The annual Ukrainian Folk Festival, now in its 33rd year, returns to the Tryzub Ukrainian American Sports Center in Horsham on August 25 with an afternoon of vibrant entertainment, traditional performances, time-honored foods and an open-air market offering classic Ukrainian arts and crafts, including the famous pysanky eggs.
Gene Luciw, who has been an organizer of the event for more than 20 years, explained the significance of the celebration.
“1991 was when they [Ukraine] declared independence, August 24, 1991. We celebrated the first anniversary of that declaration, so now we’re in the 33rd [year]” Luciw said.
Historically, and since 1991, Ukrainians have struggled to preserve their country’s borders and maintain their independence from further annexation by Russia, who seized Crimea in March 2014. Then in 2022 Russia advanced its occupation of Crimea to a full-fledged invasion that has created a country-wide humanitarian crisis and $2.00 from every ticket purchased at the festival will be donated to Humanitarian Relief of Victims of War in Ukraine.
Luciw sees the festival as a way to “immerse people into [Ukrainian] culture, to the vibrant dance, to the music, to the song, to the language, to the foods, so that we can impress upon people that we are, in fact, a separate and distinct nation that predates Moscow.”
The traditional attire of Ukrainians, dating back several centuries, captivates with its splendor for both sexes. The culture is permeated by the distinctive patterns and vibrant hues characteristic of these garments.
Thousands of people attend the event every year.
“We tend to be a very hospitable people. We want to celebrate freedom for ourselves, and then we also want to bring in the broader community,” Luciw said, noting that the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble is a featured performer at the North Penn International Spring Festival.
Many people make the mistake of believing Ukrainians are Russians, but that’s simply not the case.
“We are a separate and distinct national group with its own language, its own heritage, cultural works, foods, all the way down to who we are and how we behave and our love for freedom and democracy,” Luciw said. “And we also want to show people how we are similar to Americans.”
This year’s festival includes an array of dance troupes, musicians, singers and ensembles, curated by Artistic Director Tsaris Lewyckyj, who has been involved with the annual festival since its start.
“You’ve got a body and rhythm, and you can go and dance. And it feels good. It feels right. It’s your culture, and it’s just exuberant,” Lewyckyj said.
This year’s program is impressive, and includes the Desna Ukrainian Dance Company of Toronto, Canada; the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Jenkintown and Philadelphia; the Korinya Ukrainian Folk Band of Toronto Canada; Singer-Songwriter Iryna Lonchyna of Ukraine; Violinist Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo of Ukraine; Vox Ethnika Band of New York City; among others.
“You know I love to dance,” Lewyckyj said. “It turns into I live to dance, and when your culture is under attack and has an existential threat, you don’t live to dance, you dance to live.”
From pierogies to kielbasa, a Ukrainian style and American style barbecue, to traditional Ukrainian sweets provided by the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, there’s something for everyone.
The festival, located at Lower State and County Line Roads at the Ukrainian American Sport Center, will open on Sunday, August 25 at noon with festivities continuing through 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the gate and admission for children under 15 is free.
