The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed organized this year's Uketoberfest, which took place this weekend in Chicago. Spanning two days, the festival drew over 10,000 attendees, making it a significant cultural and charitable event.
This was reported by the parish of St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church.
According to reports, Father Mykola Buryadnyk was the spiritual inspiration and main organizer of the festival. He sees the festival as a tool for uniting the Ukrainian community in Chicago and supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the parish.
This year, the funds raised during the event will be donated to the Heroes Defense Fund and the parish's capital repair fund. Thus, the festival has become a way to support the Ukrainian military and develop the local community.
Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk emphasized the spiritual dimension of the event:
"Uketoberfest is the largest Ukrainian festival in Chicago. It is a time when people can come together, socialize, and grow closer to the community, the church, and God. People are filled with joy, but behind this joy is an incredible amount of work by clergy, parishioners, and volunteers. The open-air Divine Liturgy reminds me of pilgrimages in Ukraine.”
The festival began with the Divine Liturgy in the church courtyard. According to the bishop, it resembled pilgrimages in Ukraine.
"We have wonderful priests and faithful parishioners, and most importantly, we have the Lord," he emphasized.
Dozens of performers and groups took the stage at Uketoberfest 2025: Finka (Iryna Vykhovanets); the bands Hremo, NASHI, Kozak Siromakha, Nerius, and Mantra Folvara; Students from Mmagoal Academy, Elegy Studio, Vyshyvanka School of Dance, Ethnos Ensemble, Fitness Hopak, ISKRA School of Ukrainian Dance Palatine, Smart Minds, Svashky, Domisolky, Stavros, Teatr Istyna, and Trioda also performed. Soloists included Alina Chemerys (bandura), Victoria Sirko, Mariana Balash, Natalia Tsar, the Bystrytsya Ensemble, and Creative Kids.
The festival touched the youngest attendees as well as the adults, especially the parents.
"Even in a distant foreign land, it's good that our children have the opportunity and desire to hear, perform, and cherish Ukrainian songs from an early age. Watching this is love!" emphasized event participant Khristina Kardash-Stepnytska.
"It was an unforgettable and thrilling performance for Katya and us. Her appearance on stage hand in hand with an incredibly strong Ukrainian hero and defender was particularly special. The atmosphere and the people were incredible," added Maria Franchuk.
A special moment was the Revived Soldiers Ukraine charity lottery, which offered a BMW convertible as the grand prize. The car already has a history. In May, it was first presented at the Cars & Coffee event, where Ivan and Oksana Kostyuk won it. Inspired by Revived Soldiers Ukraine's mission, the Kostyuks returned the prize so that it could serve a charitable purpose once again. Participation in the raffle costs $20, and all proceeds will go toward medical care and prosthetics for wounded Ukrainian soldiers in the United States.
"I'm exhausted but happy because we're doing good deeds for the glory of God and to help our Armed Forces! So many of you gathered in the evening. It was nice to see so many familiar and dear people!" shared volunteer Yulia Benko.
Photo: Maksym Prokopiv, Natalia Figel, Yuliya Benko, Yaryna Sirko, Venedykt Aleksiychuk
Video: Venedykt Aleksiychuk, Irina Vashchuk Discipio
Author: Inna Mikhno