PREVIEW OF EVENTS (07/17/05)

PREVIEW OF EVENTS

Friday-Sunday, August 12-14

WARREN, Mich.: The 19th annual Ukrainian Sunflower Festival, which will be held at 26401 St. Josaphat Drive, is among the most popular and largest ethnic summer festivals in Michigan, attracting 25,000 people every year. The festival will take place on August 12 at 5 p.m.-midnight, August 13 at noon-midnight and August 14 at noon-10:30 p.m. This three day-event will feature amusement rides, traditional Ukrainian food, ethnic dancing in traditional costumes, plus exhibitions and demonstrations of Ukrainian folk crafts, especially embroidery and ceramics. Festival entertainment includes performances by the Ukraina, Echoes of Ukraine and Barvinok dance ensembles, and music by Ukrainian bands, including Dunai and Ephyra, and Foghat, an American band. The Ukrainian Sunflower Festival raises funds in support of Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Schools located in Warren. For more information call Andrew Zeleney, (586) 427-7795, or visit the festival website at http://www.sunflowerfestival.org/.

Saturday, August 13

HUNTER, N.Y.: Making their debut at the "Music at the Grazhda" concert series will be top-prize-winning young violinists Iryna Krechkovsky and Marta Krechkovsky, with Kevin Kwan Loucks at the piano. Iryna Krechkovsky is a student at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studies with David and Linda Cerone. Marta Krechkovsky studies at the Juilliard School of Music, where she studies with Glenn Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. This summer, Iryna attended the Banff Chamber Music Program as a member of Vols String Quartet; Marta took part in the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and went on a concert tour to Germany and England with the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Loucks, a Rawlins Scholar from the University of California at Irvine and grand prize winner at the Schlern International Music Competition (Austria), is a master of music candidate at Juilliard. Venue: Grazhda, Route 23 A, Hunter, N.Y. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $15; $12 for members and seniors; free for students. General information is available online at: www.GrazhdaMusicandArt.org. Information is also available by calling (518) 263-4335.

Saturday-Sunday, August 20-21

CHICAGO: The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Illinois Division, is sponsoring Ukrainian Fest 2005 in Chicago's Smith Park, 2500 W. Grand Ave. (corner of North Campbell Street) from noon to 10 p.m. both days. Festivities will include Ukrainian food, crafts, music, lotteries and much more. Pony rides and children's attractions will add to the entertainment for the whole family. Dance groups will perform Sunday afternoon. Celebration of Ukraine's declaration of independence will begin on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. For more information contact Pavlo T. Bandriwsky, (773) 772-4500.

Sunday, August 21

HORSHAM, Pa.: The 14th annual Ukrainian Folk Festival will begin at noon at the Ukrainian American Sport Center Tryzub, County Line and Lower State roads. It is sponsored by Tryzub and the Ukrainian Nationals Soccer Program, both of which are non-profit charitable institutions. This year's festival is specially dedicated to the people of Ukraine who stood in the cold of winter and won freedom and democracy during the Orange Revolution. Proceeds benefit cultural programming and youth soccer. Admission is $10 per person; children 13 and under will be admitted free of charge. Readers may call Tryzub, (215) 343-5412, with any questions.

Friday, August 26

WILDWOOD CREST, N.J.: The Khmelnychenky Plast fraternity is sponsoring an all-ages dance at the Wildwood Crest Pier Recreation Center, across the street from the Pan Am Hotel. Last year over 500 beach-goers partied at the "Return of the Khmeli" zabava - the event of "Ukrainian Week" in Wildwood Crest. This year doors will open earlier, at 7 p.m. Children's activities: 7 p.m.-8 p.m.; children's dance 8 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; youth "vechirka" 10 p.m.-? There will be a charity raffle at 9:30 p.m., sponsored by the Spartanky Plast fraternity. Live music will be provided by Luna from 8 p.m. to midnight; CD dance mixes welcome at midnight. Admission: free for children age 6 and under; $3 for children age 7-12; $5 for students age 13-22; $10 for adults 23 and over. Proceeds go toward the Vovcha Tropa Plast camp's improvement fund. For information and/or suggestions contact either Adrian Horodecky at [email protected] or Joanne Iwaskiw at [email protected].