Award Winning Fralinger String Band at Toronto Ukrainian Festival

Toronto, ON –  The 2012 Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival will feature the Philadelphia-based Fralinger String Band, a champion Mummers string band known throughout the world for its upbeat musical style, colourful costumes and energetic performances.

On Saturday, September 15, the Fralinger String Band will take part in the parade that kicks off the 16^th annual Festival, joining other participants at 11 a.m. as they make their way along Bloor St. W. from High Park Ave. to Jane St.  The Band will then take part in the Official Ceremonies at 12:20 p.m., and will appear in a special performance on Bloor at Windermere Ave. at 2 p.m.  The Fralinger String Band appears at the BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival with the assistance of Celebrate Ontario.    

Philadelphia Mummers are a unique 113-year old tradition of over 15,000 costumed entertainers welcoming in the New Year.  The tradition developed from a blending of the many cultures of the European continent and evolved into the colourful, competitive parade held each New Year’s Day in Philadelphia.  From 2003 to 2010, the Fralinger String Band won an unprecedented eight consecutive first prizes in this parade.  In 2011, its New Year’s Day theme was “At the Golden Gate of Kyiv,” showcasing Ukrainian traditions, culture, music and elaborate costumes.

The Band was organized in 1914 by Dr. John Fralinger, a Philadelphia philanthropist, pharmacist and team physician for the Philadelphia Athletics professional baseball team.  His sponsorship and community relationships enabled the Band to strut in their first parade on January 1, 1915. In addition to Ukrainian favourites, the Band’s musical repertoire consists of standard pieces, folk melodies, and musical numbers in the style of Big Band/Swing and Dixieland Jazz.

The 2012 Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival will take place from September 14-16, showcasing the most widely identifiable aspects of Ukrainian culture in Canada – music, dance, food, visual arts and community.  The Festival has established itself as one of the premier Ukrainian festivals in North America and has grown to attract audiences well in excess of 500,000 from across Canada, the US and abroad.

For further information, please visit www.ukrainianfestival.com and www.fralinger.org.