The Babas & Borshch Ukrainian Festival is returning for 2022, and this year promises to be extra special.
The annual event, which began in 2013, will take place Aug. 27-28 in Lamont. this year will also mark the 130th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration and settlement in Canada.
This year, Babas & Borshch invited the Ukrainian Canadian Congress—Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC) to help celebrate all things Ukrainian with many historic displays, activities, and presentations. The UCC-APC will bring its “Ukrainian Day” celebration to the festival, a yearly event that began in 1941 to celebrate the first appearance of Ukrainians on Canadian land.
“The addition of UCC-APC’s Ukrainian Day and the intensive joint planning we are doing ensures an exciting, cohesive, extravaganza that both entertains visitors and recognises the historic contribution of early settlers to present-day Lamont County,” said Hazel Anaka, festival coordinator for Babas & Borshch.
The main event, a Zabava (party), is taking place Saturday night (Aug. 27), which will include a buffet, folk dance, choral performances, and dance for total immersion into the Ukrainian experience.
Also returning this year is the ever-popular Borshch cook-off, which saw a Fort Saskatchewan mom and daughter nearly sweep the competition in 2019. Carol and Phyllis Slukynski, formerly of Royal Catering, competed against each other and placed first and third in the competition, respectively.