Saskatchewan-Ukrainians celebrated with diverse festival in Regina

A festival to celebrate the Ukrainian community in Saskatchewan will feature elements of another culture.

The Year of the Saskatchewan-Ukrainian Festival is being held Saturday at Regina's Victoria Park. It's a celebration of the 125th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada.

"The provincial government gifted our community and province with a special designation because of this big milestone anniversary year by naming this year the Year of the Saskatchewan-Ukrainian," Holly Paluck, festival co-ordinator, explained.

"And we thought, 'Hey, that makes a great festival name!'"

Including another culture

Paluck said the board of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Regina branch decided to invite a non-Ukrainian group to join in on the celebration.

"It made a lot of sense to invite Aboriginal people to participate in our day. So we will be doing a cross-cultural exchange between Ukrainian and Aboriginal people of our community."

Elements of both cultures will be included throughout the day's events. Powwow dancers and drumming groups will be featured, along with Ukrainian dancing and a bandura performance.

"Though there will be performances, there's definitely going to be some explanation of some of the things that both cultures do or why they do them," saidPaluck.

A fashion show will feature five different designers.

For food, Paluck said the festival will serve shashlyky, kovbasy [sausage] on a bun and deep-fried perogies, as well as baked and deep-fried bannock.

The first vendors open at 10:30 a.m. Events continue throughout the day until the festival closes at 11 p.m. A full list can be found on the festival's website.