UTICA, N.Y. — Utica’s Bosnian community celebrated the grand opening of a traditional Bosnian fountain called a sebilj in East Utica on Saturday.
Local leaders and leaders of Utica’s Bosnian community cut a ribbon to mark the sebilj’s grand opening as a large crowd looked on.
The ceremony also featured the release of pigeons and a traditional Bosnian dance performance.
The sebilj, modeled after a famous fountain in Sarajevo, was a gift to the City of Utica from local Bosnians to celebrate community and heritage.
“This sebilj is not just a monument. It’s a symbol of who we are, as Bosnians, as immigrants, and as proud members of this community,” said Hanka Grabovica, president of the Bosnian American Community Association.
“We built more than a fountain,” she added. “We built a legacy that will remind generations to come, where we came from and what we stand for.”
Utica’s Bosnian community has continued to grow since the first refugees settled in the area in the early ’90s to escape the Balkan conflict.
Utica’s Bosnian community celebrated the grand opening of a traditional Bosnian fountain called a sebilj in East Utica on Saturday.