Koliada Brings Winter Magic to Cherry Valley

The Telegraph School is back again for a second year, presenting “Koliada,” an annual winter celebration of light through masks, music, and storytelling.

Cherry Valley, NY – Following last year’s beautiful outpouring of community spirit, and thanks to the generosity of their sponsors, Koliada returns with expanded programming, new performers, a gallery exhibition, and immersive village processions, with their public performance on February 6th at 6pm at 25 Main Collective, 21 Main St, Cherry Valley, NY.

Cherry Valley has long been a home of arts and experimentation nestled within a beautiful village.  Now in its sixth year, The Telegraph School is continuing that tradition by pushing the edges of conventional theater and building community resilience in the process.  On February 6th at 6pm, starting at 25 Main Collective, they will perform Koliada for the community, complete with wild beasts, old grandmothers, a giant soup pot, and more!  Dress warmly, as the performance will take place outdoors.

The Telegraph School offers many additional ways to get involved in Koliada festivities.

On February 7th they roam around the village, spreading light and joy in the darkest days of the year. Sign up to be a house on their village performance route and have the Koliada creatures perform for you and your friends. Or you can join them to learn the songs and partake in the procession. All of this information and more is on TheTelegraphSchool.org

The founder of the Telegraph School, Angelica Palmer, has been exploring and researching her Slavic heritage since she was young. Galvanized by the passing of several close family members about a decade ago, Angelica shares, “their passing motivated me to dig deeper into who I really am and where my people are from. In my grief, I was searching for family spirits. I was happy to discover that I come from a culture that worships ancestors and nature, as it is so aligned with my life and art, and fits perfectly into the beautiful rural village of Cherry Valley, where I am from.” Cherry Valley Koliada grew from this desire to reconnect with old folk traditions and reshape them to fit the needs of our community today.

The troupe of performers, dressed as wild animals, forest spirits, and ancestors, is composed of local artists and community members.

Angelica hopes that through continued exploration of culture and community through Koliada, this ancient village folk tradition is revived stronger and with new life each year.

Koliada draws from the rich Slavic heritage of Telegraph School founder Angelica Palmer, who is bringing this ancient village tradition back to life.  It dates back to pre-Christian times in the Slavic world of Central and Eastern Europe.  People dress up as animals and spirits representing the darkness of winter and the returning sun.  They go from house to house, singing songs and performing skits to call back the sun and bring blessings to the family in exchange for gifts of food, drinks, and coins.  It is believed that Koliada performers are actually the ancestors visiting and their presence in the home guarantees a healthy and prosperous new year. The seasonal Slavic village rituals offer a supernatural magic that is a balm for the soul. Embodying spirits of nature and bringing love and connection to our neighbors helps us keep hold of our humanity and keeps our communities strong and resilient.

Koliada is created for the community, and is free and open to the public.  Please visit the website for more information: www.thetelegraphschool.org/koliada

Support & Funding

We are grateful to have received support from the Earlville Opera House’s Arts in the Community Grants Program, made possible by the NYS Legislature with support of the Office of the Governor, and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts. We are also thankful to the Community Foundation of Otsego County, which awarded us a grant in their 2025 Spring Awards Cycle.