About Kupalo Fest
Kupalo Fest is a modern revival of the ancient Ukrainian summer solstice tradition, also known as Ivana Kupala, or St. John's Day. Through fire, water, music, dance, and craft, we reconnect with nature, heritage, and each other. We invite anyone who carries ancestral lineage solstice traditions to share them with us as we seek the common threads in weaving the Kupalo Solstice celebration. Together in community, we create living culture.
Born as a grassroots initiative in Manitoba, the festival is growing into a welcoming space for both Ukrainians and friends from all backgrounds, even those who are new to ceremony and to discovering their traditions. We celebrate community through authentic Kupalo and traditional solstice rituals from other communities, hands-on workshops, live performances, and shared meals. We seek restorative and equitable relationships with original caretakers of this land and its plants, creatures, and waterways.
The festival will take place in several locations around Garland. The main location is on Anastasia's land around her Vicker's Viscount airplane. She is hosting the festival along with her two neighbours Ernie and Jacques. The other two locations are the Ukrainian People's Home of Taras Shevchenko (aka Garland Hall), and her newly acquired Ruthenian United Church of St. John, which she is converting into an artist workshop and community hub.
Kupalo Fest is located on Treaty 2 lands. These are the territories of the Anihšinnāpēk (Anishinaabe), Nêhiyaw (Cree), Anisininew, Dakota, Nakoda, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Dene (N. Navajo) peoples, and the homeland of the Âpihtawikosisân (Metis, meaning "My other son" in Nêhiyawewin). We are dedicated to reconciliation and building bridges between our communities.
About Kupalo Fest
Kupalo Fest is a modern revival of the ancient Ukrainian summer solstice tradition, also known as Ivana Kupala, or St. John's Day. Through fire, water, music, dance, and craft, we reconnect with nature, heritage, and each other. We invite anyone who carries ancestral lineage solstice traditions to share them with us as we seek the common threads in weaving the Kupalo Solstice celebration. Together in community, we create living culture.
Born as a grassroots initiative in Manitoba, the festival is growing into a welcoming space for both Ukrainians and friends from all backgrounds, even those who are new to ceremony and to discovering their traditions. We celebrate community through authentic Kupalo and traditional solstice rituals from other communities, hands-on workshops, live performances, and shared meals. We seek restorative and equitable relationships with original caretakers of this land and its plants, creatures, and waterways.
The festival will take place in several locations around Garland. The main location is on Anastasia's land around her Vicker's Viscount airplane. She is hosting the festival along with her two neighbours Ernie and Jacques. The other two locations are the Ukrainian People's Home of Taras Shevchenko (aka Garland Hall), and her newly acquired Ruthenian United Church of St. John, which she is converting into an artist workshop and community hub.
Kupalo Fest is located on Treaty 2 lands. These are the territories of the Anihšinnāpēk (Anishinaabe), Nêhiyaw (Cree), Anisininew, Dakota, Nakoda, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Dene (N. Navajo) peoples, and the homeland of the Âpihtawikosisân (Metis, meaning "My other son" in Nêhiyawewin). We are dedicated to reconciliation and building bridges between our communities.
Programming
Workshop and Festival Schedule to come!
Kupalo Rituals
Wheat-weaving
Petrykivka painting
Italian divination
Sash weaving
Music jam
Broom making
Juggling
Wildcrafting
Music jamming
Polyphonic singing
Dancing
...and much more!
Programming
Workshop and Festival Schedule to come!
Kupalo Rituals
Wheat-weaving
Petrykivka painting
Italian divination
Sash weaving
Music jam
Broom making
Juggling
Wildcrafting
Music jamming
Polyphonic singing
Dancing
...and much more!
workshop leaders
Gary Edwards
Born in traditional Nēhiyawak (Cree) Terr. in Northern Saskatchewan, Gary Edwards is a Indian Residential School Survivor of 3 I.R.S. across the province.
In the late 80's, he began 4 decades of travelling that would cover 100+ countries & 4 continents. Playing throughout as DJ Sasquatch and founder of Poundmaker Soundsystem.
Gary has been creating stages & large scale, high-tension fabric art installations for many progressive global transformational festivals: HillTop (Goa, India), Boom (Portugal.), O.Z.O.R.A (Hungary), P.art.Y.(Ibiza, Spain), Gaia (Mt.Fuji, Japan.), LoveParade (Germany), RainBowSerpent(Australia), TheGathering(New Zealand), WaterWoman (Equador), Envision (Croatia), Ometeotl (Mexico), Tribal Gathering(UK/Panam), Symbiosis (California), OneNationEarthCamp (OregonEclipse 17), TexasEclipse '23(TX), MotionNotion(ALTA), Shambhala(BC), Connect(SK). Spanning 4 decades of music, magic & more, he has also been a cultural advisor within the unity consciousness, of the worldwide trance tribe.
Gary has been a guiding force for this festival and is bringing a super special solstice set to Saturday night festivities!
Myroslava Oksentiuk
Myroslava of Edmonton, AB, is a multi-disciplinary folk artist. She grew up in Ukraine where she sang with the renowned folk group Rozhanytsia for 12 years before moving to Canada in 2018.
Recently, Myroslava founded Kolo Folk Studios, under the UPAS (Ukrainian Performing Arts Society) umbrella in Edmonton, where she and her colleagues lead ceremonies for traditional events for the community around the calendar year, including Andryivski Vechornytsi, Malanka, Kolodiy, Vesniani Tantsi (Spring dances), and Kupalo.
Her studio is called Berehynia Folk Arts Studio where she provides traditional Ukrainian Folk Art Workshops. She currently sings with the Ruta Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and runs the stage at the Heritage Festival in Edmonton.
Myroslava will lead us through the traditional Kupalo rituals during the festival.
Mario Morello is a teacher, researcher, ethnomusicologist and singer based in Montreal and Toronto. He studies the performance practices of various traditional vocal polyphonies, particularly from Italy, Ukraine, and Georgia.
Currently, he engages in ethnographic research projects focused on the Salento region of Italy, collecting and analyzing materials in Salento since 2015. He has to several Toronto-based and Montreal-based ensembles in an eclectic variety of musical projects that focus on traditional polyphonic singing, including Ukrainian polyphony ensembles Kalendar and Mumurosi Choir, the Balkan troupe Meden Glas, Georgian ensembles Darbazi and Supra, the Ontario-based folk collective Kosa Kolektiv, and the Toronto-based musical activism initiative Sing with Ukraine.
His current research interests include the study of repertoires of polyphonic song in Italy and their contemporary transformations, semiotics in polyphonic song, and the study of traditional polyphonic singing in diaspora communities.
Mario Morello
more coming soon...
workshop leaders
Born in traditional Nēhiyawak (Cree) Terr. in Northern Saskatchewan, Gary Edwards is a Indian Residential School Survivor of 3 I.R.S. across the province.
In the late 80's, he began 4 decades of travelling that would cover 100+ countries & 4 continents. Playing throughout as DJ Sasquatch and founder of Poundmaker Soundsystem.
Gary has been creating stages & large scale, high-tension fabric art installations for many progressive global transformational festivals: HillTop (Goa, India), Boom (Portugal.), O.Z.O.R.A (Hungary), P.art.Y.(Ibiza, Spain), Gaia (Mt.Fuji, Japan.), LoveParade (Germany), RainBowSerpent(Australia), TheGathering(New Zealand), WaterWoman (Equador), Envision (Croatia), Ometeotl (Mexico), Tribal Gathering(UK/Panam), Symbiosis (California), OneNationEarthCamp (OregonEclipse 17), TexasEclipse '23(TX), MotionNotion(ALTA), Shambhala(BC), Connect(SK). Spanning 4 decades of music, magic & more, he has also been a cultural advisor within the unity consciousness, of the worldwide trance tribe.
Gary has been a guiding force for this festival and is bringing a super special solstice set to Saturday night festivities!
Myroslava Oksentiuk
Myroslava of Edmonton, AB, is a multi-disciplinary folk artist. She grew up in Ukraine where she sang with the renowned folk group Rozhanytsia for 12 years before moving to Canada in 2018.
Recently, Myroslava founded Kolo Folk Studios, under the UPAS (Ukrainian Performing Arts Society) umbrella in Edmonton, where she and her colleagues lead ceremonies for traditional events for the community around the calendar year, including Andryivski Vechornytsi, Malanka, Kolodiy, Vesniani Tantsi (Spring dances), and Kupalo.
Her studio is called Berehynia Folk Arts Studio where she provides traditional Ukrainian Folk Art Workshops. She currently sings with the Ruta Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and runs the stage at the Heritage Festival in Edmonton.
Myroslava will lead us through the traditional Kupalo rituals during the festival.
Mario Morello is a teacher, researcher, ethnomusicologist and singer based in Montreal and Toronto. He studies the performance practices of various traditional vocal polyphonies, particularly from Italy, Ukraine, and Georgia.
Currently, he engages in ethnographic research projects focused on the Salento region of Italy, collecting and analyzing materials in Salento since 2015. He has to several Toronto-based and Montreal-based ensembles in an eclectic variety of musical projects that focus on traditional polyphonic singing, including Ukrainian polyphony ensembles Kalendar and Mumurosi Choir, the Balkan troupe Meden Glas, Georgian ensembles Darbazi and Supra, the Ontario-based folk collective Kosa Kolektiv, and the Toronto-based musical activism initiative Sing with Ukraine.
His current research interests include the study of repertoires of polyphonic song in Italy and their contemporary transformations, semiotics in polyphonic song, and the study of traditional polyphonic singing in diaspora communities.
Mario Morello
more coming soon...
kupalo fest team
Anastasia Fyk
Head Kitchen Magician and
keeper of the hearth
Sara yagelniski
North-East side: Volunteer coordinator, programming, and assistant cat herder
kristen andrews
serhii "kotek" kazantsev
rachel jensen
zoryana hayduk
pamela kirpatrick
atom dzaman
jenn sparling
North star, head cat herder, and host
North-west side: Things Ceremonial, Ancestral, and Elder Care
South-East side: Senior Jester, Musician Liason
South-West side: Site Manager and Social Media maestro
West side: Programming and workshop tactician
East side: Godfather of Fundraising and Paperwork
South side: Keeper of the treasures
Where to Sleep
Whether you’re coming for one night or all three, we’ve got you covered. You can tent on-site or bring your RV.
There will be water stations around the festival site.
Quiet camping zone for kids, families, and early birds, or stay with the rowdies to dance and sing until early in the morning.
There are no showers on site.
Where to Sleep
Whether you’re coming for one night or all three, we’ve got you covered. You can tent on-site or bring your RV.
There will be water stations around the festival site.
Quiet camping zone for kids, families, and early birds, or stay with the rowdies to dance and sing until early in the morning.
There are no showers on site.
What to Eat
All weekend passes include Friday late lunch and Saturday meals.
Day passes include meals being served to attendees on that specific day.
Friday night will be a potluck around the campfire! Bring a dish for 5-6 people, complete with an ingredient list. Come early if you'd like to cook your food on the fire.
Sunday morning, we'll brunch together
Saturday evening we will have a verenyky/perogy feast.
Sunday morning, we will have a pancake breakfast.
Aiden will be baking up a sourdough storm in the wood-fired oven and will have many different types of lovely bread for sale over the course of the weekend.
Please bring plenty of snacks that don't need to be cooked up, as there will be no access to the kitchen for attendees.
What to Eat
All weekend passes include Friday late lunch and Saturday meals.
Day passes include meals being served to attendees on that specific day.
Friday evening will be a potluck! Bring a dish for 5-6 people, complete with an ingredient list.
Midnight lunch will be served at the dance on Friday night.
Saturday morning, we will brunch together.
Saturday evening we will have a perogy feast.
Sunday morning, we'll brunch together before everyone heads off.
Please bring plenty of snacks that don't need to be cooked up, as there will be no access to the kitchen for attendees.
Festival Site
Garland, Manitoba
Highway 10 between Dauphin and Swan River
Contacts
hello@kupalofest.ca
Festival Site
Garland, Manitoba
Highway 10 between Dauphin and Swan River
Questions? hello@kupalofest.ca
proudly supported by:
proudly supported by:
