It’s May, and surely you know what that means: it’s festival season. Ukrainian festivals are such a big part of our Ukrainian community life in North America that for the past couple of years we’ve felt it was fitting to lead off our annual supplement called “A Ukrainian Summer” with a listing of all the Ukrainian festivals known to us. (In case you missed it, that special 24-page supplement was part of our May 3 issue.)
These festivals, which begin in early May and go on through mid-October, are great events for the entire family. The first ones we noted on our 2015 festival calendar were the Vesna Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and the St. George Ukrainian Festival in New York City; the last ones of the season include one in Whippany, N.J., at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center and another in Jenkintown, Pa., at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center. In between are venues in Ontario, New York state, Alberta, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Ohio, Manitoba, Illinois, Quebec, Maryland and Connecticut. (One reader, looking for her local festival was disappointed it was not on the list. Folks, if you don’t let us know… )
What’s more, festivals are a great way to share our uniquely beautiful Ukrainian culture with friends and neighbors. Think about it: these are fun events, there’s no pressure, and many of them have free admission. Thus, they are the perfect vehicles to attract non-Ukrainians who would like to experience something different and learn a bit in the process. Many festival organizers bear this in mind and plan their activities wisely. (Some – we’ve got to say it – forget that their audience is probably not composed of all Ukrainians.)
From our vantage point, we see that more and more local communities are holding successful Ukrainian festivals. After all, who doesn’t like Ukrainian folk dancing and varenyky? And these are just two of the diverse features of our Ukrainian festivals. Then there are the wonderful presentations of Ukrainian music, cafés featuring Ukrainian baked goods, beer gardens offering Ukrainian brews, vendors selling a variety of Ukrainian wares, etc. And, of course, each community has its own twist on how a festival is presented to the public at large.
Besides sharing our culture, our festivals succeed in telling the story of Ukraine – past and present – to enthusiastic and responsive festival-goers. That story is particularly important today, as Ukraine finds itself at war and in a struggle for its survival. Informative displays and booths set up by organizations focusing on aid to Ukraine and its people can be especially useful at this time.
Another very important function of many of our festivals is fund-raising. Whether the goal is to raise money for a parish or an organization, or as in the case of the annual festival at Soyuzivka, for a Ukrainian heritage center, you can be assured that your support will go far and will be genuinely appreciated. Indeed, the annual festival at Soyuzivka – now in its ninth straight year – is the main fund-raiser for this beloved hub of our community life.
Finally, what festivals also offer us as members of a community, is connections – both within the Ukrainian community and beyond. On one hand, staging a festival can effectively mobilize a community’s forces and creates a stronger bond among its members – one that can ensure success in other endeavors. On the other hand, a festival builds consciousness in the local community and places the Ukrainian community on the map. Many festivals, in fact, have already developed a loyal following of repeat visitors, are listed on calendars of local tourism boards and are highlighted in local news media.
No matter your perspective, Ukrainian festivals are a win for the Ukrainian community, which loves organizing them, attending them and sharing them with others.
PS: Consider this: send us a few photos and a short story from your festival. Try to focus on what makes it unique, and send us your best photos. We’ll gladly share them with our readers!