Calgary Ukrainian Festival buzzing with activity
For many people, the Calgary Ukrainian Festival is a great time to get some hot, homemade pierogies.
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By 11 a.m. on Saturday, an hour after the festival began, a line had already formed in the entrance hall of the Acadia Recreation Complex and people bustled through the curling rink and hockey arena, sat in long rows of tables helping themselves to hot food or watching dancers dressed in traditional garb performing on stage.
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This year, the festival beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday will continue until midnight, and then again on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
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Taking over the recreation complex, goers will be able to walk through a range of vendors selling Ukrainian products, knick-knacks and local artistry, taste traditional foods and watch performances rolling through the day.
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More than 20 vendors regularly partner with the festival, making the event no easy feat to organize, according to Bliss. 'It takes us about 10 months to put this on, hundreds of hours, lots of phone calls, meeting, emails. It's quite the ordeal.'
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This marks the festival's 15th year in Calgary, but it has been popular since Day 1.
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'In the first year, we weren't sure what the reception to a festival of this nature was going to look like, so we were quite modest in the size and venue that we were borrowing,' he said. 'But at 10 a.m. when we opened our doors, the line was like an hour long or two … our caterer could not catch up.'
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Calgary Herald
7 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Ukrainian Festival buzzing with activity
For many people, the Calgary Ukrainian Festival is a great time to get some hot, homemade pierogies. Article content By 11 a.m. on Saturday, an hour after the festival began, a line had already formed in the entrance hall of the Acadia Recreation Complex and people bustled through the curling rink and hockey arena, sat in long rows of tables helping themselves to hot food or watching dancers dressed in traditional garb performing on stage. Article content Article content Article content Article content This year, the festival beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday will continue until midnight, and then again on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Article content Taking over the recreation complex, goers will be able to walk through a range of vendors selling Ukrainian products, knick-knacks and local artistry, taste traditional foods and watch performances rolling through the day. Article content More than 20 vendors regularly partner with the festival, making the event no easy feat to organize, according to Bliss. 'It takes us about 10 months to put this on, hundreds of hours, lots of phone calls, meeting, emails. It's quite the ordeal.' Article content Article content Article content This marks the festival's 15th year in Calgary, but it has been popular since Day 1. Article content 'In the first year, we weren't sure what the reception to a festival of this nature was going to look like, so we were quite modest in the size and venue that we were borrowing,' he said. 'But at 10 a.m. when we opened our doors, the line was like an hour long or two … our caterer could not catch up.'
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
City news in brief — week of June 4, 2025
Winnipeg Osborne Village Ukrainian Village Festival coming to The Forks June 13 to 15 Winnipeg The Manitoba Ukrainian Village Festival is a new, three-day event intended to bring the spirit of Ukraine to The Forks from June 13 to 15. File photo by Simon Fuller Dancers perform at Folklorama's Pavillon canadien-français in this 2023 file photo. Tickets for this year's Folklorama are now on sale. Organizers say the festival will showcase 'everything from intricate embroidery and traditional clothing to high-energy dance performances. It promises to be a joyful and colorful experience filled with the warmth and charm of Ukrainian culture.' Guests will enjoy authentic Ukrainian cuisine, live music and performances, interactive workshops, a fair with artisanal goods, and more. Visit for more information. Village Music Fest to celebrate music, diversity June 27, 28 Osborne Village The Village Music Fest, presented by Osborne Village BIZ and produced in collaboration with Real Love and The Village Idiots, is a new festival which aims to showcase multiculturalism and local music. Programming will run from 8:30 p.m. to midnight on Friday, June 27 and from 1 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, June 28. Venues include The Osborne Taphouse, The Toad in the Hole, Must Be The Place, ANAF 60, Small Mercies, and The Bell Tower. Artists performing include: Kelly Bado, The 12/21, Amarula, Wlf Grl, Kimmortal, Jérémie and the Delicious Hounds, NO FUSS, Cartel Madras, Dirty Catfish Brass Band, Hayden Mekai, The Kaptain, Steppe Kolektyv, Gabriela Ocejo, SCENEREO (live painting/movement performance), The Rangers, Karina Joy and The Cosmos, Guilty Sleep, Hera, Fontine, The O.B., Tinge, Live Band Karaoke, Funky Miracles (featuring Gabriela Ocejo & Fontine), French Class, Dr. Henry Band, and Son D'Arranke. Additionally, interactive art exhibits will be in place throughout Osborne Village. The festival has received funding from the Government of Canada, Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), and the Osborne Village BIZ. For more information, visit Folklorama 2025 tickets now on sale The countdown to this year's Folklorama continues. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. The organization has launched ticket sales for the 54th edition of the event, which will run from Aug. 3 to 16. Single tickets, multi-packs, and VIP Tour tickets are now available for purchase and organizers say this year's festival includes three new tour options — a VIP beer tour, a VIP wine tour, and a VIP zero-proof (non-alcoholic) tour. Folklorama will host its free, signature kickoff event on July 26 at Assiniboine Park's Lyric Theatre from 4 to 8 p.m. Visit for more information and to order tickets. — Staff
Global News
23-05-2025
- Global News
Saskatoon Folkfest to undergo changes for 2025 as pavilions decrease
Saskatoon's Folkfest remains one of the city's flagship summer events, welcoming people of all cultures to experience new food, music, and traditions across the city. This year, attendees will notice the festival undergo a new look with the same rich experiences. A now two-day event taking place on Aug. 15 and 16 from 3 p.m. to midnight, the festival will now run out of one central location at Prairieland Park, a move away from pavilions scattered throughout the city. 'Before COVID at some point, we were close to 25 pavilions,' said Folkfest director Kishore Gali. 'Post-COVID, there was a big drop in the number of pavilions.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Only nine pavilions will be taking part in this year's festival, including India, Latin America, Iran and Ghana. The Scottish pavilion, which took last year off, has confirmed its return for this year. Some big names will not be participating this year, however. The Ukrainian pavilion will be absent for the second straight year, while the Philippines will be pausing their participation. Story continues below advertisement 'We need to re-evaluate our focus, so we decided to take a pause for this year.' said Filipino Canadian Association of Saskatchewan co-president Janine Lazaro. She says the current layout of the festival does not align with the community's needs, adding it was a difficult decision to make. 'We were emotional, the rest of the board, when we did the decision.' The pavilion remains a member of the festival and hopes to return next year. While conversations with the Philippines and other members continue, Gali says this year will encompass a smaller, but incredibly diverse, group of cultural communities in Saskatoon for many to discover. 'The Folkfest audience can still expect the international experience and the experience of the world cultures, food and traditions.'
