For the first time in five years, St. Ludmila’s Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids is having a real kolach festival.
There was no celebration in 2020 or 2021 (but there were sales), and 2022 was somewhat but not quite normal.
According to Gazette archives* and the festival’s Facebook page, the kolaches were $10 a dozen in 2016, $12 a dozen in 2019, $15 a dozen in June 2022, and $16 a dozen in September 2022, with the half-dozens being half that. In 2022 there was a bonus sale before the defunct St. Ludmila school was torn down in 2023, and at that time, a volunteer told the Gazette the cost of filling had gone up 23%.
For 2024, the kolaches are a whopping $18 a dozen, $9 for a half-dozen, or $2 apiece. Is it a steep jump? Yes. Is it going to stop me from buying some, assuming I remember and they’re not out? Of course not.