Folkfest's Karpaty Pavilion hosts more than 30,000 visitors (09/26/99)

Folkfest's Karpaty Pavilion hosts more than 30,000 visitors

SASKATOON - The Karpaty Ukrainian Pavilion hosted 30,143 visitors in an immensely successful 20th anniversary version of Folkfest - Saskatoon's multicultural extravaganza. This was the first time that a Ukrainian pavilion has topped the 30,000 mark during the annual three-day event, held this year on August 12-14. Twenty pavilions celebrated this year's theme "Culture and Harmony" and recorded more than (324,000) visits overall. The Karpaty Pavilion combined with the Kyiv Ukrainian and the Russian pavilions to represent the Slavic cultures in this mosaic, which included other pavilions representing European, Asian, Australian as well as North and South American cultural groups.

Harold Sokyrka, president of the Ukrainian Tryzub Society, Karpaty's non-profit sponsoring organization, stated, "This was our pavilion's 18th year and it was definitely the best! Our visitations and sales exceeded all expectations. Our entertainment program was among the finest we've ever had. Compliments we've had lead us to believe that we are the best pavilion at Folkfest. We owe everything to our 350 volunteers who made the pavilion run so smoothly."

Continuous entertainment was provided by several groups including the Lastivka Choir and Orchestra, the Voloshky trio, the Prairie Sons orchestra of Carrot River, and several dance groups, namely, Sonia's School of Dance, Yevshan, Pavlychenko and Zapovit of Regina. Masters of ceremonies Lesya Sorokan-Normand and George Hupka kept the audience's attention with their good-natured banter and humor.

The cultural display included many colorful and intricate artifacts typical of the Hutsul people who populate the Carpathian (Karpaty) mountain region. A continuously running slide show presented views of the landscape, people and architecture of the Hutsul region in southwestern Ukraine. A large map of Ukraine was a popular spot where many patrons identified the points of origin of their ancestors.

Long lines formed for the delicious food; in addition to the standard Ukrainian dishes, cheesecake and poppy seed roll were offered for dessert. A sell-out highlight was the cinnamon buns and bread, freshly baked in the portable wood-fired clay oven owned and operated by Bohdan and Diane Ciona of Swift Current. The pavilion's famous specialty beverage, the Hutsul Hammer, sold out for first time in pavilion history.

Just how much do 30,000 visitors eat? Pavilion cooking staff indicate that the answer is 195 gallons of borsch, 1,000 pounds of sausage, 13,500 holubtsi and 25,700 varenyky!

Proceeds from the pavilion go towards local projects dedicated to the maintenance and enrichment of the Ukrainian culture and language. Beneficiaries of pavilion funding include dance groups, choral groups, schools, camps and museums.

For more information about Folkfest, contact Harold Sokyrka at 442 Sylvian Crescent, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7H 5E9.

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