Bannister: History and Harvest Festival

Cyril Parish and the Czech-Slovak Harvest Festival held annually in August offer different points of reference. What matters for planning your trip is whether you are initially interested in the historical background or want to align your travel dates with a festival date. The Parish was founded in October 1921; for the festival, check the specific date of that year's event.

Church history and local connections

St. Cyril Parish was founded by Slovak and Czech immigrants. A county history from 1913 also reports that a church made of cement blocks was built in the eastern suburbs of Bannister in the fall of 1911 and called “St. Cyrils.” The two dates mark different events: the construction of the church mentioned and the Parish's founding about ten years later.

The same county history also records an early idea for a name: Bannister's founders considered “Maple Bend” because the settlement was near a large bend in the Maple River. The idea was tied to a specific landscape feature; Bannister remained the town's name. According to a local cultural profile from July 2021, the Bannister ZCBJ Czechoslovakian Folk Dancers were founded in 1976. Bannister's historical timeline thus extends into the second half of the 20th century.

Harvest Festival and event dates

The Czech-Slovak Harvest Festival takes place every year in August in Bannister. The month helps with general trip planning; check the specific date of that year's event before traveling. At the festival on August 7, 2022, an ethnic dinner was served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. This time slot applies to the event held on that date.

A report from July 2021 described the ZCBJ Lodge #225 in Bannister as holding an annual bazaar on the last Saturday in October at that time. If this event is relevant to your trip, check the current date. This will help you distinguish the August Harvest Festival period from the October date mentioned in the report, without scheduling both events during the same travel period.

The Milestone Barn

The Milestone Barn is located in Bannister and serves as a venue for weddings, receptions, graduation celebrations, proms, and other special-occasion events. Tours are available by appointment only. If you are planning a tour, arrange a date with the venue in advance. The listed types of celebrations describe the venue's uses; a tour requires an advance appointment.

Which dates matter for your plans

The dates serve different purposes: August is the month in which the festival is held annually, August 7, 2022, is the date of a single event with a specific dinner time slot, and the October bazaar is an event mentioned in a 2021 report. If you are planning your trip around an event, check the date of that particular year's event. Arrange a tour of The Milestone Barn separately.

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