The annual Ukrainian Festival was held in Franklin, Wisconsin, bringing together the Ukrainian community, friends of Ukraine, volunteers, creative groups, clergy and guests from across the state. The event was a celebration of Ukrainian culture, traditions and charity, with all proceeds going to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
This was reported by the Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc.
The festival was held on August 16 in Croatian Park. The grand opening began with the sound of the trembita performed by Mykhailo Boychuk, the national anthems of the United States and Ukraine, as well as a joint prayer with the participation of clergy from St. Mary’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church and St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Milwaukee. The guests were welcomed by Halyna Salapata, President of Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc.
The concert program was opened by the parish block of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Michael. The children's choir and creative groups of the parish performed on stage. The program was continued by the violin duet of Tatyana Migliaccio and Yulia Mykolyk. Then, the guests were presented with Ukrainian traditional clothing - the collection was presented by Viktoriya Sabchyshyn.
Ukrainian folk dances occupied a special place in the program. The children's dance group "Kalyna" performed the dance "Birch", and the ensemble "Promin" presented the production "Wild Dances". During the day, the dance ensemble "Dnipro" also took the stage several times, showing various choreographic numbers, including a multi-regional dance, the production "Nese Galya vodu" and the dance of Ivan Kupala.
The Ukrainian musical tradition was presented by the Chicago Bandura School. She performed “The Noise of the Steppes” by Hryhoriy Kytasty, “Oh, What a Merry River” with lyrics by Hryhoriy Boyko and music by Arkady Filipenko, as well as “My Ashes” by Stepan Kryvenky.
Olya Kushnir performed her original songs for the audience. She performed the compositions “Mother Stood”, “You Can’t Surrender” and “Have Mercy on Ukraine”. The vocal part of the program was continued by Snezhana Putsil, who performed the songs “Maybe Love”, “Similar”, “I Don’t Know” and “Child”. Bozhena Sholom performed her own compositions “Our” and “Let’s Remove the Bush”. Mykhailo Boychuk also presented a humorous program – he read humorous stories for the festival guests. It was followed by a vocal performance by Anastasia Rusnak, Yuriy Yaremchuk, and Evelina Vivcharyk. The final part of the festival program was taken over by the KASKAD group.
At the same time, the festival was not limited to performances on stage. Throughout the day, guests could taste traditional Ukrainian dishes, buy Ukrainian souvenirs, participate in a charity auction, visit the children's zone and information tents of Ukrainian organizations. On the eve of the festival, dozens of volunteers joined together to prepare traditional Ukrainian dishes. Together, they made 3,350 dumplings, which became one of the most popular dishes of the holiday.
Separately, visitors could learn more about the humanitarian activities of Wisconsin Ukrainians, Inc. and the initiatives that the organization implements in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in Wisconsin.
Despite the festive atmosphere, the main theme of the event remained support for Ukraine.
“We remember the Ukrainian defenders who are fighting today. We remember the wounded, those who gave their lives, the families who lost loved ones, and the millions of Ukrainians whose lives were changed by Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Wisconsin Ukrainians Inc. said.
According to the organizers, every plate of varenyky or borscht purchased, souvenir, charity auction, or donation contributed to humanitarian aid programs in Ukraine. For example, the funds raised go to support non-profit organizations such as Revived Soldiers Ukraine and the Protez Foundation, which help seriously injured Ukrainian servicemen.
“Every person who learns more about Ukraine, listens to a Ukrainian song, gets to know our community, or brings their children to experience our traditions helps preserve Ukrainian culture and support Ukraine,” the organizers concluded.
The Wisconsin Ukrainian Festival has been one of the state’s largest Ukrainian cultural events for many years, giving Wisconsin residents the opportunity to experience Ukrainian culture up close, while also promoting Ukrainian heritage and raising funds to support Ukraine.
Photo: Wisconsin Ukrainians, Inc.
Author: Inna Mikhno