The annual Ukrainian festival UKetoberfest was held in Chicago, which was held on the territory of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church of St. Joseph the Betrothed. This year's festival was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the parish and united Ukrainian cuisine, a concert program, children's performances, entertainment, a fair and charity collections.
This was reported by Uketoberfest.
One of the features of this year's festival was its large-scale program. The territory had two stages, where dozens of performers and groups performed. Among the participants in the musical program were Jamala, Tayanna, Beyond Legacy, Nashi, Orest Galitsky and other artists.
A separate part of the program was children's performances. According to the organizers, 500 children took part in the festival program. Among them were children born in the USA who performed Ukrainian songs and participated in dance groups.
The festival also had locations with Ukrainian cuisine, souvenirs and embroidery. Entertainment was organized for children. For two days, the festival area hosted guests, and volunteers ensured the operation of various locations, food, stage, parking, transportation and other areas.
The second day of the festival began with the Great Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the open air. The service was held on the territory of the parish of St. Joseph the Betrothed.
The spiritual inspirer and one of the main organizers of the festival is the parish priest of the church, Father Mykola Buryadnyk. A large team of parishioners and volunteers participated in the preparation of the event, who prepared Ukrainian dishes, arranged the territory and stage, organized parking and transportation, a concert program, children's events and charity events.
Young Ukrainians, including those who had recently arrived in the United States, also joined in the volunteer work. Among the organizations represented at the festival was the Ukrainian Women’s Association of America (UWAA), which helps children with cancer in Ukraine.
An important part of Uketoberfest was the charitable component. The funds raised during the festival go to the Heroes’ Defense Fund, as well as to the overhaul and development of the parish.
Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk drew attention to the spiritual significance of the event during the festival:
“We have wonderful priests and our faithful, and most importantly, we have the Lord.”
Additional information
The Uketoberfest festival was launched in 2008 on the initiative of the parish priest of St. Joseph the Betrothed, Father Mykola Buryadnik, as a revival of the tradition of the parish carnival “Acres of Fun,” which was held in this area in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2009, the festival was moved to the square behind the parish house, where it later expanded and became an annual event with a concert program, Ukrainian cuisine, and the participation of local performers and groups. Previously, the funds from the festival were directed to the needs of the parish, and after the war began, a significant part of the proceeds went to help Ukraine, in particular the military, as well as to the treatment and rehabilitation of the wounded.
Photo: St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church.
Author: Danylo Pievchev