33rd Annual Ukrainian Festival Highlights Religion, Culture, Cuisine

By Andrew Gorosko

The 33rd Annual Ukrainian Festival held Sunday, August 24, was a bittersweet event.

The pleasure of attending the church festival and socializing with parish friends was tempered by the sadness that came with the death last May of Olga Liteplo Paproski, who had hosted the event since its inception.

Nonetheless, aided by family and friends, Ms Paproski’s daughter, Gloria Paproski Horbaty, and her son, Stephen Paproski, carried on with the tradition that brings together in a rural setting the parishioners of the Holy Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church of Bridgeport. The festival is a church fundraiser.

Mr Paproski operates Castle Hill Farm on Sugar Lane.

An estimated 750 people attended the event in perfect late summer weather at Paproski Christmas Tree Farm on Hattertown Road in Dodgingtown.

To start the festival, Father Ivan Kaszczak, pastor of the church, conducted the Divine Liturgy for parishioners at an altar positioned amid a grove of trees. The priest’s liturgical words drew responses from the church choir under the direction of Jaroslav Shumyhora.

Ms Horbaty said attendance at the festival was the highest that it has ever been, requiring that an extra farm field be opened up for vehicle parking.

Many of those attending the event were not of Ukrainian descent, but simply those who enjoy such gatherings, she noted.

The day’s activities highlighted aspects of Ukrainian culture, especially Ukrainian cuisine. Among the culinary items offered at the picnic were potato dumplings, stuffed cabbage, sausage, and sweet fried cabbage. Taras Slevinsky and Yaroslava Kovach supervised the food operation at the event.

Ethnic dancing and singing provided entertainment.

Displays of Ukrainian arts and crafts were offered.

Other festival activities included volleyball, horseshoes, hay rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, chess, and an inflatable amusement ride.

“It was a hard one. It was a very difficult one emotionally,” Ms Horbaty said of the festival’s being the first such event to occur since her mother’s death last May.

“So many people said, ‘It’s so different without her,”’ Ms Horbaty said her late mother’s not being present at the festival. “It was almost like having another wake,” she added.

People reminisced about Olga Paproski, resulting in the festival assuming the quality of a memorial to the well-known woman who died at age 89, Ms Horbaty said.