To celebrate two decades of successful partnership between the Fox Cities and Kurgan, Russia, we're going to throw a bit of a party. We hope you'll join us!

Beet the Borsch |

a 20th Anniversary Celebration

So we've been around for 20 years. We think that's a reason to celebrate! On November 4, 2010, we invite you to join in the Beet the Borsch event, a cultural experience including food and music from our sister region in Russia. Festivities include a cooking competition, a concert, and a chance to get to know us a little bit better, or reminisce if we're already good friends!

Check out the day's schedule below, and mark your calendars for November 4th!

"Beet the Borsch" Iron-Chef Style Cooking Competition |

1-4 pm, Fox Valley Technical College Culinary Arts Center

Think you've got what it takes to create a smashing Russian soup? Want to watch a lively cooking competition with local chefs and students? The "Beet the Borsch" cooking competition will take place from 1-4 pm on November 4, 2010 at the Culinary Arts Center on the Fox Valley Technical College campus. Competing to create the best Borsch recipe will be students of the culinary arts program and chefs from area restaurants. They'll be given basic ingredients and the rest is up to their own imagination and creativity! The soups will be judged and a victor crowned during the evening event. Read on!

Did you know? Borsch, often called Borscht in English, is a Russian peasant soup that is still made in nearly every kitchen of the country. It is made with simple ingredients - beets, potatoes, carrots, and onion - and every Russian cook has their own way of making it their own. Some add meat, some add mayo. Some load it with dill, while others like it plain. It's a delicious soup that can be made in endless ways!

Dinner and Program |

4-7 pm, Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University

Tickets are $25/person, RSVP required 

Every good competition needs a victor. Every soup created during the Beet the Borsch competition will be served as part of a dinner and the soups will be judged by a panel including guests from our sister city in Russia. They will consider all the facets of Borsch and the recipes laid out in front of them, and a winner will be crowned. Endless glory to the victorious Borsch chef.

The serving will take place in the Warch Campus Center at Lawrence University, and the dinner will be ticketed. Contact us to reserve your tickets now. Come taste all the varieties of Russian Borsch we have on hand, served with a full, catered dinner of traditional Russian foods and beverages.

Throughout the judging period, you can also explore our organization and the Russian culture. On hand in the judging room will be community members who have traveled to and lived in Russia, a Russian folk orchestra giving demonstrations of their instruments, and a host of information, photos, and videos from the past 20 years of our work!

4:00 - 5:30 pm: Taste testing with cash bar, meet & greet, "popular" voting

5:30 - 7:00 pm: Dinner served, program

Evening Concert |

7:30-8:30 pm, Stansbury Concert Hall, Lawrence University

The evening wraps up with a free, public Russian folk music concert, featuring talented musicians playing Russian tunes on unique instruments that you certainly don't see in every orchestra. Do you know what a balalaika is? A bayan? A domra? This is sure to be a wonderful musical experience for the community, and again, it's free to all!

Friday, November 5th |

Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University

Join us for stories and conversation with our visiting Russian friends from 9:00 am - 12:00 noon at the Warch Campus Center on the Lawrence University campus. A full schedule of presentations will be posted soon.