Not Just Another Ivana Kupala

By Taras Babyuk

For all the times I have attended this wonderful yearly Ukrainian celebration, I do not remember one Ivana Kupala weekend that was more full of fun, liveliness, excitement, and awe than the one on July 7-9 at Camp Sokil at Hawkestone. The reason for this, I think, was that for the first time in my memory, the Ukrainian youth had an input in organizing this event.

The weekend sprang to life on the evening of Friday, July 7 when, at 8 p.m., DJ Panas and DJ Light began spinning their “stuff” on the main stage of the waterside pavilion. With the sound of music resonating towards the camping grounds across the vast soccer field, people slowly began arriving at the stage to see what all the buzz was about. By about 10:30 p.m. the music had lured more than 100 people, and the party had reached its full-blown proportions.

If you looked at the stage from a distance, you could see an array of reflecting multi-coloured rays continually mingling with one another on the ground adjacent to the stage. Everything was lit up – not only by the special-effects equipment but also by the energy of everyone on the dance floor, from young to old.

As the crowd danced, I began hearing sounds that brought to mind the images of World War Two movies and the sounds of missiles flying overhead. A mass of people suddenly shifted to the western edge of the dance floor. Curious, I followed the stampede towards the beach where a stunning display of fireworks flew, popped and exploded incessantly one after another right over our heads.

 The evening continued into the early hours of the next day.

Friday was only a taste of what was coming; Saturday was the real thing. At noon, Ukrainian National Federation Youth members were busy registering teams for the soccer tournament that we had planned, which was going to be held throughout the day. By 1 p.m., we had six adult teams, with eleven players per team, and four junior teams registered. This was a pleasant surprise for we certainly had not expected that there would be so many soccer fans among the campers.

After many hard-played games and the elimination of teams such as “Milan,” “Chelsea,” and “Bayern Munchen,” we were down to two finalists: team “Dynamo Kyiv” versus team “Selo Petrivka.” In an energetic and at times controversial final, “Selo Petrivka” came out as champions and each member of their squad received an “I am a Ukrainian” t-shirt as a prize.

Another popular attraction throughout the day was the rock-climbing wall, where enthusiasts got a chance to test their climbing talents. This was one attraction no one seemed to tire of because there was always a long line-up whenever I happened to walk by.

The formal part of the Ivana Kupala celebration started at 7:00 p.m., commencing with the raising-of-the- flag ceremony. Soon after,  the large audience that had gathered at the stage saw performances from groups such as the Canadian Bandurist Capella under Victor Mishalow, the dancing ensemble Vesnyanka, vocal trio Kraynya Khata from Ukraine, and the Shotokan Karate Academy.

 When the main part of the concert came to an end, the traditional bonfire was ignited. Then, following an ancient Ukrainian tradition, the girls launched their woven wreaths into Lake Simcoe. Saturday evening's festivities were concluded with live singing and music from the group Zbruch, who entertained the audience with popular Ukrainian songs and dances.

The UNYF would like to extend their gratitude to everyone that helped make Ivana Kupala 2006 a success. First and foremost we would like to thank the  Ukrainian National Federation of Canada, Toronto Branch, who provided us with the oportunity to cooperate with them in organizing this event and assisted us financially through their UNYF Alumni Fund. We also thank the Ukrainian Credit Union Ltd., Meest Corporation Inc., Vachon Enright & Peter Insurance Ltd., and Kantor Ltd. for their donations, as well as the UkieStore for providing us with prizes for contest winners.

The UNYF hopes to help make the next Ivana Kupala even more memorable!

Taras Babyuk is President of the UNYF, Toronto Branch.