Day Trips: Praha Picnic, Praha

photos by Gerald E. McLeod

The Praha Picnic begins at 11am on Aug. 15 when the Ennis Czech Boys take the stage after Mass at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in celebration for the Feast of the Assumption.

This is the 169th picnic, whose official name is Prazka Pout or Prague Fair, to be held at the church about four miles outside of Flatonia. The party also honors the church’s founding in 1855 in the home of Matias Novak. It is always held on Aug. 15, no matter what day of the week it falls on. Everyone is welcome, whether Czech or not.

Many of the churches on the Coastal Plains hold annual homecoming celebrations, but Praha puts on one of the liveliest. It is possibly most famous for its dinners of delicious fried chicken and Praha Stew, a savory concoction of meat and vegetables.

There is something for everybody at the picnic. Kids have lots of games to choose from. Try your luck at bingo or take your chances at the auction. The parish women bake over 200 cakes, pies, strudels, and other desserts for the cake walk. The bands play until 10pm, so pace yourself.

Praha was originally called Hottentot, but when Czech farmers began moving into the area around 1854 the name was changed to Praha. It is sometimes called the “Czech capital of Texas.”

The community has never been very large, but now only a couple dozen residents call the unincorporated town home. The church registers 97 families as members.

If you can’t make it to the annual picnic, this year held on a Thursday, make a trip to check out the beautiful sanctuary at St. Mary’s, which is on the list of “painted churches.” The church is open daily for self-guided tours; for a list of current hours go to stmaryspraha.org. Call 361/596-4674 to arrange a guided tour.

1,715th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, ataustinchronicle.com/daily/travel.