Those who make annual Lithuanian Days a must-do on their calendar say they're drawn to the celebration for the color, food and culture.

That's because the two-day festival includes some attractions you just won't find any place else.Locally, the 102nd annual Lithuanian Days was celebrated Aug. 13-14 at Schuylkill Mall near Frackville, and the event is built on a century of tradition, starting in 1914. It is said to be the longest consecutive ethnic festival in the United States. Still, the celebration this year was a first for some."We do all of the Lithuania shows, but this is our first time at this one," said Dick Reinhold of Michigan.Reinhold was a vendor selling T-shirts and other garments."I do all of the embroidery," he said, adding that the Lithuanian celebrations in Cleveland and Chicago are among his favorites, and he's now adding Schuylkill County to the repertoire.Anne Visoky of Plains was on hand with custom-made amber jewelry, known as gold of the Baltics.The term "the Baltics" refers to the three European countries along the Baltic Sea - Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia."All of the jewelry is imported," she said.Vendors displayed books, wood carvings and all kinds of Lithuanian-related items.Barbara Dereskavich of Barnesville was on hand explaining the work behind carvings and artistry of her husband Joseph, 75.Hand-carved figures reminiscent of totem poles represent "wood spirits," Dereskavich said.She, too, is an artist, creating hand-painted wooden eggs that appear similar to the pysanky style but are not dipped in wax."People collect them. I never do two the same," she said.Ethnic food is always a big draw."I come every year. I like the kielbasi, perogies and halupki," said Bob Malay of West Penn Township, retired railroad engineer.Malay takes advantage of Lithuanian Days to enjoy treats he wouldn't otherwise find."Our sausage is cured, it's not smoked. It's dried or cured," said vendor Andrius Stanionis of Toms River, New Jersey, manning a booth for a food concern named Linos Skanumynai.Stanionis was selling not only meats, but a dessert called TreeCake, a Lithuanian sweet treat made of butter, eggs, flour, sugar and sour cream, cooked on a rotating spit over an open fire.Foods included homemade Lithuanian favorites such as cold beet soup (saltibarsciai), potato pudding (kugelis), meatballs (kotletai/bandukies), Lithuanian sausage (desros), stuffed cabbage (balandeliai), fresh dill pickles (agurkas), sweet sauerkraut salad (saldus rauginti kopustai salatos), and other treats.West Penn native Ernest Coombe Jr., now of Mahanoy City, was on hand for the music."Years ago, I helped to start the band that's here," Coombe said. The group, the Sensations, hails from the Minersville area.For Phyllis J. Edwards of Newark, Delaware, the day had special meaning."My dad just turned 100 and I wrote a book dedicated to him," she said.Edwards' book, The Invincible Heart, discusses her grandmother's family and is a way for Edwards to connect to her homeland."Lithuanian people have incredible blood running through their veins," she said. "Getting to know the history and the people, it just changed me."The event is sponsored by the Knights of Lithuania Anthracite Council 144. It has never missed a year but has skipped around to various locations.Locals will remember Lakeside Park, Lakewood Park, two venues located midway between Tamaqua and Mahanoy City, as host of the celebration. In fact, it stayed there and at Rocky Glen Park in Moosic to the 1980s.Fairlane Village Mall hosted the event in 1988 and 1989 before the event moved to Schuylkill Mall in 1990.The tradition was started by the Lithuanian Catholic Priests League in Schuylkill County for immigrants and their families, offering a day of culture, fun and fellowship.Until the end of World War II, it was always held on Aug. 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a holy day of obligation for Catholics.After World War II, it took place on the Sunday closest to Aug. 15 for the benefit of those who left the area for employment, allowing them to come home and visit on the weekend.