Miss Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen

06/11/2026

There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes with this role: writing emails, calling local Czech businesses, advocating for our cause with the governor’s office, driving to school visits, studying Czech in college, attending multiple monthly meetings for UNL Komenský club, the Lincoln Czech Club, and Nebraska Czechs Inc., volunteering to keep our sokols alive, going to cultural events that aren’t just festivals, and even mentoring younger (and future) queens!

To me, it’s always been impact over image. Some things aren’t as glamorous as meeting ambassadors or riding in parades, but they are equally (if not more) important to keep our heritage alive!

06/08/2026

Miss Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen Runner-Up Monica Zoubek attended the South Central Nebraska Czechs 50th Annual Czech Festival on Saturday, June 6. She enjoyed listening and dancing to music played by Milligan Czech Brass Band, Mark Vyhlidal Orchestra, and Dolores Kimminau. She played Czech Bingo and enjoyed watching the baking demonstrations. She also enjoyed participating in the dance & Kolache Eating Contests. She helped the younger children with their Scavenger Hunt and volunteered with her cousin Emma doing meal tickets. The Czech meal was delicious as she enjoyed a Roast Pork Loin meal with bread dumplings & sauerkraut, mashed potatoes & dill gravy, green beans, and rye bread. She enjoyed watching the performance by the Wilber Intermediate Czech Dancers and York Czech Princess Ayla Vavra perform her dance talent. The crowning of South Central Czech Queen Andelka Cerny and South Central Czech Princess Mabel Polacek was celebrated with royalty attending. It was a fun filled day ending with Monica Zoubek, Andelka Cerny, and Kelsey Zoubek receiving South Central Scholarships.

05/24/2026

05/18/2026

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Houby Days in Cedar Rapids for the second time! Some highlights of the weekend included watching the folk ensemble Karička from San Diego, participating in the parade of kroje, visiting the exhibits at the National Czech & Slovak Museum and researching in their library, attending Mass at St. Wenceslaus Church, and watching the Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa pageant.
Special thanks to the Czech Heritage Foundation and I’ll Meet You There Bookstore & Coffee for the wonderful gifts, and congratulations to Lexi Timmerman on being crowned Miss Czech-Slovak Iowa!

05/08/2026

This past weekend, Monica and I attended the Lincoln Czech Festival! Some highlights from the day included speaking with visiting royalty, watching performances from talented young artists, learning about traditional sauerkraut making, and enjoying Brad Husak’s accordion jam throughout the day. Special congratulations to Josephine Davis and Sidney Davis, who were recrowned the 2026–2027 Lincoln Czech-Slovak Queen and Princess, respectively!

05/01/2026

Grateful to have taken part in the 26th Annual Czech and Slovak Studies Workshop! UNL brought together scholars from Harvard, Columbia, Sciences Po, Paris, the University of Michigan, Northwestern, Charles University, the University of Chicago, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Regensburg, and more.

I truly enjoyed the sessions, as well as the field trip to Wilber, Nebraska. It was also a pleasure to give a short presentation on kroje!

A big thank you to the UNL Czech Studies department, the Harris Center for Judaic Studies, the Komenský Club, and everyone who submitted papers and helped make this event possible!

04/27/2026

On Sunday, April 19, I had the pleasure of attending the Omaha Czech Cultural Club Festival! I enjoyed traditional halušky, modeling my Poličká kroj, listening to the Babouci brass band from South Moravia, and connecting with past and present royalty from other chapters. The Omaha metro area has a rich history of preserving Czech and Slovak culture, and it was truly special to celebrate the vibrant traditions that continue to thrive within this community today.

04/14/2026

This past Friday, I had the honor of speaking at my local Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln meeting. I shared a presentation on kroje, featuring pieces from my own closet!

I gave an overview of kroje as a whole and highlighted five specific regions, including their main pieces, personal and regional significance, and how they have evolved over time. I also explored the role of kroje in the Czech National Revival, as well as their continued relevance in Czech- and Slovak-American communities in the United States today.
I wrapped up by sharing the story behind designing my very own Polička kroj, a process that has deepened my appreciation for this beautiful tradition. 🇨🇿

04/10/2026

Miss Nebraska Czech-Slovak Queen Runner-Up Monica Zoubek attended the Wilber Czech Kickoff on Friday, March 20, 2026 at the Wilber Sokol Hall. She performed her talent, gave her farewell address, assisted with the Wilber Junior Czech dancers, danced with the Wilber Senior Czech dancers, and enjoyed delicious food while watching a wonderful performance by the Wilber Intermediate Czech dancers, Czechland Trio, and Wilber-Clatonia Alumni Band. She had the honor crowning her twin sister as the 2026-2027 Wilber Czech Queen Kelsey Zoubek. Her Princess Kenna Boggs crowned 2026-2027 Wilber Czech Princess Bria Pospisil and Prince Kasen Niemeyer put the sash on the 2026-2027 Wilber Czech Prince Barrett Vogel. Visiting royalty was Clarkson Czech Queen Ava Baumert. It was a fun night to celebrate our Czech heritage.

04/05/2026

The new festival schedule is out for the year!! We can’t wait to see you all again this summer! 🇨🇿🤍