a last-minute option when its usual East Federal Street location was closed because of the Realty Tower explosion.

“We are thrilled with the hospitality that JAC has extended to us, and the fact that we know where we’re going to be,” Aundrea Cika Heschmeyer, vice president of the board and cofounder of the festival, said.

“There are things we were able to do this year, in planning and in execution, that we’ve not been able to do in a number of years because we didn’t know where we’re going to be. We were tweaked (downtown) every year — ‘OK, we’re going to get this block, we’re going to lose this block.'”

Among the changes visitors will see this year is additional seating in the lawn area of the amphitheater. A second bar has been added where attendees can get drinks as they make the loop to the heritage displays and food stands and vendor’s marketplace around the perimeter of the lawn.

“You may intend on your circuit, ‘Oh, I’m going to grab another something to drink,’ but you suddenly are delayed, you’ve run into people and you’re enjoying something more than you thought,” Heschmeyer said.

“So we’re making it more convenient that way.”

They’ve also added strolling musicians during the afternoon on Saturday to complement the main stage attractions.

There are changes on the main stage as well, which Heschmeyer said are in keeping with a festival that’s guiding philosophy has always been, “Trying to honor the past with a modern twist.”

Traditional acts representing the music and culture of Ukraine, Poland, Croatia and other Eastern European countries will play the main stage on Friday and Saturday.

Saturday’s headliner will be the Chardon Polka Band, which takes a nontraditional approach to polka music, both in its irreverent originals and its polka-fied versions of pop songs. Friday will feature the classic rock of Youngstown’s Houseband.

Houseband’s frontman Mark DeVicchio is Slovenian on his father’s side of the family, Heschmeyer said.

His first instrument was the accordion, he grew up in the local polka scene and has recorded with the Penn-Ohio Polka Pals.

“This is what we celebrate here,” she said. “The Houseband, it’s another way of introducing the festival to people who think it’s not for them. People think when they see Simply Slavic, that means it’s not for you. Well, in reality, you live in Youngstown. You’ve eaten pierogi. You know the difference between kielbasa and Italian sausage. All these things celebrate the Valley. This is another way of inviting the community to participate.”

As with many ethnic festivals, food is one the main lures. Food vendors this year include Babcia’s Lunchbox, Balkan Bakery & Cafe, Chuck’s Roasted Meats, Crago’s Concessions, Doughlicious Bakery, Fredo’s Deli, Hornyak’s Milkshakes, J&J Concession, Krakus Polish Deli & Bakery, OH Donut Co., The Pierogi Lady, Rimedio’s Bakery, Sabi’s, Steel City Chimneys (Friday only) and Sweet Sips.

The Heritage Tent will feature displays, which are built by local volunteers, representing eight Slavic countries — Carpatho-Rusyn territory, Croatia, Czechia, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. And many of the vendors in the Marketplace Tent will be selling handcrafted goods, folk art, jewelry and cultural keepsakes.

Honorary grand marshal for this year’s festival is Laurel Tombazzi, founder and chair of the Eastern European Congress of Ohio.

According to Simply Slavic Board President John Slanina, “Her passion for preserving Slavic and Eastern European traditions, combined with her incredible leadership and advocacy, has made a lasting impact not just on the Slavic community, but on the cultural fabric of Ohio. She embodies everything Simply Slavic stands for.”

If you go …

WHAT: Simply Slavic

WHEN: 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to midnight Saturday

WHERE: Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, 201 S. Phelps St., Youngstown

HOW MUCH: Admission is $5 each day with children ages 12 and younger admitted free. For more information, go to simplyslavic.org.