Festival UKetoberfest

When our church community was just being born, Bishop Gabro gave Father Sharia the authority to create a place for worship, and thus the land on Cumberland - Argyle was purchased. At that time, it was only a lonely farm, which became a home for Father Shary and Father Dimitry Kovalchyk. A modest but devoted group of families formed the first parishioners. As the church began to flourish, the first structure built was what we now know as the Parish Life Center. Although it originally served as a church, it was always meant to be something more. Having a choir and a magnificent iconostasis, the community sought to raise funds for a new, majestic church. Faced with this challenge, a brilliant idea emerged: a carnival.

This is how the "Acres of Fun" carnival appeared - a grand eleven-day event that unfolded right there, on the parish territory. Auxiliary buildings were built for the stage areas, which were affectionately called "barracks", with a bar and a pizza stand, which were managed by Mr. Melnyk. The carnival area was decorated with attractions, including a ferris wheel and a carousel, as well as children's attractions and various games.

This vibrant event took place between the 1960s and 1970s, and the entire parish contributed to its success. Families that included the Bereza, Melnyk, Presslak, Sawkiw, Durbak, Coleman, Dumanczuk, Deeds, Zaobiedny, Zaobiedna, Deeds, Saukiews, Kykta, Sztym, Kozaks dedicated themselves to making the carnival a success. Father Shari was a prominent figure presiding over the celebrations with his traditional Irish cane, which he used to gently reprimand behaviour, prodding and reminding them of appropriate behaviour.

The carnival aptly named “Acres of Fun” was not just an event, but a celebration of diversity. Each evening featured different ethnic cuisines – American, Ukrainian, Chinese, Italian, German and Irish – culminating in the grand finale “American Day” with live music from various bands.

Volunteers representing both Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian origins joined together to ensure the success of the carnival. This spirit of inclusiveness was a testament to a sense of community and shared purpose. Together, we raised the necessary funds to build a beautiful church that now stands as a testament to our hard work and dedication, a place where everyone can gather and celebrate.

This carnival was more than just a fundraiser – it was a display of community spirit, cultural celebration and the continued dedication of parishioners.

In 2007, to the parish of St. Joseph the bridegroom was appointed a young and enterprising priest Fr. Mykola Buryadnyk. One of his wishes and ideas was to restore the former multi-day parish festival "Acres of Fun".

And already at the end of September 2008, the first picnic festival called "UKetoberfest" took place. The name "UKetoberfest" comes partly from the month of October (when the name of the festival ended in September), but with changes to the first two letters in English. UK(UKRAINE).

In that year, all the performances took place on the stage under the church, and a tent was set up for the guests between the church and the parish office. Barbecues and food were prepared by the sisterhood, brotherhood and youth of the parish, coffee and sweets were prepared by the lady from "Spirit of St Joseph".

In 2009, the parish began to grow, so they decided to move the festival to the square behind the parish building. A large stage, a tent with a variety of Ukrainian food, and various vendors were invited there.

In the following years, the festival gained considerable size and popularity thanks to the rich entertainment program.

The most famous Ukrainian bands, local performers and dance groups were always invited to the festival, and all the food was prepared by the sisterhood, brotherhood and volunteers of the parish.

In past years, the funds collected from the festival were directed to the reconstruction and improvement of the church and parish needs. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, most of the funds go to help Ukraine in various needs (aid to the army, treatment and rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, etc.).