Jersey's Ukrainian Festival lives on in Morris County (09/27/98)

Jersey's Ukrainian Festival lives on in Morris County

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Though the venue has been changed, New Jersey's annual Ukrainian Festival lives on. This year's event will take place, Saturday, September 26, at Malapardis Park in Hanover Township, N.J.

This year the UCCA New Jersey Coordinating Council Festival Committee is chaired by Luba Siryi, and the vice-chairperson is Oksana Korduba; both are past chairpersons of the New Jersey Festival and have a lot of experience.

The main performers this year will be Roma Pryma Bohachevsky's Ukrainian folk dance ensemble, Syzokryli, and Chaika, the SUM Ukrainian dance group from Yonkers. Both dance groups are very popular, talented and well-known in the Ukrainian American community in the eastern U.S.

Also on the program are several singers and the Khvylia orchestra.

Food will be sold by St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church of Whippany, as well as the Ukrainian National Home of Jersey City.

In the spring of this year it was noted in the press that the Ukrainian Festival that had been held at the PNC Art Center in Holmdel, N.J., would no longer be held at that facility due to restrictions set by the center. The Ukrainian group was told that it would be able to hold its festival in the parking lot area along with four other ethnic groups under two large tents. No stage show was to be allowed for any of the groups. None of the groups agreed to these restrictive arrangements.

In response to this situation, the Coordinating Council of the New Jersey branches of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America called a meeting to discuss this problem. They took upon themselves the responsibility to continue to organize a festival that would give many talented young Ukrainian groups a chance to perform, as well as exhibit their talent and showcase the Ukrainian heritage before the public. After a number of locations were studied, Malapardis Park in Hanover Township was selected. Two Ukrainian Day festivals have been held there in previous years by the Whippany-Morris Country Branch of Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

Travel to the festival is very convenient. From the New York and Newark areas, travel Route 78 West to Route 24 West, then Route 287 North one exit to Route 10 West. Then take the U-turn at the second exit - Cedar Knolls, Ridgedale Avenue, which will put you on Route 10 East. On Route 10 East, at the first light make a right onto Ridgedale Avenue and then make a right at the next light onto Malapardis Avenue. One half mile on the left will be Malapardis Park.

From the west, take Route 10 East to the Ridgedale Avenue exit and follow as above.

From the south, take Route 287 North and follow directions above.

From the northeast, take Route 46 West to Route 287 South. Then take Route 10 West and follow as above.

The festival starts at 11 a.m. Afterwards there will be a festival dance at the Ramada Hotel on Route 10 (westbound) in East Hanover. Music will be provided by the Khvylia orchestra.

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