The annual Ukrainian Festival was held this weekend at the Ukrainian Homestead on Beaver Run Drive, Lehighton.

The annual event draws people from all over the area to enjoy delicious Ukrainian foods like pyrohy, holobtsi, kovbasa & sauerkraut, and halusky.

There was also a beer garden, basket raffle, and vendors selling all kinds of Ukrainian hats, shirts, gifts, crafts, and music.

This year, the festival celebrates the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence, although the festival has been going on a little bit longer.

“I think around 37 years,” said Dr. Paula Holoviak, the cultural director for the Ukrainian Homestead and emcee of the dance program. “We started a little before Ukraine gained its independence.”

Stage shows were a highlight of the weekend. Shows, held both days, featured Ukrainian dance, music, and song. The band “Soloway” from Philadelphia provided live music.

Dancers for the shows were part of the 37th UAHF Ukrainian Dance Camp held at the homestead.

Dance ensembles included Spirit of the Dance Ukrainian Folk Ballet, based in Maryland and founded by dance choreographer Roman Mykita; and the Kaska Ukrainian Folk Ensemble from Schuylkill County.

This year’s program featured guest artist and dancer, Iryna Tkachenko, who is from Kyiv, Ukraine. She and her husband, Dr. Mykyta Tkachenko are visiting the United States for one year.

“I am a professional dancer from Ukraine, from the military ensemble,” Iryna explained. “I’m staying here for one year, and I wanted to dance with Spirit of the Dance.”

Roman Mykita, lead artistic director and choreographer of the festival, gave an idea of some of the dances over the weekend.

“Iryna Tkachenko will dance with Spirit of the Dance, doing a piece inspired by another Ukrainian writer, Ivan Franko, and she’ll also be doing a piece that’s inspired by Taras Shevchenko called ‘Lily’, and she’ll actually be dancing in pointe shoes for this.”

“We are celebrating the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian independence this weekend,” Mykita added. “For the show, the Kaska Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, will take the audience on a tour of dances from all over the various regions of Ukraine, from the west to the east, and then we will also be doing with Spirit of the Dance, a tribute to Lesya Ukraina, who is a famous poet who from Ukraine.”

Sunday’s show was moved inside the hall at the homestead, which now features a new heating and air conditioning system, according to Holoviak.

“And, as you may have seen, we have another project coming up. We’re going to be building log cabins for youth camps and for visitors,” she explained.

Other events at the Ukrainian Homestead this year include a potato bake in September, Fall Foliage in October, Thanksgiving Dinner in November, the Christmas Party and New Year’s Eve Dance.

Visit UkrHomstead.com for information, or call 610-377-4621.