Not just a festival, but a feeling of family and Ukraine

The life of the Ukrainian community in Chicago is filled with interesting and meaningful creative events throughout the year. However, no other season compares to summer, as summer in Chicago is the time of Ukrainian festivals, which take place in almost all church parishes. These incredible festive events traditionally resemble a beautiful lace, interwoven with our spirituality, culture, national identity, customs, and traditions, our talismans.

However, for well-known reasons, Ukrainian festivals have become something more than just celebrations in recent years. They have become and continue to be not just a symbol of unity with Ukraine, but also an opportunity to help the homeland and its defenders in the difficult battle against the hateful enemy, as no creative meeting goes without collecting financial support for those who are now at war or recovering from injuries.

It was in this context that the events unfolded at the "Taste of Ukraine" festival, which took place last weekend at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr in the Ukrainian neighborhood of Chicago. I don't know how to explain it, but this festival has a special dimension — a dimension of the feeling of home. And it all undoubtedly starts with the cathedral's rector — Father Ivan Lymar, who truly becomes a loving father to everyone who usually crosses the threshold of their church or attends their festive events. Having been here every year, I can assure you that for Father Ivan, there are no primary or secondary guests; he meets everyone with special warmth, gratitude, and care. Therefore, the festival in their parish turns into a wonderful family celebration. With the feeling of Ukraine. With the taste of Ukraine. With soulful and spiritual unity with Ukraine.

The official opening of the festival took place on a Sunday afternoon. Flags of America and Ukraine flutter on the flagpoles. The national anthems of Ukraine and the United States of America are performed. The Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago, Kostyantyn Vorona, delivers a welcoming speech.

A prayer is heard from the lips of Father Ivan Lymar for peace in every family and peace in Ukraine. And somehow you immediately feel like an important part of this event, you feel that they were waiting for you here and will do everything to make both festival days impressive, enriching, and memorable.

Everyone who worked at various festival locations strived for this. Right at the entrance to the festival courtyard, a market was set up — small but filled with interesting and necessary goods: embroidered shirts, souvenirs, bed linen, honey, bags, books, health improvement products... I saw that there was no shortage of buyers. I couldn't resist: I bought myself another shirt with blue patterns on yellow fabric — it warms even with its appearance. How can you ignore such things?

Moreover, practically everyone who is at the market also volunteers, and part of the earnings is donated to support our defenders. Not for honors or fame, they simply can't do otherwise. Although I was sincerely pleased for the well-known member of the Ukrainian community, Mrs. Lyudmyla Shydlyukh, who recently received the "Volunteer — Person with a Big Heart" medal from the Ukrainian military. How wonderful! And how pleasant it is that there are many such hearts in our communities, because there are many for whom it has become the norm: some are on the front line, and some are for the front line. 

And we move on — to where incredible aromas entice. Of course, every Ukrainian hostess can prepare potato pancakes, cabbage rolls, or dumplings at home, but at the festival, they have a special taste. Especially at a festival named "Taste Ukraine." So we tasted delicious food, sitting at tables with families, companies, with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. And we thanked those who took care of all this deliciousness.

As for the concert part of the festival event, I only regret that I cannot name absolutely all the participants of the concert program, as over two days there were more than a hundred on stage and on the platform near the stage. Singers, dancers, musicians, solos, duets, and ensembles, each deserves special words, as they generously share their talents with others. Therefore, credit must be given to the festival hosts Nataliya Hladyn and Ivan Sabat, who not only announced the next participants but also found the most fitting characteristics for them and their creativity.

It is always pleasing that children showcase their creativity at such festivals. Many art studios operate in Chicago, professional vocal teachers pass on their skills to young students, parents pass on Ukrainian songs to their children, organizing family duets. After all, Ukraine in song is always something special. And we were once again convinced of this at the festival: when the Carpathian nightingale Yuriy Yaremchuk sang with his daughter Estelle, when four and five-year-old vocalists and already well-known performers in the community made their debut on stage, and when our talented Dana Chepil received well-deserved recognition — the "Ambassador of Ukrainian Song" award, presented by the organizers of the intercontinental festival "Sing Native"; and when Ukrainian classics were performed — we have wonderful opera singers Halyna Heryavenko and Tetyana Vakhnovska in the Ukrainian family in Chicago, and when the brass band filled the festival courtyard with lively marches and lyrical waltzes, and when the stage barely withstood the intensity of the emotional songs of the fiery "Svyashky", and when the audience simply couldn't stay in place because Yuriy Yaremchuk, the Malhivski sisters, Volodymyr and Lidiya Okilko, the always welcome guest in Chicago — honored artist of Ukraine Lyudmyla Kasianenko, and specially invited to the festival honored artist of Ukraine Mykhailo Hrytskan ignited the audience so wildly...

I could probably list such fragments of the "Taste Ukraine" festival event endlessly. After all, I haven't mentioned the queue of those wishing to take a memorable photo in the picturesque photo zone, the opportunity to win cash prizes from the "Samopomich" credit union, and the festival lottery draw with wonderful prizes from sponsors — there were over two dozen, and the main prize was a certificate to the "My Embroidery" store.

I also didn't mention the donation boxes that were filled with monetary donations: over four thousand dollars were collected for the charitable organization "Protez Foundation", and funds were also raised to purchase a night vision device for our host's husband, Mrs. Nataliya, who is now there, on the front line...

There are many of them there now — our brave, our best defenders. Therefore, I conclude this report with the thought with which I began it: our festivals now are not just artistic celebrations, but an opportunity to help the homeland and its defenders in the difficult battle against the hateful enemy.

This is an opportunity to sing about Ukraine, pray for Ukraine, and strengthen the belief that the light of a peaceful day will overcome the darkness of war. It cannot be otherwise.

Thank you to everyone who made our past weekend just like this — with the feeling of home, with the taste of creativity, with a high note of charity. 

Let's hold on!