The idea at the start was to bring the Ukrainian community in Calgary together to "celebrate and promote the culture in a unified way," Bliss said. "Since then it has grown into something that is placed on people's calendars months and months in advance."

For many people, the Calgary Ukrainian Festival is a great time to get some hot, homemade pierogies.

By 11 a.m. on Saturday, an hour after the festival began, a line had already formed in the entrance hall of the Acadia Recreation Complex and people bustled through the curling rink and hockey arena, sat in long rows of tables helping themselves to hot food or watching dancers dressed in traditional garb performing on stage.

Recommended Videos

However since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Jordan Bliss, the festival’s v

See Full Page