Perohi
Potato and cheese filled dumplings, sauteed in butter. Other tables in the neighborhood call them pierogi.
What's here
The festival includes
Tours of our historic cathedral, local vendors and merchants, home-cooked ethnic foods and drinks, live music and dancing, games and activities for kids, take-away pastries, and a book sale.
The cathedral grounds
Food stands, the marketplace, and the stage fill the lot beside the cathedral on Fifth Street.
Live music & dancing
Bands, dance groups, and our cathedral choir perform through the day. The lineup changes every year.
Cathedral tours
Guided tours of our historic cathedral run through the afternoon both days.
Book sale
Donated books by the tableful in the parish center, alongside the pastry sale.
Kids, bingo & raffles
Games and activities for children, bingo, cash and basket raffles, and a silent auction.
Into the evening
On Saturday the music carries on after Great Vespers until the festival closes at nine.
St. Mary's Slavic Kitchen
The food tent
Our parishioners cook the dishes their families brought to Northeast Minneapolis. The tent runs both days.
Start here
The Ethnic Platter
Two perohi, one holubki, half a kielbasa, sauerkraut, and rye bread on a single plate. It is the whole kitchen in one order, and the thing to get if it is your first Taste.
Plates
Holubki
Cabbage rolls filled with ground beef and rice, topped with a tomato-based sauce.
Sandwiches
Cevapi sandwich
Mixed pork, lamb, and beef links with cheese and eggplant sauce in pocket bread.
Kielbasa
Polish pork sausage in a bun.
Pulled pork sandwich
Smoked pulled pork on a bun.
Also on the menu: the lamb sandwich, seasoned sliced lamb on a bun.
Sides and dips
- Slavic fries Seasoned potato fries
- Sauerkraut Shredded and soured cabbage
- Garlic dip Garlic, mayonnaise, and yogurt
- Sour cream
- Rye bread
Bake sale
Every dessert and baked good is sold inside the parish center, not at the food tent. Prices vary.
- Nut rolls
- Apricot rolls
- Poppy seed rolls
- Cheese braid bread
- Cheese bread
2026
When to come
The festival opens at noon both days. Divine services in the cathedral are part of the weekend, and guests are always welcome to join us for them.
Saturday, September 26
- Festival opens
- Cathedral tour
- Cathedral choir performance
- Live music and dancing, kids' activities, marketplace
- Great Vespers in the cathedral
- Live music on the outdoor stage
- Festival closes
Sunday, September 27
- Divine Liturgy in the cathedral
- Festival opens
- Cathedral tour
- Cathedral choir performance
- Live music and dancing, kids' activities, marketplace
- Festival closes
Performers change from year to year, and this year's schedule of bands, dance groups, and presentations is still being set. Watch this page and our Facebook page for times.
Getting here
Plan your visit
St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral, 1701 5th Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.
Admission
No charge to walk in, and guests of all ages are welcome. Food, drink, marketplace goods, raffle and bingo tickets, and the silent auction are all paid on site.
Payment
The festival is cashless. Bring a credit or debit card and pay at each stand. There is nothing to buy in advance.
Parking
Street parking in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral. Accessible parking on the east side of Fifth Street. Additional parking at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Fourth Street and 17th Avenue.
Weather
The festival is not cancelled for rain or snow. Severe weather may cause a delay or an early closure.
Pets
Leashed pets are permitted outdoors only, not inside the cathedral or parish center. Service animals are permitted anywhere guests are.
Bring
Family and friends, comfortable shoes, a card, a stroller, a camera, hats and sunglasses. Weapons, fireworks, outside food or alcohol, coolers, glass, skateboards, bicycles, and drones are not permitted.
Vendors
Local artisans, businesses, and merchants can reserve a booth for the weekend. Email our festival committee to hold one.
Directions
Open in Google Maps. Phone the church office at 612-781-7667.
Our parish
Northeast, since 1887
The Taste of Northeast festival is hosted by the members and friends of St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral as a way to celebrate and raise awareness of our parish, its history, traditions, diverse cultures, and especially our Orthodox faithful.
Since its founding in 1887, our community has been a fixture in Northeast Minneapolis. The cathedral first began hosting an annual festival in 2010, and after a brief hiatus during the pandemic it has grown into the weekend you see now, with the customs of our parishioners — American, Serbian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Georgian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, and many others.
The festival raises funds for the programs and activities of our parish. Tips at the food tent support two Twin Cities charities: Backpack Project MN, which fills backpacks with daily-use personal care items for young people experiencing homelessness, and FOCUS Minnesota, which offers free meals, a food shelf, clothing, laundry, and utilities help.
The cathedral is open the rest of the year too: Great Vespers at 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Divine Liturgy at 9 a.m. on Sundays. Read more at stmarysoca.org.
From the lot
A taste of last year
Give & join
A self-supporting festival
The Taste of Northeast is organized and presented by the members and friends of St. Mary's. You can help by volunteering your time and talents, baking nut rolls, apricot rolls, poppy seed rolls, or cheese bread for the parish-center sale, donating to the silent auction or book sale, or making a contribution to offset the cost of the weekend.
Tips at the Slavic Kitchen support Backpack Project MN and FOCUS Minnesota.
Questions
Leashed pets are permitted in the outdoor areas, but not inside the cathedral or parish center. Service animals are permitted in all areas open to the public. Please use reasonable judgement about whether a large, loud, crowded event suits your animal; owners of unleashed or disruptive animals will be asked to leave.
The festival will not be cancelled in the event of rain or snow. Severe weather may cause a delay or an early closure, depending on conditions, to keep our members and guests safe.
Bands, dance groups, and our cathedral choir perform through the afternoon and into Saturday evening. The performers change every year, so this year's schedule will be posted here and on Facebook as it is set.
Festival questions: president@tasteofnortheast.org. Publicity: Stasis Micich, stasimicich@gmail.com. Parish office: office@stmarysoca.org.
