YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Ohio is thousands of miles from Eastern Europe, but an annual event in the Mahoning Valley is letting Ohioans experience the culture without a passport.

What You Need To Know

  • Simply Slavic is June 16 and 17 in downtown Youngstown

  • The event brings together multiple eastern European cultures for a celebration of heritage

  • Krakus Polish Deli & Bakery will be selling Polish platters and other foods at the annual event

Marta Mazur spent the past three weeks chopping cabbage and preparing food for cooking.

“When you do it with love, it’s not so hard,” she said.

While it might not be difficult, it is a lot of work for Mazur and the team at Krakus Polish Deli & Bakery.

“We are cooking a whole lot of more food for this event,” she said, while stirring cabbage in a pot over the stove.

The vegetable’s for some halusky, a noodle dish she’s serving at Simply Slavic and a way to share her culture with the community.

“I am from Poland, currently living in Poland (Ohio),” Mazur said. “So, kind of full circle.”

She started the business with her husband in 2012, dusting off old family recipes.

“Because there was nothing around here,” she said. “So we decided, ‘Hey, maybe we’ll open a store and people will come and enjoy it, as well.’”

For some, it’s a taste of home.

“A lot of hardworking people moved to this area and a lot of them are of ethnic backgrounds,” she said.

More than 5,000 people attended last year’s Simply Slavic event, and Mazur wants to make sure no one leaves the cultural celebration hungry.

“It’s not like you have to get a European ticket and go all over the place, it’s all here, it’s all in the Valley and you can come out and enjoy it,” she said.

The entertainment, exhibits and eating of Simply Slavic takes place from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to midnight Saturday in downtown Youngstown.