Members of both Clutier’s American Legion Hora-Machacek Post 453 and Traer’s Kubik-Finch Post 142 lead the 2024 Clutier Fun Day grand parade as it cruises down Main Street last Saturday just after noon. The Legionnaires were pulled by a restored 1953 Farmall Super M tractor owned by Laurence Svoboda and his late wife Marlus Svoboda. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

CLUTIER – The annual Bohemian Plum Festival Band Concert and Clutier Fun Day celebration took place along Clutier’s Main Street last Friday and Saturday, welcoming folks from both near and far to the small but mighty Bohemian Alps community.

The merry weekend kicked off Friday evening with a performance by Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen as part of the Bohemian Plum Festival. The Mount Vernon-based band played their popular mix of German, Czech, and Slovenian style polkas much to the delight of those who packed the west side of Main Street in front of the Bohemian Blonde Bar & Grill.

Those in attendance included Dan and Pat Kubik’s adorable trio of granddaughters. The youngsters danced the night away alongside their grandpa – a very talented polka dancer – much to the amusement of Becky Livermore and her bandmates who seemed to smile every time one of the girls twirled in their dresses.

The next day, Saturday, Aug. 3, the Clutier Fun Day grand parade kicked off at noon from ZCBJ Hall on the north side of town. Participants from the earlier Kiddie Parade led the way including the inaugural recipients of the Little Miss Queen/Little Mr. King contest – Journey Walton and Kolten McKee.

Following the kids, Clutier and Traer Legionnaires from Hora Machacek Post No. 453 and Kubik-Finch Post 142, respectively, rode in style in a wagon hitched up to a gorgeous restored 1953 Farmall Super M owned by Laurence Svoboda and his late wife, Marlus Svoboda.

Dan Kubik, right, dances a polka with his five-year-old granddaughter Felicity last Friday evening along Clutier’s Main Street as part of this year’s Bohemian Plum Festival Band Concert which featured Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen. Felicity and her two younger sisters (not pictured) spent a good portion of the evening dancing with their twinkle-toes grandpa, much to the delight of Barefoot Becky herself, Becky Livermore, who could often be seen smiling in the young girls’ direction while playing the accordion. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Local proprietors with floats in the parade included the oldest continuous Clutier business, Cizek Manufacturing & Distributing Co. which was established in 1911, and the popular Bohemian Blonde Bar & Grill.

The parade also featured members of both the Clutier Fire Dept. and Clutier First Responders as well as the Traer Ambulance, while state Rep. Dean Fisher (R-Montour) walked along the parade route and his wife Vicki Fisher drove a patriotically decorated UTV nearby.

A cruiser with the Tama County Sheriff’s Office was also part of the parade fun, driven by K-9 Deputy Casey Schmidt who spent the previous evening feeding the crowd at the Bohemian Plum Festival by grilling up the event’s signature Bohemian plum brats.

Near the end of the parade, Clutier Fun Day sponsor ZCBJ BetterLife Lodge rolled its flashy blue-and-gold-decorated trailer down Main Street. Members tossed buckets of candy and other goodies to all those in attendance. As the float passed by, a sign on the back declared ‘MITI DOBRY DEN!’ – which is Czech for ‘Have a good day!’

Click here to view additional photos from both the Clutier Fun Day parade and the Bohemian Plum Festival Concert.

Barefoot Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen perform on Clutier's Main Street last Friday as part of the 2024 Bohemian Plum Festival Concert. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

ZCBJ BetterLife Lodge members toss buckets of candy and other goodies to paradegoers last Saturday as part of the 2024 Clutier Fun Day grand parade. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

A Clutier Kiddie Parade participant waves to the crowd while piloting his miniature John Deere garden tractor and wagon along Main Street on Saturday, Aug. 3. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Bohemian Blonde Bar & Grill owner Steph Kupka, right, waves to the crowd as she rides down Clutier’s Main Street during this year’s Fun Day grand parade which took place last Saturday at noon. Also pictured, Kupka’s daughters Bexley Stechcon, left, and Briley Wildman. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The back of ZCBJ BetterLife Lodge’s Clutier Fun Day grand parade float pictured on Saturday, Aug. 3, declaring ‘Have a good day!’ in both English and Czech. ZCBJ Hall sponsored this year’s Fun Day celebrations which included free hot dogs starting at 11 a.m. as well as a free performance Saturday evening by Eli Algers and The Faster Horses, a Nashville-based country, rock, and western band. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER