Register early for the 2023 SUA Convention!

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SUA National Convention - Pueblo, Colorado

Pueblo Convention Center June 15, 16, and 17, 2023

Register early! Your basic registration fee gains you access to Camp Heritage for All, workshops, presentations, and networking activities. Add-on events include the Welcome Event, Zarjafest at Preseren Dom, and the Convention Banquet and Dance. Some rooms have limited capacity. Events will be available on a first come, first served basis. 


Thursday, June 15 

Registration Table – 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Main Hallway

All conventioneers (including children) must separately register. See registration form. 

Children under 2 years of age don’t need to register for the convention or any event. 


SUA Marketplace – 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Meeting Room 1

Basket Raffle displays and tickets

From the Slovenian-American Table cookbook sales

Potica Contest check-in 


Early Bird Workshops – 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. Meeting Rooms 2 and 3 


Welcome Event – 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Heroes Pavilion

This first event for conventioneers with a focus on mingling. Snacks, sweets, cash bar, and door prizes with Alan Polivka strolling with his accordion and a short performance by Pueblo’s own Okolitza Tamburitzans . 


Friday, June 16

Registration – 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Main Hallway (see Thursday)


SUA Marketplace – 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Meeting Room 1 (see Thursday)


SUA Business Meeting – 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Meeting Rooms 4 and 5

For SUA Board and SUA Branch Member Representatives. Anyone is invited to observe.


Camp Heritage for All – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Bernstein Brothers Room

Activities for ages 6 – 106. Children under 6 years of age must be accompanied by a parent. Children under age 2 need not register for the convention or any event. See  Camp Heritage area on website for details.


Tour of  Pueblo’s Steelworks Museum   – Planned city busses to go directly to museum at 10:30 and  12:15 p.m.

On you own except for arranged city buses for this event. Buses will take conventioneers to museum and bring them back to the convention center at two  determined times. Convention lanyards will allow participants to buy discounted  tickets ($4 for adults) at the museum.   


Zarjafest at Preseren Dom in Rye, Colorado – 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Slovenian dinner on a covered patio at the foot of the Wet Mountains followed by  polka dancing in the indoor dance hall with music provided by the Alan Polivka Polka Band. The Zarjafest celebration is organized by editors of Zarja–The Dawn. Bus or van transportation tickets will be organized by convention planners at a later date and may be reserved and purchased beforehand by May 2023. Individuals can also arrange for their own transportation by car. Preseren Dom is approximately 35 miles  from the convention center and takes 38 minutes by car. Maps will be provided for those driving. The event tickets do not include transportation to Preseren Dom. Tickets for event and bus/van transportation will be limited.


4:30 p.m. Board bus or vans for trip to Rye (some might use own cars)


5:15 p.m.  Arrive at Preseren Dom


5:30-6:30 p.m.  Outdoor covered patio; mingle and cash bar (managed by  Preseren Glee Club); Slovenian dinner starting at 6:00 p.m. 

Accordion music starting at 5:15 p.m.


6:30-8:30 p.m.  Polka dancing in dance hall; prizes


8:30 p.m. Board bus/van for return trip to convention center


Pub Crawls 9:30 to ??? Pub Crawls after return to Marriott: 

Walking from convention center to nearby bars organized by SUA 

Branch 3 members. See Pub Crawl website area for details.


Saturday, June 17

Registration – 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Main Hallway (see Thursday)


SUA Marketplace – 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Meeting Room 1 (See Thursday)  


SUA Business Meeting – 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Meeting Rooms 4 and 5 (same as Friday)


Camp Heritage for All – 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (see Friday) Fortino Grand Hall C-East


Networking/Exhibits 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. in Bernstein Brothers Room

Meeting space/exhibits in the Bernstein Room for SUA CIGs. Possible small gathering  space for a variety of interests including 1) Speaking Slovenian only language table. Chance for young adult SUA members to network and possibly hike on the Arkansas River Trail or to a museum.


Presentation for All –10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Location TBD 

Painting Bee Panels and Slovenian Beekeeping Legacy - Jonna Sanders, SUA Branch 108 member and beekeeper


Free Time - 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. 

Time for lunch. Also time to explore the Riverwalk, visit a museum, or browse in antique shops.


Set-up for Slovenian Family Heritage/Slovenian Business Displays/Artists – 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. Fortino Grand Hall C West 

Individuals will bring and set up their own heritage displays in accordance with the defined parameters. See Slovenian Heritage area on website for details.

Families will take down display by 10:30 p.m. 


Keynote Speaker - 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. Dr. James Walsh, UCD Professor and immigration specialist Fortino Grand Hall C-East 

The Bojons of Pueblo, Leadville, and Beyond: Tracing Slovenian Culture in Early Colorado's Industrial Landscape 


Workshops - 3:00 p.m. to 3:45; 4:00 to 4:45; 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Meeting Room 4, Meeting  Room 5, Fortino Grand Hall C-East, Bernstein Room. Up to 4 concurrent workshops. 

Presentations by local groups or SUA members on a variety of topics lasting 30-45 minutes. See Workshops area on website for details.


Convention Banquet and Slovenian Heritage Room - 6:00 to 10:30 p.m.


Mixer, Buffet Dinner, and Dance  6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fortino Grand Hall B 


Slovenian Heritage Room  6:00 - 10:00 p.m.    Fortino Grand Hall C-West


Cash Bar and Mingling  6:00 - 6:45 p.m.    Fortino Grand Hall B


Dinner  6:45 - 7:45 p.m.   Fortino Grand Hall B


Announcements/Short Speeches  7:45 to 8:30 p.m. Fortino Grand Hall B


Entertainment - Dancing and Polka Band  8:30 - 10:30 p.m.   Fortino Grand Hall B

Dance to music by Grammy-nominated musician Alex Meixner and his band. Buffet dinner highlighting Pueblo’s Melting Pot. See Convention Banquet area on website for more details.


Post-Convention Possibilities: Sunday, June 18 and Beyond

8:00 a.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Church 


9:30 a.m. Bus or van from St. Mary’s to Cripple Creek to spend the day either gambling in casinos or exploring historic Cripple Creek. Arrive in Cripple Creek around 11:30 a.m. Leave at 4:00 p.m.


Self-guided driving tour to Leadville and/or Crested Butte. One to Three Day Self-Guided Tour.


Self-guided tours of Slovenian sites in Pueblo and areas throughout Colorado.

Pursue your own interests in Colorado! The possibilities are extensive: hot springs, historic railroad rides, hiking, world-class fresh water fishing, exploring ghost towns, climbing a fourteener, spending time in world-famous resorts (Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge), visiting Denver (art museums, concerts, the Denver Mint, the Molly Brown House, etc.) and so much more! Colorado Springs is less than an hour away ... special areas of interest include the historic Broadmoor Hotel, taking a cog railroad ride up to Pikes Peak, hiking in the Garden of the Gods, and more. 

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