Calgary Ukrainian Festival 2012 Photo Tour

Art by Larisa

Congratulations to Calgary Ukrainian Festival 2012 on a lovely celebration!  I arrived early Saturday to see a flurry of busyness - upwards of 200 volunteers showed up to make this great event happen - and wow did it happen!  The venue was set up theatre style, with vendors and exhibits lining three sides of the hall.  Artfully displayed, entertaining exhibits, and stores to shop in made for a great walk-about.  I really appreciated the way the organizing committee accomodated a variety of interests, price points, age groups, and entertainment styles. 

Calgary's Europa Express

Local Ukrainian vendors, some from across the prairies, and as far away as Quebec brought excellent Ukrainian themed items for purchase. 

Dolls by Sandra

Berehynya Art and Adornment by Luba Bilash

Edmonton's Ukrainian Book Store

Items from Yevshan.com

Baba's Records

The performers included everyone from Euphoria Band from Edmonton, to little 4 year old dancers who held the stage quite admirably.  Dancing groups included Tryzub, Barvinok, Suzirya and perhaps a few I didn't catch. 

Ukrainian Voice - Holos Newspaper

A singing duo from Winnipeg, a display from the Ukrainian Voice Paper - Ukrainskiy Holos (100 years of service in Canada) and the Ukrainian Museum of Canada (Calgary Collection) brought up the historical connection,

Ukrainian Museum of Canada - Calgary Collection

while the newer arrivals from Ukraine including singer Andrij Yevtushenko and many others came dressed in contemporary adaptations with Ukrainian traditional designs. 

Beautiful contemporary adaptations of Ukrainian traditional clothing

ACUA - Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts displayed a wide variety of art works, watercolors, mixed media, oils, and acrylic paintings, textile art by Elizabeth Holinaty, as well as jewellery items, and interesting hand woven samplers as gift cards.  Impressive art works by Ukrainian Albertan's certainly caught many by surprise - many paintings went home in the hands of happy purchasers!!

St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Sadochok (Preschool) in Calgary

Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation

A variety of important Ukrainian Canadian services took part in the Festival - and promoted programs as widely different as Calgary's only Ukrainian Bilingual Preschool, Canada's Shevchenko Foundation, Medical Mercy Canada which annually helps small towns and villages in Ukraine with medical care, the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation helping the Ukrainian Catholic University. 

A flower hair clip made with the help of one of the Festival volunteers. 

                
                 There was a volunteer run kids center, for crafts and coloring, and a breather.  Little children had the opportunity to make crafts to wear, and if you were hungry there were a variety of traditional foods available for a meal. 

Ollie's Homestyle Catering

On top of the non stop action on stage, I was told that a very special guest arrived at the Festival late Sunday afternoon.  After the Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchal visit with Calgary's Ukrainian Catholic community, Patriarch Sviatoslav came to see the Festival - sat in the front row and enjoyed the entertainment. 

An impressive, successful 3rd Festival for Calgarians to enjoy - Perhaps next year you should join in?