Uniquely NYC
Ukrainian Festival
The Ukrainian community of NYC has been celebrating this festival since
1976. It is an annual mid-May celebration that starts on Friday and runs
through the weekend. The festival is held under the patronage of St.
George Ukrainian Catholic Church. The three day extravaganza, featuring
Ukrainian cuisine and folk dancing, takes place in Seventh Street
between Second and Third Avenues. The area is closed to traffic on those
days. Thousands of people fill the streets to immerse themselves in
various Ukrainian cultural experiences and to enjoy the wonderful spring
weather.
There are so many points of interest at this event. There are many
vendor booths featuring Ukrainian food -; pyrogies (potato dumplings),
holubtsy (stuffed cabbage), kielbasa and home-baked goods. For folk art
lovers, there will be a variety of native art and craftwork to choose
from -; embroideries, wood carvings, ceramics and jewelry. And, of
course, the traditional Ukrainian folk dancing, with its boundless
energy and colorful ethnic costumes, is a must see.