A Ukrainian Summer: where to go, what to do...
Ukrainian Homestead beckons visitors
by Ihor Czenstuch
LEHIGHTON, Pa. - Nestled in the southern foothills of the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania, five miles from the Mahoning Valley exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (NE Extension), one finds a piece of Ukraine on 200 acres owned by the Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine (ODVU), named The Ukrainian Homestead.
For over 40 years this "oselia" in Lehighton, Pa., 75 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City, has been the summer home for Ukrainians of all ages from various states and countries.
In the last decade this Ukrainian resort has experienced a resurgence of visitors. Adults who spent many summers at the Homestead are now bringing their children; third- and fourth-generation Ukrainians from the coal mining regions of Pennsylvania are revisiting their roots, and the new wave of Ukrainians immigrants is finding a haven.
Now the Ukrainian Homestead is occupied year-round by skiers, bikers, campers, rafting enthusiasts, conventioneers, various groups for meetings, and vacationers enjoying nearby attractions such as the quaint town of Jim Thorpe and the area's many ski resorts.
The Ukrainian Homestead offers motel rooms, bungalows, campsites, barbecue areas, a swimming pool, a club and a host of cultural events. A traditional chapel also graces the grounds. The summer season opens on Memorial Day weekend with a traditional dance, or "zabava," followed by a huge picnic the next day.
Throughout the summer, the Homestead hosts four camps: the Ukrainian Gold Cross Children's Camp, the Kazka Dance Camp, the Voloshky Performing Dance Academy, and the Burlaky Plast Fraternity's Mountain Biking Camp.
Labor Day weekend features a dance, and a conference of ODVU and the Ukrainian Gold Cross.
The highlight of the summer is the Ukrainian Folk Festival, held annually on the third weekend in August. Over a thousand spectators come from many regions of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland to experience traditional songs and dance, feast on Ukrainian foods, view arts and crafts offered many vendors, and enjoy the dance on Saturday night. This year's festival will take place on August 19-20.
The summer season ends in September with the traditional potato bake and dance organized by veterans of the 1st Division of the Ukrainian National Army.
In addition to summer events, the Ukrainian Homestead hosts a New Year's Eve dance, a Mardi Gras dance, an Easter bazaar on Palm Sunday, an Easter Dinner ("Sviachene"), a Thanksgiving dinner and a Christmas Eve dinner ("Sviat Vechir").
For more information or to make reservations, call The Ukrainian Homestead at (610) 377-4621 or (215) 235-3709; or visit the website at www.ukienet.com.
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 7, 2000, No. 19, Vol. LXVIII
| Home Page |