The annual Palos Fest — Cossack Fun cultural and family festival took place on the grounds of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Palos Park, Illinois.
This was reported by the organizers of the Palos Fest event.
The festival began at noon, and the organizers prepared a rich, colorful program featuring performances by artists, children's groups, ensembles, and dance and folk groups representing the Ukrainian diaspora from various parts of Illinois. Lyubov Lukashevich, Anastasia Rusnak, Trembita, BARVA, Smart Minds, LESLIE, the Melaviki duet, the Ethnos ensemble, the Svaski folk group, the Vyshyvanka dance group, the Vodograi choir studio (led by Maria Kirichenko), and the Angelik choir studio (led by Maria Kirichenko) performed. Oberig (led by Svitlana Polyak), Spivachka (led by Natalia Hladyn), Dyvosvit (led by Svitlana Vesna), and young talents from Carl Sandburg High School and the Barvystok Art Center (led by Tetiana Baryliak). Lilia Semko and Volodymyr Pushkar hosted the event.
The staging of an ancient Ukrainian wedding drew special attention. This tender ceremony of dressing the bride for marriage was accompanied by the song "Shumila Lishchyna" and evoked sincere emotion in the audience.
"Each woman put a piece of her soul into blessing the new family. It's not just a tradition — it's the living memory of our people," said Kateryna Hrod, one of the organizers, sharing her impressions.
Another special event was a theatrical display of 19th-century folk costumes from Roksolana Prokopiv's collection. Students from Kateryna Grod's modeling school, “StarKids,” participated, as did the group “Siromanci,” who performed a historical reconstruction of Cossack customs.
Guests at the festival had the opportunity to enjoy delicious Ukrainian dishes, participate in master classes, view the works of folk artists, and purchase traditional jewelry and embroidered shirts. Children could enjoy face painting and an introduction to domestic animals in the churchyard.
Photo: Tetyana Drozhzhyna
Author: Inna Mikhno