Monday, October 3, 2011

Windsor Ukrainian Fest a Smash Hit

Performers on the inside stage on Friday night.
WUHF! The Windsor Ukrainian Heritage Festival was born over the weekend, and it was a blast. Despite the rain and unseasonably cold weather (Friday's weather was entirely yucky and Saturday's was merely tolerable), the first edition of this festival was a major success. Lots of people came by on both days to sample the delicious food, watch various Ukrainian, Polish and Slovak dancing groups and other performers, and to stop by the Ukrainian Credit Union booth to sign up for the UCU Investment Challenge.

The festival was held September 30 and October 1 on the grounds of St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre attached to St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Tecumseh Street in Windsor, Ontario. Many people braved the bitter weather on Friday night to pack the dining hall. The organizers were forced to move the show indoors, despite a great stage that had been set up outside.

UCU's Windsor Branch Manager Mike Kryworuchko talks
with Fr. Trynoha, the Pastor of St. Volodymyr Church
The weather brightened up somewhat on Saturday allowing the festival to move outdoors at least until it got too cold again in the evening.

As the main sponsor, Ukrainian Credit Union Limited was present throughout the festival. Staff from our Windsor branch put in tons of volunteer hours explaining to members and others what our UCU Investment Challenge is all about. We also used the event as an opportunity to let Windsor know about our great new 5-year mortgage rate of 3.44%. Even the guy from Scotia Bank who dropped by to chat said he was impressed with the rate as it is below anything he is able to offer.

In the dining hall on Friday night.
Much warmer inside than out!


A Toronto-based dance group performs Saturday afternoon
on the outside stage. It was cold but bearable.

People take the Zirkova Caesar Challenge. We can attest to the fact that
Zirkova-based Caesars are a divinely inspired libation.
You can tell that Saturday was sunny, but cold.
The church were the event was held is quite an historical landmark in Windsor. Not just for the Ukrainian community, though it does contain a museum of Ukrainian arts and crafts as well as an archive of documentary material. It is also recognized in the multimedia section of the Mriya - Ukrainian Dreams on the Windsor Public Library site. There are pictures and videos of the Church and its cultural museum available at the link. 
The Iconostasis inside St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

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