WILSON — Authentic Czech food, performances by the Wilson Czech Dancers, a demonstration of Czech egg-painting and an update from 2022 Miss Kansas Czech-Slovak Queen Hannah Andringa of Ellsworth were all part of the fun Saturday evening during the Wilson Czech Opera House Cesky Den fundraiser at the Wilson American Legion.

Before the event, Allison Ford, president of the Wilson Czech Opera House Corporation, gave the Independent-Reporter an update on progress being made to transform the remains of the Opera House, which was gutted in a November 2009 fire, into an open-air theater.

“We are getting closer,” Ford said.

Since the fire, all of the exterior restoration has been completed and the basement filled in Ford said.

“In doing the basement in-fill, we had to put in a retaining wall along the (American) Legion wall for the security of the Legion,” Ford said, “and then we put in proper drainage, then we filled the basement in. Once that was done, I just think the whole place looks so much better.”

Ford said funds were used to do the interior restoration last summer.

“We have the south and the southeast wall done, and we still need to do the restoration on the interior north and northeast walls,” Ford said.

“We also need to add a little bit of height to the front wall so that it matches the height of the back wall, so that the bracings will be level.”

All of the walls still need capped and the steel bracing installed according to Ford.

“Then, we will be able to take down the fence,” Ford said. Ford noted about $250,000 is needed to complete the project.

She said 72 advanced reservations for Cesky Den were received, with several more walk-in participants attending.

“So, hopefully, we have a full place and a lot of fun,” Ford said.

Ford said in the years since the fire, she and those associated with the Wilson Czech Opera House Corporation haven’t given up the dream of restoring the historic structure and making it once again available to the public.

“We have an amazing board right now,” Ford said. “We keep ourselves going. We work together, we’re a strong team. We have a vision and we know we’re going to get there.” She recognized board members Kenny and Marcie Beneda for their efforts.

“They’re so helpful,” Ford said.

“They’re amazing.”

Ford said the vision is one of an open-air theater.

“It just makes sense,” she said.

“We’re still restoring our history, we still have our culture, and I think with the (World’s Largest Czech) egg next to it, we’d maybe someday like to see sidewalks and maybe have it all joined together, depending upon other property owners in that section. That’s what we’d like to see, and to just celebrate our culture.”

When the public walks into the theater under the arches from the sidewalk, they will be in a landscaped courtyard with a grass floor and sidewalks.

“That is where we are going to put our engraved bricks,” Ford said.

There will be a stage on the south end.

“The walls are 30 feet tall, so it’s massive, but inside of there is just so amazing,” Ford said. “The walls are extremely safe. We had 100 mileper- hour winds (last December), and not a single stone came down, so we know it’s safe.”

Ford said once open, the public will be available to rent the venue for a wide variety of activities.

“We hope to have some dances or some bands — all kinds of entertainment,” she said. “We are definitely teaming with the Wilson Chamber of Commerce and the Wilson American Legion so that we can do things together.”

Ford said when the day finally comes that the fence currently surrounding the Opera House can be taken down, it will be “monumental.”

A day of fun

Ford said when she was young, Cesky Den was a day when the Czech lodges got together to have entertainment, plays, food and performances by the Sokol.

“It was the Czech Day,” Ford said, “so, that’s what we want to try to bring back.”

In addition to Christine Slechta demonstrating Czech eggpainting, performances by the Wilson Czech Dancers, 2021 Miss Kansas Czech-Slovak Queen Jessica Wonderlich of Topeka and an update by Andringa, an authentic Czech meal was served by Jeannette Libal, Connie Frederking and Cheryl Urban.

“They’ve been cooking Czech meals since they were children,” Ford said, noting their mother, Laverne Libal, served Czech meals at the Opera House during the annual Wilson Czech Festival for years.

Hazel Fink of Hutchinson also gave a performance on the accordion and a silent auction was conducted.

“We just want to have fun,” Ford said. “We want to celebrate our progress and our future.”