PITTSBURG, Kan -- For the 40th year, Pittsburg and southeast Kansas celebrated Little Balkans Days, this past weekend. Thousands of people attended events over the better part of a week that paid homage to the history and culture that distinguishes this small part of Kansas aside from the rest of the state. There was pasta making, polka dancing, fried chicken, ice cream and pie, arts and crafts, beautiful quilts, golf and pickleball, boccie, Kiddieland rides, a petting zoo and more.