For two days in a row, a true Ukrainian atmosphere reigned in St. Petersburg, Florida - the 44th annual Ukrainian AutumnFest was held on the territory of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Epiphany of Our Lord. This is a celebration that unites generations of Ukrainians in the United States around culture, music, traditions and charity.
This was announced by theEpiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churchand Ukrainian AutumnFest St.Pete.
“We experienced two fantastic days filled with Ukrainian song, culture and unity. This celebration was made possible thanks to the love, sacrifice and inspired work of our parishioners and volunteers. May the Lord bless everyone who contributed to our success,” said the parish priest, Father Bohdan Barytsky.
As reported, this year's festival traditionally brought together thousands of guests around Ukrainian dishes and live music. During November 8-9, the church grounds turned into a cultural center for Ukrainians in the United States.
Volunteers prepared dumplings, cabbage rolls, barbecue, and sweets - all made with love and pride in Ukrainian cuisine. With their work, they turned the festival into a warm family holiday with charity auctions, raffles, a children's area, and craft zones.
The program included performances by bands, duets, and numerous artists. Namely, the vocalist Arina Domski, whose voice conquered the stages of Europe, DJ Tima Fei from Chicago, who created an atmosphere of modern Ukrainian music, the Bratya Prykarpattya collective, which "turned the stage into a real wedding," and the Miami Ukrainian Dancers ensemble with authentic and modern choreography.
And also – the children's duet Chados, known for participating in the show “Ukraine has talent”. Their talent and sincerity captured the hearts of the audience. As well as the performance of the actors and artists of the Ukrainian theater of Florida UArt under the direction of Maksym Vyshkvark.
The special guest of the evening was the performance of the legendary frontman of the Mad Heads band Vadym Krasnooky, who “lit up” the festival with the energy of Ukrainian rock. The highlight of the event was the performance of the veteran of the US army, volunteer and singer Liliya Koreba, who was born in the Odessa region, grew up in Kherson and lived in Kyiv before moving to the USA. Her family is still in Ukraine, and she constantly supports them, and in the USA she shares our culture through song and joint events.
The hosts of the festival were Muza Yakovenko and Igor Tseholnyk, and the highlight of the closing was the performance of Maksym Vyshkvark (Vyshkva Rotti) with the premiere of a new song.
It was also noted that a special role in the festival was played by its sponsors, who support the events and the Ukrainian community in the United States: SUMA Federal Credit Union, Lisowitch Home Solutions LLC, Lion King Express, UNWLA Branch 124, UDerma Medspa, Polo Builders Inc., Meest Agency, PromoUkraine, D&S Law Group, StoAutoLargo and Knight of Columbus Father Lopez Council 5737, etc.
“I thank all our sponsors for their generous support. I sincerely thank all the committee members, artists, volunteers and parishioners who contributed to this wonderful holiday with their time, talent and faith. We had two wonderful days, which were preceded by joint work, inspiration and love for the Church and the community,” emphasized Fr. Bohdan Barytsky.
Photo: infocusanastasia
Author: Inna Mikhno