Saturday, May 2, 2026 @ 2pm

Hike at Hidden Villa Farm/Park

Los Altos Hills

Sunday, May 3, 2026, 3pm - 5pm

Moravian Folk Music Afternoon

Sandpiper Community Center, Redwood City

Monday, May 4, 2026 @ 7pm

Evening Storytelling before Bedtime

email marketa.monserud@gmail.com for invitation details

Fri - Sun, May 8 - 10, 2026

Group Trip to Washington DC

visit Sokol DC and CZ and EU Embassies for Open House and Tours

Saturday, May 16, 2026 @ 2pm

Musical Afternoon by Czech and Slovak Children

Alhambra Irish House, Redwood City

Saturday, June 6, 2026, 11:30am - 4pm

Annual Picnic and Children's Day Celebration activities starting at 1pm

Turtle Picnic Area (new) at Lake Chabot, Castro Valley

Saturday, August 22, 2026 - all day

Trip to Korbel Winery - we are looking for volunteers to help plan this event

sokolsfevents@gmail.com We hope to provide a bus to take us all in style

Saturday, October 3, 2026 - all day

Czech and Slovak Festival
Orinda Community Center, Orinda

Fri - Sun, October 16 - 18, 2026

Czech That Film! Movie Festival

Multiple Locations in SF Bay Area

Sunday, October 25, 2026

Annual Picnic and Sokolský běh republiky

Seal Point Park, San Mateo

We are looking forward to seeing you at our events in 2026.

We are a volunteer run organization and we are seeking volunteers to help us plan and/or run our events. If you are interested please let us know! sokolsfevents@gmail.com

All event times listed are in Pacific Time

Hidden Villa Hiking Trail

Saturday, May 2, 2026 @ 2 pm

Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

We will meet @ 2 pm in the main parking lot, near the big tree at the down-valley end of the lot, right where that Google Maps pin puts you - see the link below.

There is a $10 parking fee.



The hike will be shaded and relatively flat. We will follow the beautiful flowing Adobe Creek, as far as people care to go, out and back. There are no long-distance views, instead it is a cozy quiet valley with tiny waterfalls. There are also goats, pigs, and sheep on the way in.

Contact: Mike (831)-325-3683

Moravian Folk Music Afternoon

Sunday, May 3, 2026, 3pm-5pm

Sandpiper Community Center,

797 Redwood Shores Pkwy, Redwood City

Sokol SF Visit to Washington, DC

during Passport DC

May 8 - 10, 2026

Thank you all who have let us know that they are joining us!

We have a great group going!

More information about the EU Open House event.

If you want to visit more countries, please feel free to do so!

Musical Afternoon by 
Czech and Slovak Children

Alhambra Irish House

Saturday, May 16, 2026 @ 2 pm

Do you have an aspiring musician at home who would like to perform?

Would you like to play some music with your child on stage?

We welcome everyone to join in. Selection of musical piece is up to you.

If you are interested in participating, please contact us ASAP at

sokolsf@gmail.com and cc: marketa.monserud@gmail.com

We welcome everyone to come and enjoy our community!

Enjoy some wonderful food and a drink while you are listening to these very talented Czech children who live right here in our area!

Thank you Erika for providing us with this wonderful venue at Alhambra Irish House.

Children's Day Picnic in Lake Chabot

Saturday, June 6, 2026, 11:30am - 4pm

17600 Lake Chabot Rd., Castro Valley

Sokol SF and Czech School of California

present our annual traditional

Den dětí - Children's Day!



Join us for an outdoor picnic lunch and bring some food for the grill

and maybe something to share :-)

Czech food to remind us of home is always welcome!

We will have the BBQ ready to grill from 11:30 am.

Children's fun activities such as potato sack race, ring toss, egg and spoon races and more surprises will commence at 2pm.

We are asking Sokol members and friends

to be part of our community and please help out during the picnic

and

with staffing the children's games.

Thank you!

 We are meeting at Lake Chabot, the Turtle Picnic Area by the lake with large picnic tables and extra large BBQ.

Please note that it is a different picnic area than in previous years.

It is closer to the parking lot, yey!

If you play a guitar or other musical instrument, do not be shy and bring it with you and we will help you sing!

Charcoal, water and coffee will be provided.

Bring your own picnic lunch and maybe something to share.

Sokol San Francisco and Czech School of California

invites you to our annual fun and active family afternoon.

Recap of Our Past Events

Rusalka

Meet the Stars

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 @ 7pm

Opera Modesto worked closely with Sokol SF to host a special pre-opera, behind-the-scenes virtual event at our request.

Bree Nichols and Jason Nichols, who performed the roles of Rusalka and the Prince, spoke with genuine admiration for the opera and shared their deep commitment to mastering the Czech language. Their description of its nuances and pronunciation reflected both respect and care for the work. 

Stage director Annalisa Winberg offered thoughtful insight into the artistic vision behind the staging, adding layers of meaning that later enriched our experience of the live performance.

Conductor Caleb Yanez Glickman brought the music vividly to life through his passionate discussion of Dvořák’s score, giving us specific details about what to listen for so we could appreciate the music more fully. A special note was his reason for using two French horns instead of the traditional one, a choice that deepened the sense of mystery and magic in the forest scenes. 

Experiencing the presenters’ enthusiasm and dedication gave us a rare glimpse into their creative process and drew us into their love for the opera, making the performance of Rusalka all the more powerful and memorable.

Get to Know the Bay Area Better

Fossil Hill Trail in Walnut Creek

Saturday, April 25, 2026 @ 10am

Even though it was cloudy on Saturday, a great group of hikers and their dogs joined us for a walk. We covered about 3 miles in beautiful spring rolling hills. We even saw some rock formations with prehistoric fossils! Right when we were saying our goodbyes it started to sprinkle. Wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning with our Czech and Slovak group and their friends!

Rusalka Opera

The Gallo Center, Foster Family Theater

Modesto, CA

Sunday, April 26, 2026 @ 2pm

More than 25 people gathered to attend Rusalka - Sokol SF members alongside Czech and Slovak friends, singers, and music lovers from across the Bay Area. One dedicated guest even traveled from Placerville to join us. Before the performance began, General Director Roy Stevens warmly acknowledged Sokol SF’s presence in the audience and thanked us for our attendance.

As the curtain rose, the stage transformed into a misty forest bathed in soft morning light. Dvořák’s familiar overture flowed from the orchestra, and the set seemed to come to life. In a striking visual moment, the stage lifted to reveal Rusalka singing her iconic “Song to the Moon,” drawing the audience into her world of longing and enchantment.

The roles of Rusalka and the Prince were performed by Bree Nichols and Jason Nichols, accomplished artists who have studied Czech and now reside in Prague. Their command of the language and deep connection to the material gave the performance an added layer of authenticity. Sokol SF member Renate Bricka appeared in the chorus and also served as the Czech diction coach, a meaningful contribution that was evident throughout the production.

While Rusalka is part of the Czech operatic repertoire, it is rarely staged in California, largely due to its demanding orchestration, typically requiring around 80 musicians. This production featured a thoughtfully reduced 24-piece orchestra, making it possible to bring this beloved work to a wider range of audiences without losing its musical richness.

After the performance, we had the pleasure of greeting the performers in the lobby before continuing the evening at a nearby Italian restaurant. We enjoyed dinner, conversation and homemade "Rusalka" perníčky cookies prepared by Ann Marie Wasserbauer, Sokol SF’s Cultural Director and organizer behind this memorable event.

Czech News & Announcements

Summer School of Slavonic Studies

Summer 2026

We would like to draw your attention to the 59^th edition of the Summer School of Slavonic Studies, taking place from July 18 to August 15, 2026. 

The Summer School of Slavonic (Czech) Studies is a four-week intensive summer course of Czech language, attended by scholarship holders of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic as well as self-paying participants. 

Although the scholarship application period for 2026 has already closed, interested participants may still attend the course as self-paying students. 

The program is intended for all language levels, from beginners to very advanced learners. Please find additional information at the following link: 

https://kabcest.phil.muni.cz/en/courses/summer-school

We would very much appreciate it if you could share this information with the Czech community in your area. 

With gratitude, 

Aneta Campbell 

Cultural Affairs Officer 

Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles 

10990 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Please let Sokol Los Angeles know if you are interested in going to this beautiful area of Dinkey Creek to camp with fellow Czech and Slovak people!



send an email to presidentsokolla@gmail.com

Are you interested in coming on 08/16-08/22?

DATE AND TIME

08/16/26 1:00pm - 08/22/26 1:30pm US/Pacific

OR

Are you interested in coming on 08/23-08/29?

DATE AND TIME

08/23/26 1:00pm - 08/29/26 1:30pm US/Pacific

15th Anniversary of Folklore group Karička Saturday, May 9, 2026 @ 4pm

Point Loma Assembly

3035 Talbot St., San Diego, CA

Can you believe that we have been dancing together for 15 years? It has been a long but happy journey for our dancers. We became not only dancers, but sisters, brothers and friends. We became a family. Come and celebrate with us!

Program:

A Gala Program with dances and songs by Karička and Podkovička, a very special guest Karol Csino who will sing songs of legendary Karol Duchoň and many more.

There will be a raffle and after the main program, dancing for all guests! Seats are limited, purchase your tickets today!

Tickets:

• Starting May 1, Tickets are $30 cash, check or Zelle;
• if paying through Venmo $31 - Venmo @Anna-Hradsky (includes service fee). 
• Children 12 and under are free. 
• Tickets are strictly non-refundable.

Food option, must be pre-ordered:

You can purchase your tickets through Venmo @Anna-Hradsky

If you wish to have a meal, there are 2 options:

• Pork with steamed bread "knedliky" and sauerkraut $15
• Pirohy filled with potatoes and cheese $10

For more information contact Anka at anka@priateliaslovenskehofolkloru.com

Olga Fikotova´s Olympic Gold Medal returns to her homeland

The National Museum’s sports collection was donated the gold medal won by the 1956 Melbourne Olympic champion, Czechoslovak discus thrower Olga Fikotová, who passed away recently in California. The donation, which includes a series of albums containing thousands of photographs and clippings chronicling her entire athletic career, as well as small personal items, made its way to the Czech Republic from the United States.