Welcome!

The Toronto Ukrainian Festival and co-produced Ukrainian Zabava run on Labour Day Weekend August 31 - September 3, 2007 on Toronto’s waterfront at Harbourfront Centre.

The four-day program’s Ukrainian Wedding Celebration theme features a Saturday and Sunday touring show organized by Oleh Skrypka and the Hurtopravtsi Ensemble from Ukraine. The Ukrainian wedding is known as the richest among old Ukrainian traditions and interwoven with ancient symbolic rituals.

Saturday Evening’s concert stage features Oleh Skrypka and Le Grand Orchestra, a leader in the revival of Ukrainian culture and famous for glam-punk band “Vopli Vidoplyasova”, French Chanson, Ukrainian folk songs and romances.

The Studio Theatre features screenings of seven documentaries and films: Orange Chronicles examines Ukraine’s Orange Revolution by Damian Kolodiy and Peter Zielyk; Acts of Imagination, on how historical injustice parts people,  by Carolyn Combs; Whisperers by Andrea Odezynska of New York, Marusia Bociurkiw’s Flesh & Blood: A Journey Between East and West, and A Man for All Canadians, about Canada’s Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn by Iryna Korpan.

The Festival showcase of more Ukrainian musical talent includes: Zubrivka’s, vocal acoustic folk music once played and heard in rural Ukraine; Klooch’s original Ukrainian rock music; Michael Kostowsky, traditional and contemporary melodies on the many stringed bandura – the national instrument of Ukraine; Oksana and the Band’s original jazz and well-known songs; Zbruch’s traditional and innovative music; Pid Oblachkom’s harmonious voices; Edmonton’s Brian Cherwick’s excursion of old Ukrainian musical instruments; Montreal’s Pryvit modern folk music; Canadian Bandurist Capella male chorus on Sunday; Yavir and Desna dance ensembles and; Ancestral Voices modern dance from New York.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights’ Ukrainian Zabava music is provided by Richka of Montreal, Zirka and Dunai with dancing until 1:30 am.

The Marilyn Brewer Gallery and Loft exhibits wedding cloths (rushnyky), costumes, headdresses, videos and photographs.

Culture in Action in the Lakeside Tent features Pavlo Lopata – icon painting; Hryhory Dyczok, Maria Steventon and Doris Cherkas – pysanky writing; Olia Harasym – gerdany bead necklaces; plus bandura playing demonstrations. In Kids Zone, author and illustrator Halia Dmytryshyn reads Ukrainian stories, where children create crafts and pysanky.

Ukrainian food demonstrations and classes are in the Lakeside Terrace plus browse or shop the Ukrainian kiosks!

Visit www.ukrainianfestival.com and www.harbourfrontcentre.com. Free Admission.