Toronto's Bloor West Village to host Ukrainian Festival (08/20/06)

Toronto's Bloor West Village to host Ukrainian Festival

TORONTO - Visitors can experience the best of Ukrainian dance, art, music and hospitality on Bloor Street West, at Jane Street and Runnymede Road, in Toronto during the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival on Friday, August 25, through Sunday, August 17.

This year, to mark its 10th anniversary, the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival will extend two more blocks eastward to Glendonwynne Road.

The excitement begins Friday, August 25 as Bloor Street West is transformed into a lively pedestrian zone beginning at 6 p.m. The festival's Main Stage at Jane Street - sponsored in part by Stagevision - and the Windermere Avenue Youth Stage - co-sponsored by the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko and Buduchnist Credit Union - will showcase dance and music acts from across Canada, the United States and Ukraine.

The Friday night feature event will be a CD launch and stage performance by the vocal ensemble Pid Oblachkom, sponsored by Caravan Logistics Inc. The Friday night zabava (dance) will take place at the Main Stage and at the Windermere Stage.

In addition, visitors to the Children's Midway will find fun, rides and games and can sample tasty Ukrainian fare in the food and beverage gardens.

On Saturday morning visitors can come down early to visit the many vendor kiosks and information booths and soak up the rich culture and heritage of the Ukrainian community. This year there will also be a literary corner featuring contributing authors of the anthology "Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories," edited by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.

At 11 a.m. Saturday the traditional parade kicks off at High Park and travels west along Bloor Street West to Jane Street. This year's festival marshall is Sen. Raynell Andreychuk. She, as well as marshalls from the past 10 years, will lead the many colorful bands, dance troupes and floats through Bloor West Village.

Music and dance performances continue all day Saturday and Sunday on both festival stages, featuring the electrifying and often gravity-defying moves of some of North America's finest Ukrainian dance ensembles, as well as vocal and instrumental acts.

As day turns to night, cabaret performances continue on the main stage and include feature performers Chornomor, true Kozaks in full regalia direct from Odesa, Ukraine.

Visitors will be able to try Ukrainian steps, kicks and twirls at the "Teach Me to Dance" sessions on the Windermere Youth Stage. Then, they can fuel up with varenyky and kovbasa at the food and beverage gardens and dance the night away at the Saturday zabava.

Performers, kiosks and attractions will continue to entertain crowds from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors are advised to keep their cameras handy as this year's festival features a photo contest for visitors with great prizes (visit the website www.ukrainianfestival.com for details on submitting entries.)

Since its inception in 1997, the annual Ukrainian Festival in Bloor West Village has grown to include visitors of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Over 400,000 people from across North America and Europe visited the 2005 Ukrainian Festival.

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